With many U.S. jobs being lost to overseas outsourcers, companies creating jobs here are getting attention. Virtual call centers - outsourcing firms that provide phone support using home-based workers - are breaking out of niche markets and winning big clients in the government and mass-market retail sectors. They're also providing jobs for disabled workers who can't manage the long hours or commute. Reg Foster, chairman and CEO of Denver start-up Alpine Access, recently met with Net.Worker Managing Editor Toni Kistner and shared his vision for this new and growing industry.

You've seen some surprising growth this year. Can you elaborate?

Last year we had success in the direct retail TV market - you know, infomercials that run in the middle of the night. Those companies are a good fit because they need a lot of agents for short bursts of time, when that phone number flashes onscreen. Unlike traditional call center agents who work set hours in an office, our agents can just log on to the system and work an hour or two when needed. So in 2003, we expected two or three new DRTV clients, but instead gained 15 just between May and September. A few dropped out but we still retained nine.

What changes did you make to accommodate the increase?

We've just spent $4.8 million to pursue new markets and to beef up the security and redundancy of our call center network. We now have two collocation centers that failover to each other, situated on opposite ends of Denver. Our next step is to separate them by about 500 miles. As we double in size, then double again this year, we're scheduling enhancements to accommodate the volume.

You've also broken into some new markets?

We're gearing up to announce two huge customer wins - a very large and well-known government agency and a mass-market retailer. Both are big breakthroughs for us. In educating organizations about the value of virtual call centers, the challenge is getting that first client reference in a new market. Nobody wants to be first, but once you get one, others follow. There's a 'me too' mentality.

Tell me about the government client.

[This month], we'll formally announce that the government agency will begin using our agents to answer calls from citizens requesting forms and publications. Because the agency is so big, we plan to hire 1,000 new part-time employees in addition to the 3,000 we currently have.