Letters To The Editor

Sad State Of Affairs
Long before any college or university conferred degrees in computer science or information systems, there was a concept called on-the-job training ("Immigration & Innovation," Feb. 23, 2004). America must be in very bad shape if people in charge at companies here have to rely on skilled foreign labor and are unable to provide specialized training to employees. It's also a sad commentary on the American educational system, which is suffering from the trickle-down effect of budget deficits because of revenue shortfalls.

Jerry Hubacek
Plainfield, Ill.

Well-Rounded Approach
I operate a small outsourcing company ("Just What Is Your Business?" Feb. 9, 2004). Originally, our advisers and industry partners said our focus was too broad.

I always knew they were wrong, so we continued in our approach. Today we're still around doing well, and many of them are out of business. The MBA mentality is about efficiency and nothing more. We've learned that if you focus on one thing and that one thing gets outdated, then you lose. This class is the one most MBAs didn't take.

As we go into the future, we believe we'll outlast our competitors since we consistently reinvigorate the product lines when a new opportunity arises.

Peter Benjamin
Managing Partner/ CTO, MyOffice Resources, New York

Underserved Industry
As one of the few strong forces in the economy over the last 10 years, I can't understand why more software companies don't go after the building industry's business ("Blueprint For Change," Jan. 26, 2004). Even a small builder would pay dearly for a reliable database and information-sharing system. There are no big players, and the ones that can be named are basically accounting programs. We need development in the entire arena because it's all interconnected.

Brad Chisler
Director of Construction, Edgemoore Homes, Fairfax, Va.