This article is also available as a Podcast on “The RootCause” podcast series available on iTunes.
As our country begins what I can only hope is a new era, I find myself wondering about the future of our industry. Information Technology took a very hard hit in the Dot Bomb Crash of 2000. I was under contract to Lucent Technologies at the time and the impact there was enormous. Jobs were lost by the thousands, and so were retirements. Now, in 2008 and 2009, we see another financial bomb–but we also see a new vision.
In 2000, the world discovered that just being on the Internet did not guarantee success. Prior to that, business was doing well at moving money around, if not actually producing much. The cash had to keep moving or it would settle to the ground and people would notice that there wasn’t that much new money–just the same funds moving in circles–redistributing. Maybe that is what finally happened. Maybe the music stopped and everyone realized that there weren’t enough chairs for everyone–and panicked.
The financial bomb this time is a bit different and as I am not a financial consultant, I will not try to explain it–even if I fully understood it-which I do not. My concern here is the impact of this market on my industry, the Information Technology Industry. This time it seems, we are not dead center on the bull’s eye–instead we are the arrow point. We went through our decimation and many of us retired, retrained in other fields or just gave up. Others stayed on and have continued to grow with the technology. It’s leaner and meaner and there are far fewer of us to do what needs doing. But, it is also the foundation of the new economy to come.
New energy systems and a rewrite of the way that the Health Care Industry does business will be heavily steeped in Information Technology. Our skills are going to be in more and more in demand as companies around the world, and here in the United States, scramble for ways to create a sustainable future for our planet and our respective countries. We will be right in the middle of it. Are you ready for that? Are you really?
One side effect of the trimming down of our industry has been reluctance to invest in upgrades, to improve efficiency of systems and, most importantly, to create. Older equipment and technology are often still in place–in mission critical positions. Products at the end of their support cycles, that are still working, are still in place. After all, why fix what isn’t broken? Money is tight.
Here is why you should fix it while it is still working.
(1) Because it IS still working. Once a component fails, you will end up scrambling to replace it–making bad decisions and building sloppy installations.
(2) Because new software tools, operating system manufacturers, (think patches), and other manufacturers of equipment, do not perform regression testing back to the beginning of time. If your operation system or other software tools are past that magical line in the sand, new-supposedly helpful-patches and upgrades could break your systems in unforeseeable and unsupportable ways.
(3) Because it is not about keeping your position in a company or in a market. It is about creating new technologies, processes and markets. The old ways don’t cut it anymore and whoever creates a solution to a problem, regardless of country or marketplace, will drive the economies of the world–and of their niche in the global marketplace. If your company creates products or provides services, you need to be on the crest of the wave.
President Obama has asked us to be willing to make hard decisions and to work to create the new technologies that will drive the world’s economy. I for one, embrace the call. Let’s stop trying to make our money by moving money from one pocket to another and begin once again to create. You, the people of the Information Technology Industry, are going to be right at the heart of it. Technologists, look for companies that want to be there too. Information Technology Managers, look for people with passion. Let the wonder that first led you to master an aspect of the magic of technology once again inspire you. This is our moment. This is our challenge. It’s time once again to have some fun with this stuff!
By: Barry Koplowitz
Posts Tagged ‘Information Technology Industry’
The New Information Technology Marketplace
January 26th, 2010Misconceptions About Outsourcing Information Technology Tasks
January 9th, 2010Like nearly all other industries and practices, IT outsourcing also has had its portion of myths . While these misconceptions haven’t been able to end the flow of outsourcing, they have inflicted some damage to small commercial enterprises that sought to gain from the numerous advantages of subcontracting information technology tasks. In this article, we will view some popular myths and will learn why they are misconceptions merely.
Firstly, people believe outsourcing is doing damage to the local economic system. One can’t deny the diminishing the jobs in the information technology industry, but to state that the gross effect on the economy is damaging won’t be appropriate. If subcontracting your IT projects allows you to trim costs and enjoy more earnings, doesn’t that mean more profit for the shareholders. Then, most of the tech products from fiber optic cables to internet telephony are made up by western states. So it’s rather evident that if IT subcontracting reduces jobs in one sector, it also brings profit to other sectors.
Moreover, some firms hold the misconception that outsourcing to offshore workforce is a shameful act. This, I think, is because of constant propaganda by some media that subcontracting damages economy and is unpatriotic to do. But it’s true that numerous international companies have subcontracted their IT tasks to India and some other Asian countries, as it also allows them to cut managerial burden and target core aims. In fact, the main doctrine behind a business enterprise is to increment earnings and to flourish. IT subcontracting allows US firms to benefit from talented folks living miles apart, so we actually employ some untapped brains that certainly contribute more innovation to the entire world.
Some think that subcontracting can result in high expenses after you count all the intangible costs linked with it. Yet, if you compare the hourly wages of employees in Asian nations like Indonesia, you will realize that there are huge saving potentials. Moreover, having a larger internal workforce means you acquire all the office supplies from chairs to UPS for all of them. So by reducing fixed expenses, subcontracting permits SMEs to control their variable expenditures. So subcontracting is not just for larger corporations and can significantly help smaller businesses looking to launch with low budget.
Finally, a couple misconceptions come up due to incompetent management by firms who go for outsourcing. A lot of us fail to follow best practices when subcontracting out IT tasks and later come up with baseless justifications. Many a times, we hear managers complaining that outsourced workers overlook deadlines. This is usually the result of inappropriate selection. There are lots of providers in our own country who are always late.
Then, several managers face communication problems while dealing with overseas workers. These problems usually arise when you choose outsourcing providers who grab more projects than they can manage. So employ dedicated workers who would work only for you.
By: Mohsin Khan
Abco Technology is a Sex Education Center
December 28th, 2009ABCO Technology specializes in providing Computer Training and Consulting for the Information Technology Industry. Computer Training is provided by experienced, certified industry experts that have years of seasoning in their respective field of Information Technology. All instructors use the official vendor curriculums for their courses, along with using live company projects to enhance the usability of the training material. IT is through this method of education that our students have been able to move on to high-level professions inside the IT industry.
ABCO Technology is your one stop IT Solution Company, along with training we also offer IT consulting services to companies including web site design, corporate network setup, repair and maintenance, database design and development, Application development, Project Management. Whether you or your company need training on applications as well as computer use or need to update, migrate or repair your existing company setup ABCO can present a solution that will fit your needs. On internet, the people mostly come to search for the information. Most of the information is text based. If a fancy page has no information or substance, it delivers no value. With these things and your research in mind, here are few other important points that you must take into account while planning your website design. Also we provides Search Engine Marketing Consulting service offers classy keyword research, link building, SEO optimization and marketing tips, web site promotion internet marketing using organic SEO techniques.
ABCO Technology is dedicated to helping companies find the right computer training and consulting services for their business. We strive to be the finest resource available, allowing our clients to achieve the best practical hands-on training or IT solutions Clients want technology to work efficiently and simply. ABCO helps your company move in the right direction with the right solution. We offer Specialized programming classes designed for clients who have special IT requirements. We make a special promise to all of our clients that all classes at ABCO will be simulated according to the job environment. We can provide training at our location or at the client’s site. Students can ask specific questions, receive time sensitive hands-on training and ask the key questions which can lead to improve their performance at work after training from ABCO.
ABCO Technology Computer Training Schools offer basic IT Training Certifications in specific operating systems like Linux or basic networking technologies. Associate certification course are also offered and tend to take one year to complete and prepare for jobs as systems analysts, database administrators, or middle level design positions. ABCO Technology computer training institute prepare individuals for higher-level computing and engineering jobs.
By: Abcotechnology.com
