A CULTURAL BACKLASH AGAINST OUTSOURCING
The outsourcing of tech and business work to India by U.S. multinationals has added billions to India's national income, but some in the country suggest that this apparent windfall carries too high a price, namely the erosion of traditional Indian values. --Paul McDougall
informationweek.com/1126/blog_backlash.htm

How positively ridiculous! Outsourcing has given Indian women options, something they never had before. While it is true that cultural norms have shifted away from staunch conservative values, the average female call center worker is still a "good Indian girl." --OutsourcingMaven

The people of India should be allowed to maintain social norms if they wish, but the price will come in loss of outsourcing business. No company in the U.S. is going to tolerate the possibility of several days a year where they have no support from their outsourcer, nor will they tolerate any reduction in performance. Many in the West already are fed up with not being able to speak to someone face to face. Maybe it will bring some of the outsourcing back into the Western region, but I really don't see the jobs coming back to the companies that are happy with their outsourcing partners.

More likely, outsourcing will begin to migrate to countries that have a more Western cultural bias, such as Australia or some European Union countries that are trying to break into the market. No matter what, I don't see this being the end for outsourcing (India or otherwise), but it will stem the tide somewhat, or at least redirect the outflow. --Schleprock

The backlash isn't just about being Indian. It's also directed against someone--U.S. multinationals, which, despite touting their global credentials, have remained U.S.-centric multinationals. There will be a limit to which they can grow with such vision. Penetrating markets beyond that point would require getting sensitized to local cultures, Indian or otherwise.

Also, let's not forget that the companies already have invested billions of dollars in India, and a significant portion of their growth comes from India. And then there's also the size of the market. If such a backlash pushes Indian policy makers to go the China way by relying more on local innovation and local products, it will be a tough time for most of our companies. It's instead market-wise to adapt ourselves to their ways, wherever possible, without compromising our business success. --Esoteric

To state the obvious, Indians don't get to complain when they keep taking the money. Either take the money and keep quiet, or don't take it and raise hell. But if the money is taken and complaints are made, nobody will take it seriously. --A Person With A View

No doubt that India has learned a lot from American society and its management skills, and we acknowledge and respect it. Actually, if you see the underlying layer, it's helping the American economy and all American companies and making America a better place to live. If the society of India is getting richer at one end by the influx of money, they're buying more products from American companies, and the whole conveyor belt of the economy is moving.

Example: Most Indian schools are making computer education mandatory. Now all the kids have to buy software, and that software will be Windows or Mac. For playing, they'll buy video games and Xbox or PS2. Hence, the money will be coming back to America. --Ruchir Choudhry

It's not about India, and it's not about culture. It's the simple fact that U.S. customers are being forced to use a plethora of cheap offshore call centers for support, ordering, etc. I'm personally fed up with the sheer incompetence of the reps, many just reading from scripts, and the fact that many of these "tech support" reps don't have the requisite command of the English language. If you work in a call center taking calls from America, you must be fluent in English. They also lack the ability to handle the most basic troubleshooting methodologies. When a help desk is no help, customers will choose other vendors. I did. --Jonn Thomas

DO NEW MOBILE PHONES SCARE YOU?
In his Over The Air blog, Stephen Wellman ponders whether IT managers shy away from new mobile devices for fear of wreaking havoc on their networks. Readers weighed in.
informationweek.com/1126/blog_mobile.htm

New mobile phones don't scare me. I feel the problem is a lack of and enforcing of a technology policy that everyone can live with, within reason. --Rodney Hall

The need to recode enterprise-level applications for mobile devices is a big chore. Many organizations don't want the hassle and would prefer the vendors take this on. Even if your ERP/CRM/ HIS/MRP application has a Web interface, that's typically not good enough. The standard Web interface assumes a pretty good size screen. Force a lot of extra scrolling on those mobile users, and you have a revolt on your hands.

Then there's the general lack of suitability for data entry. Mobile devices tend to work well for viewing data but much less well for data entry. So most business use falls to e-mail and voice. The devices can do this with little or no integration or special coding. Also, they can do purpose-built PDA-type applications, again because they're a quick implementation, suitable right out of the box. --Brian