Another Contra View on Software Development Offshoring

July 8, 2005

Via Fortune, another contrary view on the wisdom of offshoring software development, at least to Bangalore. Some interesting quotes: But when the time came to develop his new product, a software-hardware package that lets users access their computers from anywhere in the world via the Internet, [Ajit] Deora [of enKoo] realized that Bangalore wasn’t quite […]

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ISO 9001, Redux

July 7, 2005

John Broomfield has posted an interesting comment on my recent post concerning ISO certification. I’ve reproduced it below in full: If an organization “implements ISO 9001″ to obtain a certificate then it will obtain less value than a company that uses the standard to improve the system it uses to run the business. The INC […]

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Technology Committees on the Board

July 7, 2005

As a result of the increasing relevance of technology to areas of Board responsibility (such as oversight of acquisitions) and because of Sarbanes-Oxley rules that require companies to detail the adequacy of their internal controls over technology systems, large US public companies are increasingly forming technology committees of the Board of Directors. The WSJ (paid […]

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Post-M&A Integration in the Software Industry

July 7, 2005

Nicholas Carr has an article on Oracle’s approach to post-M&A integration. Interesting quote from a Business Week interview with Larry Ellison quoted in the Carr post [concerning the PeopleSoft merger]: We had a clear plan. A lot of things were done in 30 days, including integrating the two salesforces. The secret to these mergers is […]

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Live Surgical Webcasts

July 6, 2005

The NYT reports on a fascinating new use for webcast technology – surgical procedures are being webcast, mainly to potential patients to demonstrate the procedures, although there are other uses for the technology, such as continuing education. The technology allows viewers to email questions during the procedures. Quotes: “About 70 percent of the viewers are […]

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ITBusiness.ca

July 5, 2005

My posts have been featured on IT Business.ca for the past couple of weeks. It’s been a great opportunity to expose blawgging to a broader audience. You can see the posts as they appear there here – the link is halfway down the right side of the page. While you’re there, stay for a while […]

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What to Do After a Privacy Breach

July 5, 2005

Computerworld is featuring an article by Larry Ponemon on the results of research he has conducted on how consumers react to the news that their data has been unintentionally disclosed. The article presents recommendations for companies that are dealing with the aftermatch of a disclosure. In a nutshell: Timeliness is important. Notify the victims as […]

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How Many Co-Founders Should You Have?

July 5, 2005

Allen Morgan has a terrific post examining the question of allocating equity in startups to co-founders. Quote: If you want to raise money from VC’s, here’s a really tough, really important question you ought to ask yourself very early in the process: “How many co-founders should I have?” Having the wrong “answer” to this question […]

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More Cautionary Tales of Offshoring

July 4, 2005

The June 6-19 issue of Canadian Business (print only) features a column by Andrew Wald on the offshoring experience of ARsystems International of Toronto. AR systems outsourced software development, on a few occasions, to Shinetech in China. Generally, ARsystems was happy with the work, but for various reasons will likely not repeat the experience except […]

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Nickels and Dimes Don’t Add Up

July 4, 2005

I’ve taken this title from Ed Sim’s excellent post at his blog, Beyond VC. Ed writes about an ill-fated negotiation with a candidate for a VP Marketing position – the post is about the impressions gained during the negotiation process, and how some concerns raised in that process led him to pass on a candidate […]

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3D TV is on the Verge of Becoming Reality

July 3, 2005

The NYT writes this weekend on the state of play in 3D TV technology, and reports that the technology is close to ready for commercialization. The article offers some tantalizing insights into the possibilities for the technology: In a nondescript optics lab in tucked into an anonymous office park in the San Fernando Valley, the […]

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The Growth of Onshoring

July 2, 2005

Newsfactor is running a story on onshoring – outsourcing to domestic lower cost centres – a movement spawned by the spread of broadband. It’s fascinating to see that the Earth is flattening close to home as well. Some interesting quotes: In Jonesboro, Ark. and Portales, N.M., startup Rural Sourcing Inc. has opened programming centers staffed […]

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