The document traces the history and evolution of outsourcing from its early precedents established by Adam Smith in 1776 to more recent developments. It notes milestones like the birth of multinational corporations in the late 19th century, the emergence of mainframe computing enabling data processing outsourcing in the 1960s, and information technology and business process outsourcing gaining recognition as business strategies in the 1980s and 1990s as outsourcing expanded to various business functions and geographical regions. The development of digital technologies, the internet, and globalization further drove changes in outsourcing models over time.