IBM Or Tata - Who Is More American
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A business magazine had an interesting article recently that raised some pertinent questions about the nationalism of multi national companies and where do their core interests lie, given today’s globalized world.
Most of us are already familiar with the Accenture controversy regarding this. Even tough Accenture is considered a blue eyed US tech services company in popular perception, the company is actually incorporated in Bermuda. Basically a tax haven country which helped the company save big time in corporate taxes.
IBM is based in Armonk, US, but it employs more people outside US, and a substantial chunk of them in India. India is IBM’s hub for global delivery of software solutions template and it has about 80,000 IBMers on its payroll in this south Asian country.
TCS, based in Mumbai, India is the nation’s largest tech services company. It gets more than half of its total revenue (about 51%) from the North American region. Leaves no doubt about where its energies are focused even though its based more than 6000 miles away from its core market.
Not surprisingly, IBM gets a bigger share of its revenue from markets outside of US and has seen its bottom line improving even though the US is witnessing an economic gloom and doom of sorts. Its stock initially rose 3% and then by 25% since mid-February.
On the other hand, TCS witnessed a slight slide in its fortunes, its stock is down by around 10%. Putting all their big eggs in one market is going to make these companies vulnerable. Note, TCS is also one of tech India’s most geographically diversified company. Others are banking on US for almost 60 to 70% of their revenues.
But the situation is not that bad for Indian tech companies. With the US economy already in doldrums or veering close to it, depending on whom you believe, US is going to outsource-offshore more to cut costs and improve the bottom line. But at the same time, Indian companies should work on raising the bar and getting a better traction in the emerging markets like China, Russia, Mexico, Brazil etc.
IBM is now the numero uno seller of tech services in India, where its revenue grew by 41% in the last quarter.
American tech service have not only mastered the art of outsourcing but also beat their Indian compatriots it seems.
How Kulveer And Harjeet Stuck Gold
By building a great startup and managing to sell it for a cool €3.2 million. Along with their partners, Kulveer and Harjet started an online service Auctomatic that describes its mission as empowering online sellers through various features. The tools proffered by Auctomatic asssit a user in maximizing their potential in online selling sites like eBay, Amazon, Overstock etc.
China Outsurfs US - What It Means For American Startups
(Pic: A Chinese Web Cafe)
Blame it on population but China’s Internet users have overtaken the United States’ to become the world’s biggest with about 220 million web surfers according to BDA China, a Beijing based technology consulting and research firm.
Latop Sniffer - Find Your Stolen Latop
Lost your laptop? An India based software security company might just have a solution for you. Unistal Systems has launched a software product powered by propriety technology to track and locate stolen laptops. When the thieves hook the stolen laptop onto the world wide web, the installed software, which by the way is operating in a stealth mode, would generate a report and update an online database. The users either have the option of logging into the website to check the details or configure it to send them an email whenever an update is detected.
US Air Force: New Cyber Command Recruitment Ad
The United States Air Force is looking for a few good men (and women) to stave off Cybarmageddon. Join the Cyber Command!
The Air Force is going large with a new tech-themed recruitment drive sporting the tagline: “A Changing World.” In this 30-second TV spot, cool headed airmen in the service’s fledgling Cyber Command are seen combating one of the “three million” hacker attacks that target the Pentagon building every day.
UPDATE
Youtube pulled this video off its servers after it was handed a copyright infringement notice by the US Air Force.
But according to Threat Level (Wired), US Air force is a government agency and therefore has no locus standi on trying to project the ad as covered by copyright law. SO they still have it on their servers.
However, I searched the video again on Youtube some days later and I found it.
H1B - The Skilled Worker Program
H1B is the skilled worker visa which allows American companies to hire talent from abroad and sponsor them to work on-site in the country. The preparations for the next year filing has already begun as is apparent from the flier which I got in-my in box few days back.
The issue of foreign workers has always been a contentious one. Although the opinion is still divided on whether the country needs such a program, the issue often gets clubbed with the debate of illegal immigration & reforms and gets buried down in the process.
40 Laid Off At Yahoo! India
More sacking news this season. Yahoo had announced some time back that because of an unhappy economic year, it is going to reduce its numbers and lay off about 1000 employees. Yahoo! India has taken the lead in this it seems by announcing the cuts. About 40 employees were given the pink slip.
TCS Lays Off 500
Close on the heels of IBM India, another heavy duty IT employer has now sacked 500 computer engineers. According to various newspaper reports, TCS has laid off 500 computer engineers for below par performance in the annual appraisal. TCS is India’s largest IT company in terms of revenue and has the highest number of software engineers in India on its pay roll.
IBM To 700 New Recruits - You are Fired
IBM had been on a full throttle drive to hire thousands of Indian engineering graduates when it hit heavy turbulence. Almost 700 newly recruited engineers have been fired by the American computer services behemoth when they failed to measure up to Big Blue’s standards. Read more
50 Billion Dollars: India’s Finger In The Outsourcing Pie
According to the latest industry report by NASSCOM, India’s revenue from back-office outsourcing is expected to surge nearly five-fold to $50 billion by 2012 despite a possible recession in the key United States market.