Reply to: Letter from America

[vetran]

Worked for a company who said they wanted 40% of the IT staff outside of the states. We got all excited, finally we would get some say in the running of the business. When they broke ground on a huge complex in India we realised the chiefs were staying in the US but we were getting a whole load of Indians in our 40%.

Overall they are nice blokes and quite competent. No reason why given 5 - 10 years of experience they can't be very good.

[HairyArsedBloke]

My advice: get out of pure-play IT (development), unless you're an uber-techie like NickFitz.
There is good niche where business meets technology, a sub-niche of that is managing outsourcing.

Aye, sadly.

[sasguru]

So - how do you keep successful (let's put our disbelief on hold a moment...)

You're quick to laugh and pull the rug SAS - any advice to those doing their best and trying to get onboard the new contractor's world (or should that be paradigm?)

In fact - what is the new contractor's world?

My advice: get out of pure-play IT (development), unless you're an uber-techie like NickFitz.
There is good niche where business meets technology, a sub-niche of that is managing outsourcing.

[HairyArsedBloke]

Take off & nuke the site from orbit.

It's the Only Way to be Sure.

Aye

[cojak]

Indeed with the right leadership in place, Bob is a match for anyone.
Be afraid, be very afraid.

So - how do you keep successful (let's put our disbelief on hold a moment...)

You're quick to laugh and pull the rug SAS - any advice to those doing their best and trying to get onboard the new contractor's world (or should that be paradigm?)

In fact - what is the new contractor's world?

[singhr]

Just been on the phone to British Gas and spoke to heavily accented Glaswegian lady. Once apon a time I would have complained I couldnt understand a word she was saying but now am thankful that at least one job in a UK call center hasn't been outsourced. You don't think they teach Bob and his sister to speak Glaswegian do you?

[SuperZ]

Take off & nuke the site from orbit.

It's the Only Way to be Sure.

Been watching Aliens recently on TV? Those snappy head beings look cute compared to you, lizard head

Interesting views in the thread. I'm not sure if the trend will continue. If it does, where will it stop? And where will future economic growth come from over here, other than trying to populate it to the brim?

One day we may be like China and India are now, and they'll outsource work back to us because we'll be plenty cheapness.

Maybe the West has had its day and maybe it's about time ? Maybe we've had things easy for way to long. And who knows, maybe it'll one day lead to another big war as some have predicted, as the West tries to hold onto power.

As well as death and taxes, another thing in life that is certain is that nothing ever stays the same, and the good times always end.

[sasguru]

Also, although some of the grunts in Bangalore struggled in various ways, their team leaders had worked in the US for some years and were pretty clued up, with brisk American accents and forthright attitudes to match.

Indeed with the right leadership in place, Bob is a match for anyone.
Be afraid, be very afraid.

[minestrone]

There was a limit to how many times I could tell someone in India how to price a derivative and I think I reached that. Ironically, with JPM.

[OwlHoot]

To write bespoke software I think you need to be in constant contact with the users/stakeholders.

I don't think this can happen when you are thousands of miles away in a different time zone and speaking to someone with poor English over a crappy phone line.

I've just spent six months at a client where our team was being outsourced to Bangalore. I haven't been especially happy about the task conceptually, although I owed it to the client (and myself in the circs) to cooperate.

Much of the comms is via email, IM, IRC, and pin-sharp video links, so "crackly phone lines" are not much of an issue these days.

Also, although some of the grunts in Bangalore struggled in various ways, their team leaders had worked in the US for some years and were pretty clued up, with brisk American accents and forthright attitudes to match.

[sasguru]

Outsourcing is cheating. It only works if a minority of companies or institutions outsource. If we all outsourced; then they would be no economy left to generate wealth. The result would be all companies would go under.

Not terribly bright are you? Companies are outsourcing to India and China and building up those economies because that's where their future markets are coming from, not the aging West.
You're right there will be no economy to generate wealth in the West. India and China will provide most profits for those companies who invest/move there and who ultimately have no national/patriotic obligations at all - far from them going under, they do fantastically well in these markets.
What we are seeing is the end of the period of Western domination.

[sasguru]

You luddites make me laugh. Outsourcing is not just another trend, it's here to stay. While there are some horror stories, remember this is just the start. Bob is capable of improvement and will do so.
It all depends what you do and what extra value you're bringing. Pure play coding can, and will, go to Bob. He's cheaper, more hard-working and as good as you, or better, in most cases.

[vetran]

To write bespoke software I think you need to be in constant contact with the users/stakeholders.

I don't think this can happen when you are thousands of miles away in a different time zone and speaking to someone with poor English over a crappy phone line.

have you seen the rubbish most corporates use? Some of the stuff would be seriously improved if it were written in another language say swahili.

[minestrone]

To write bespoke software I think you need to be in constant contact with the users/stakeholders.

I don't think this can happen when you are thousands of miles away in a different time zone and speaking to someone with poor English over a crappy phone line.

[Churchill]

I know a lot of CUK ers don't agree with me, but this outsourcing trend will not continue. It's far too expensive in the long run. Let's hope we can survive the long run ...

I remember someone saying exactly the same thing about the shipyards, and steel making, and the coal mines...