Archive for March, 2009
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Monday, March 30th, 2009Gartner says Outsourcing prices will fall
Wednesday, March 25th, 2009
Prices for all kinds of IT Outsourcing Services will drop by between 5 to 20 percent in next two years, says Gartner. The analyst firm predicts this reduction of prices based on the continued economic downturn, which will increase competition in the market between traditional and new providers as well as between emerging and traditional outsourcing destinations, as Gartner already mentioned in its previous reports about the rise of new outsourcing destinations.
Claudio Da Rold, a Gartner vice president stated that "regardless of the relative strength of outsourcing during a recession, many clients are reporting intense discussion with their vendors and renegotiation of contracts for terms and conditions, service level agreements, fees, volumes and low-cost offshore delivery locations".
Gartner expects a price fall in data center and network services between 5 percent and 15 percent while helpdesk services will decline by between 5 percent and 10 percent. Charges for application hosting services, until now one of the fastest-growing areas, will have the biggest drop between 10 percent and 20 percent, the analyst firm said.
"It is important to remember that price reductions will apply with great variability across geographies, vertical industries and client size with regard to specific deals," said Da Rold. "Providers are not reporting any across-the-board price reductions, but rather will address each client situation individually."
Gartner also warned that customers pushing for prices which are too low could affect the quality of the services provided and the relationship between provider and client.
Claudio Da Rold, a Gartner vice president stated that "regardless of the relative strength of outsourcing during a recession, many clients are reporting intense discussion with their vendors and renegotiation of contracts for terms and conditions, service level agreements, fees, volumes and low-cost offshore delivery locations".
Gartner expects a price fall in data center and network services between 5 percent and 15 percent while helpdesk services will decline by between 5 percent and 10 percent. Charges for application hosting services, until now one of the fastest-growing areas, will have the biggest drop between 10 percent and 20 percent, the analyst firm said.
"It is important to remember that price reductions will apply with great variability across geographies, vertical industries and client size with regard to specific deals," said Da Rold. "Providers are not reporting any across-the-board price reductions, but rather will address each client situation individually."
Gartner also warned that customers pushing for prices which are too low could affect the quality of the services provided and the relationship between provider and client.
Mirasoft Group Slideshare Presentation
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009
Check out this SlideShare Presentation: 
Mirasoft Group Slideshare Presentation
View more presentations from Sergey Lesnikov.
IBM is in talks to buy Sun Microsystems
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009
IBM is still in talks to buy Sun Microsystems Inc and discussions could take some more time as IBM studies various parts of Sun's computer server and software businesses, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Currently IBM is examining the terms of Sun's various technology licenses to check for any conflict with IBM's business.
If they reach agreement, Sun would be IBM's largest acquisition and bolster its offering of computer hardware, software and services.A combination of the world's No. 1 and No. 4 makers of server computers, however, could draw antitrust scrutiny from regulators in the United States and abroad, analysts said this week.The merged company would hold 65 percent of the $17 billion market for Unix servers, which major companies and governments rely on for critical operations, according to market researcher IDC. IBM and Sun were the top two players in that market in 2008, with 37 percent and 28 percent respectively.Hewlett-Packard Co (HPQ.N) was third, with 27 percent. Some analysts also have said that IBM, with greater manpower and more effective management, may be able to make better use of Sun's assets.
But there is a question whether it is worth IBM paying what would amount to a 100 percent premium for Sun ( a deal could be worth $6.5 billion to $8 billion), whose shares had plunged in the past year before.
IBM and Sun declined to comment....
If they reach agreement, Sun would be IBM's largest acquisition and bolster its offering of computer hardware, software and services.A combination of the world's No. 1 and No. 4 makers of server computers, however, could draw antitrust scrutiny from regulators in the United States and abroad, analysts said this week.The merged company would hold 65 percent of the $17 billion market for Unix servers, which major companies and governments rely on for critical operations, according to market researcher IDC. IBM and Sun were the top two players in that market in 2008, with 37 percent and 28 percent respectively.Hewlett-Packard Co (HPQ.N) was third, with 27 percent. Some analysts also have said that IBM, with greater manpower and more effective management, may be able to make better use of Sun's assets.
But there is a question whether it is worth IBM paying what would amount to a 100 percent premium for Sun ( a deal could be worth $6.5 billion to $8 billion), whose shares had plunged in the past year before.
IBM and Sun declined to comment....
IT workers doing unpaid work
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009
The trade union body TUC unveiled the figures suggesting that a third of UK IT professionals work approximately 34 days unpaid every year. Presumable that figures can be applied around the English-speaking world, or maybe to the entire world. The results based on a survey carried out in autumn 2008 – before the recession overcame IT departments.
“The recession is bringing new pressure for people to work unpaid overtime, and even more IT professionals are doing unpaid overtime than last year,” stressed TUC general secretary Brendan Barber. But not all unpaid overtime is useful work helping to overcome the recession. When people understandably fear for their jobs employers still have a responsibility to organise work properly and ensure their workplaces do not get gripped by a long hours culture.
TUC expressed some concerns about the health implications of this additional workload:
- additional hours reduces the productivity of employees
- exhausted workers are more likely to make serious mistakes
- fear of the employees to lost their jobs could create a harmful atmosphere inside the company
"This economic downturn affects people’s working attitudes - said Cary Cooper, professor of organizational psychology and health at Lancaster University.
“During a recession, we must all be fully committed to our colleagues and there is more pressure to work longer hours in order to get the job done. Many employees also feel obliged to put more hours into their work, in order to prove to the boss that they are committed and indispensable,” he added.
A lot of extra hours will be worked late into the night, and employees may turn in seven day weeks for weeks. But we should remember that working long hours is likely to affect your health as well as your productivity. A good work-life balance, that implies enough time at home to relax, is vitally important to both the health of the employee and to the productivity of whole company.
“The recession is bringing new pressure for people to work unpaid overtime, and even more IT professionals are doing unpaid overtime than last year,” stressed TUC general secretary Brendan Barber. But not all unpaid overtime is useful work helping to overcome the recession. When people understandably fear for their jobs employers still have a responsibility to organise work properly and ensure their workplaces do not get gripped by a long hours culture.
TUC expressed some concerns about the health implications of this additional workload:
- additional hours reduces the productivity of employees
- exhausted workers are more likely to make serious mistakes
- fear of the employees to lost their jobs could create a harmful atmosphere inside the company
"This economic downturn affects people’s working attitudes - said Cary Cooper, professor of organizational psychology and health at Lancaster University.
“During a recession, we must all be fully committed to our colleagues and there is more pressure to work longer hours in order to get the job done. Many employees also feel obliged to put more hours into their work, in order to prove to the boss that they are committed and indispensable,” he added.
A lot of extra hours will be worked late into the night, and employees may turn in seven day weeks for weeks. But we should remember that working long hours is likely to affect your health as well as your productivity. A good work-life balance, that implies enough time at home to relax, is vitally important to both the health of the employee and to the productivity of whole company.
