In five American states, politicians have proposed legislation that would constrain state governments from buying call-centre services from abroad, or would at least compel operators to confess their location.

ECONOMIST: Outsourcing to India

Cisco, which has bought or invested in 25 companies over the past three years, is expected to do another dozen deals this year. 3Com and Bay Networks, Cisco's main competitors, have also been buying companies left, right and centre.

ECONOMIST: Can't stop starting businesses

"We're asking people to be very, very conscious that when they go to a garden centre and they're buying bluebells to ascertain the actual provenance of those so they are not actually buying something that has been imported, " he said.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Northern Ireland | Gardeners urged to repel boarders

And it started investing last year in real estate, buying sizeable chunks of Sheffield's Meadowhall shopping centre and London's Regent Street.

BBC: Scottish independence: Fjords flowing with funds

Last year the centre set up an Enid Blyton archive after buying original typescripts of some of her best-known work including the Secret Seven series.

BBC: Enid Blyton legacy to Newcastle's Seven Stories centre