[IP] : on the reality of out-sourcing

[Dave Farber <dave@farber.net>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Adams <RAdams@ngiweb.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2004 16:25:10 
To:dave@farber.net
Subject: on the reality of out-sourcing

Dave,
 
 I have been reading the various messages outsourcing work to India.  I outsource.  A few points.
 
 - I have been responsible for eight websites over the last seven years.  I've worked with several design/programming shops in the process.  For the last couple years, I've stuck with one outfit I really like that happens to be in Bangalore.
 
 - Yes, the time differential (10 and a half hours) can be a pain in the neck, but these people (Smart Webby at http://www.smartwebby.com) are hard-working, honest, very responsive and responsible.  
 
 - They are also far less expensive than any American firm I've ever dealt with.  For those interested, the site can be seen at http://www.futurebrief.com.  I knew what I wanted, so the entire site was created in four days.  The total cost was $380, including the Flash, newsletter subscription setup and so forth.
 
 - Needless to say, I saved a great deal of money using Smart Webby. Where did that money go?  I use it to pay honorariums to people contributing original essays to our Commentary section at the site.  So far, these are Americans.
 
 - Result?  Our budget goes almost entirely to Americans, just different Americans than it would have a few years ago.
 
 There are pluses and minuses to outsourcing.  You can have a negative or a positive experience.  In short, it's no different than working with any vendor.  I recognize the kind of work I paid for is nothing terribly complex or massive in scope.  Nonetheless, it is an example of outsourcing and it is a lesson to people like me who may choose to outsource bigger and more complex tasks in the future as a result of good experiences like this.
 
 In case anyone should wonder if I even asked an American firm for a bid on the Future Brief site, the answer is yes.  I still have their proposal.  They offered to do it for $9750.
 
 I do sympathize with those whose jobs have been lost or threatened here in the US due to outsourcing, but I have a budget and a responsibility to spend it as effectively as possible.  Like everyone else, I do my best.
 
 Bob Adams
 

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Dave,

I have been reading the various messages outsourcing work to India.  I outsource.  A few points.

- I have been responsible for eight websites over the last seven years.  I've worked with several design/programming shops in the process.  For the last couple years, I've stuck with one outfit I really like that happens to be in Bangalore.

- Yes, the time differential (10 and a half hours) can be a pain in the neck, but these people (Smart Webby at http://www.smartwebby.com) are hard-working, honest, very responsive and responsible. 

- They are also far less expensive than any American firm I've ever dealt with.  For those interested, the site can be seen at http://www.futurebrief.com.  I knew what I wanted, so the entire site was created in four days.  The total cost was $380, including the Flash, newsletter subscription setup and so forth.

- Needless to say, I saved a great deal of money using Smart Webby.  Where did that money go?  I use it to pay honorariums to people contributing original essays to our Commentary section at the site.  So far, these are Americans.

- Result?  Our budget goes almost entirely to Americans, just different Americans than it would have a few years ago.

There are pluses and minuses to outsourcing.  You can have a negative or a positive experience.  In short, it's no different than working with any vendor.  I recognize the kind of work I paid for is nothing terribly complex or massive in scope.  Nonetheless, it is an example of outsourcing and it is a lesson to people like me who may choose to outsource bigger and more complex tasks in the future as a result of good experiences like this.

In case anyone should wonder if I even asked an American firm for a bid on the Future Brief site, the answer is yes.  I still have their proposal.  They offered to do it for $9750.

I do sympathize with those whose jobs have been lost or threatened here in the US due to outsourcing, but I have a budget and a responsibility to spend it as effectively as possible.  Like everyone else, I do my best.

Bob Adams

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