a more or less postive post about VoIP

Techdirt: VoIP Is About More Than Replacing The Phone Often the posts on this blog are not really on the constructive side of things, hence the name. This post struck a cord with me, because it's VoIP and it's about it being more than cheap. We don't have yet the app that makes VoIP go beyond the cheap alternative. I agree there are things to build on top of VoIP. A colleague of mine is building auto-attendant for his home because he is tired of picking the phone for his daughter, so that from now on, the little buggers calling in will press two to speak her, I think that is cool!

RSS spamming - blog spamming

the Beijing Boob in to a of and for is Olympics on I subscribe to RSS feeds from Technocrati for specific keywords. The keywords I search for have nothing to do with the blog above. When you subscribe to a search it's unbelieveable the extent people will go to make a buck. But looking at this one more closely, it's actually there just to make people's life miserable, it doesn't have advertising on it. What is the point? What are they trying to achieve? More and more sites like this one are turning out in my daily subscribe.

IBM is ranked first top Global Outsourcing Company

Consultant News.com The first ever ranking of firms in the fastest growing segment of the world economy. This is interesting to know, I didn't realize that, neither did I realize that IBM was such a proeminent player. The top 100 represents 68.9B revenues and 1M employees, roughly 70k/emp in revenue on avg - not great. The number 2 company Sodexho Alliance, I don't know, and by the description they don't come across as an outsourcer. I'm glad to see CGI is in the top 10, more precisely number 8. I see Wipro but I don't see the usual suspects, Tata, Infosys there. I don't understand enough what the ranking was based on. The rising stars category is made of non US firms, from you've guessed it China, and India.

In-flight food guide

In-flight food guide via Slashfood Hey better knowing than not. It's crazy what the north american market has come down to in terms of food if you compare to how it is on the other side of the ocean. The service is just so much better over in Europe than here. I know the food is not good anyway while in flight, but the feeling your business is appreciated goes a long way with me, and I don't get it here. Europe has this "je ne sais quoi!"

University enrollment: Comp Eng and Comp Sc.

University_Enrollment_Survey(SHRC) Those numbers are not encouraging. We're not convincing enough people to enroll in Computer programs. As you can imagine this does not spell good for the ITC industry in Canada. There are companies in technologies in Canada that are doing very well, I just wish we'd hear of them more, or at least more than JDU and the likes. The perception of future students is that there is no future for computer people in Canada not only is it quite the contrary. Canada's demography itself is going to open many many jobs starting now. Future students seem, due to multiple influence in their entorage, to believe there is a better future in B. of Art of all places. Yeah culture is important - but sciences are important too. I don't believe Sciences is getting enough attention as an important consideration for our future.

Getting a party going

Olive dish lets you play solitaire - Slashfood: "If you're at a party and the guests are really boring, then grab the plate of olives (and your martini), snag a cushy chair in the corner, and play solitaire." Hey how many times in a party where you don't know much people are you looking for a way to break the ice. One you're done with my name is and I'm the friend of so and so, well now you can talk about the cool olive plates your host has!

India Inc acquiring

Wipro buys CAD firm Quantech- The Economic Times Wipro seems to be the most aggressive buyer out of India Services industry. They have a few deals already in the last couple of years. They're now mature businesses and looking to strategically enter new markets. This is upside down from the mentiality of Indian firms up to now where corporate development strategy is much more build than buy. I met with an investment banker avendus at Nasscom he was telling me that M&A activity in India itself is picking up. He did say too that he didn't see why they would buy outside of India, Wipro seems to think otherwise.

India preferred Outsourcing destination

Offshore Outsourcing World Blog - Why India is the most preferred Outsourcing Destination The numbers are huge, but what's to expect from a country with over 1B in population. I don't believe people of India are any smarter than anywhere else. What they do have in qty that we don't seem to have as much anymore here is - drive, eagerness, hunger to succeed, ability to compete. They do not assume they will be spoon fed, because no body will. They want to get out of their misery, this is one heck of a motivator. In 2020 the sweetspot of India in terms of Demographic, this is when the working population will be at its peak because the age of the population will be between a range of age I can't remember. Anyhow more people than ever in 2020 will have the opportunity to make dramatic leap in terms of quality of life, in 2006 we're witnessing the beginning of it. By dramatic leap I mean - while before a dad would work on the factory floor, the son would be a security guard, the grand son would be an engineer, and the grand grand son would have a shot at the ceo job - this will not hold true anymore. The kids are attending university in engineering, whatever the dad's job is these days. The world is starving for affordable talent, the infrastructure is there for the jobs to find the talent. But this is not only India, this is the story in the making of many other countries - the free market will play itself out as they say - and this is a good thing, competition is always good, it makes everyone better.

Best Buy Invaded By Legion Of Blue-Shirted Pranksters - Gizmodo

via Digg - Best Buy Invaded By Legion Of Blue-Shirted Pranksters - Gizmodo: "ew York-based prankster group Improv Everywhere decided that for their latest mission, they’d get about fifty of their operatives to dress like Best Buy sales staff and invade the Chelsea branch." It's a waste of time, but it's funny what people will do!

Advanced Concept

While at Software 2006 last month, Mark from Symantec argued for the need of advanced concepts group in an organization. His point is that it brings more agility in a world that requires more and more innovation done faster every time. We think product companies are structured for fast turn around, think again. The engineering department in an organization is not structured to protorype and do pilots, because they have a release schedule to manage, and revenue expectations aren't going to be met otherwise. Typically what companies will have in addition to an Engineering group is an advanced concept group taking care of early prototypes. This group works closely with the marketeers, and pilot customers, to deliver a useful product that satisfies pre-decided market potential conditions -- in no time, because their job is to bring this pilot to the early adopters. Their sole mission si to crank out the code, that will show the client that they really need this new thing, forget about most of the other priorities. Once the prototype is considered successful, then the group is now made a full blown division in the engineering group, where they will now develop like big boys put the necessary processes for multi languages releases, maintenance, backward compatibility etc. I don't think they build throw away prototype, but I would not be surprised that some serious refactoring, rearchitecturing etc is done during that first year as the new entrant in the engineering group. The bottom line is that the organization can adapt faster to market trends this way, because the marketeers who are dealing with the clients, can get something going without having to wait 12months. I just read that samsung developed a portable digital radio player in just over 9months from handshake to final delivery to one of their customers, this is fast. So for an orgfanization in my mind there is not one group overseeing everything, from start to finish. The ideal organization forms multi-disciplinary teams to build the first version, the prototype guys with the duck tape etc. One that is done and successful - they morph into the productization department, the manufacture, the R&D group of Software companies. This looks awefully similar to the design industry.