Outsourcing? Not even a little bit. Not only that but AFAIK contract engineers are incredibly rare and nonexistent in many product areas.

This isn't to say that Google doesn't have partnerships with external vendors. We do. But engineering in general is a core competency, something far too valuable and of strategic importance to outsource.

I can confirm this: you can basically count the number of contract engineers in the US on your fingers and toes.

Are we counting Google Account Managers hiring third-party contractors to do ad-hoc work for major clients?

https://groups.google.com/d/topic/pylons-discuss/asqBrrEEhNo...

There are exceptions. But for software engineers who contribute to Google's (non-open source) code base, Google pretty much got out of using contractors around 2008 or so. Some contractors became employees.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10107141-93.html

They outsource by buying startups.

Wouldn't that be more like "insourcing"?

Sure after they've bought them, but buying them, no.