The Changing Face of Offshore Programming

teambpsi writes "BusinesWeek Online has an opt-ed piece on the trend in offshore programming pricing going up, with domestic rates going down. As a contractor, I've seen the downward pressure on contract gigs now to rates lower than what I was charging over five years ago. Dell Computers recently announced that it was bringing its customer service back on-shore, I wonder if this might be the start of some bigger trend -- maybe 'buy american' could be our new battle cry ;)"

Accents

[The Snowman]

From the article: Some US customers have complained that the Indian technical-support representatives are difficult to communicate with because of thick accents and scripted responses.

Tech support for corporate customers with Optiplex desktop and Latitude notebook computers will instead be handled from call centers in Texas, Idaho and Tennessee, Dell spokesman Jon Weisblatt said Monday.

Let me get this straight. People cannot understand Indian accents, but they can understand Texan and Tennesseean accents? Obviously they've never been to either state ;-)

About Dell.

[DAldredge]

Dell didn't move all there support back, they only moved the support back for there business clients.

Re:Accents

[roninmagus]

Hey now, I live in Tennessee, not far from Gallatin, where the Dell plant is..

And you, sir, are most definately correct. ;)

Re:Accents

[JewFish]

"All yalls bases are fixin to aint be yourn"

but seriously folks I go to a Tejas institute of higher education, and you should see all the Injun CS grad students with Texas/Indian accents.

Re:Accents

[Deadstick]

Most charming accent I ever heard was from a German-born woman who married a US serviceman and learned most of her English in Midland TX. I'll never forget her bringing a tray of goodies around and saying "Vich vun y'all vant?"

rj

Re:Wow

[iamacat]

I may be dating myself but it been a "long" time...

Wow. Condolenses. Reminds us there are things worse than outsourcing. You should really check out those OSDN personals.

Re:Could you explain how those things are related?

[willtsmith]

Living standards with Maquiladora labor pools is NOT going up. China even refuses to let it's currency float.

This is all a conspiracy for the elite across the world to create a new class of serfs. To barter labor down to 1930s level conditions. Were not helping poor people in poor countries. We are further enriching in rich people in both poor AND rich countries. We are destroying the middle class amongst the G8 nations.

The new corporate feudalism is coming if we don't get rid of WTO and NAFTA.

This will sound like trolling

[willtsmith]

No the solution isn't to diffuse the power of the middle class. The solution is for China and India to create one.

I hate to tell you this, but it must be done with rifles. American's have consistently fought and died for the right of the middle class. Chinese and Indians need to fight this battle against their masters. Giving away our prosperity will only make us like China and India.