Princeton economist Alan Blinder has published a study showing how many jobs might be at risk of being "offshored," over the next 10 to 20 years. The following table shows his ranking of computer-related categories that he considers have a high potential (shown as a %) for being offshored:Let's hear it from the horse's mouth.In contrast, the ACM's Job Migration Task Force reported that only 3 percent of U.S. IT jobs are offshored each year.
Rank Computer Occupation Jobs Chance (%) 1 Computer programmers 389090 100 5 Computer researcher 389090 96 9 Tools & process programmers 17860 95 21 Computer systems analysts 492120 93 27 Computer support specialists 124965 92 27 Network systems analysts 185190 92 30 Computer support other 116760 90 75 Computer operator 129160 75 74 Computer applications engineers 455980 74 74 Computer systems engineers 320720 74
The U.S. military plans to test an Internet router in space, in a project that could also benefit civilian broadband satellite communications. Cisco Systems Inc. and Intelsat General Corp., a subsidiary of Intelsat Ltd., are among the companies selected by the U.S. Department of Defense for its Internet Routing In Space (IRIS) project, which aims to deliver military communications through a satellite-based router. Potential nonmilitary benefits of the IRIS program include the ability to route IP traffic between satellites in space in much the same way packets are moved on the ground, reducing delays, saving on capacity and offering greater networking flexibility.Let's hear it from the horse's mouth.
A commonly heard defense in the arguments that surround U.S. companies that offshore high-tech and engineering jobs is that the U.S. math and science education system is not producing a sufficient number of engineers to fill a corporation's needs. However, a new study from Duke University calls this argument bunk, stating that there is no shortage of engineers in the United States, and that offshoring is all about cost savings. The report concludes by stating that outsourcing will continue to build enough momentum that the next big piece to be offshored is R&D, and that these jobs will require more Master's degrees and PhDs, something China graduates more of in engineering than the United States. The number of India's engineering PhD's has remained flat, while China's has surged, the report said.Let's hear it from the horse's mouth.
Despite the growing availability of high-paying computing jobs, there is still a perception among students and educators that offshoring has caused computer science to be an obsolete course of study for U.S. students. Many schools have experienced a 50 percent decline in computer science enrollment since the dot-com bust, and some have even shut down. The Higher Education Institute found that between 2000 and 2005, enrollment in computer science degree programs dropped 70 percent, although this decrease seemed to be slowing from 2005 to 2006. Salve Regina University eliminated its computer science major because ït's all outsourced to India and China," says the school's business studies and economics chair Ronald Atkins. "No one takes computers apart and puts them back together again anymore" in the United States. However, Atrion Networking CEO Tim Herbert says that Atkins' belief is a simply a "myth," and that "We have to make people aware that there are viable careers available ... Some of the entry-level jobs are disappearing. But information technology still requires hands-on work. If I had another 20 kids, I could place them this week." Statistics are on Herbert's side, showing both jobs and internships to be widely available. Many companies have had to actively recruit students due to low enrollment levels. Atkins explains that Salve changed its emphasis from IT to information systems management, with ä very strong management component," but Herbert says that such a trend could lead to a loss of America's role as a leader in innovation. He says that people think computing jobs will be offshored until none are left, "but information is tied to everything, and it's not going away."Let's hear it from the horse's mouth.
The line between research and development in industry is eroding because of a number of changes, including a shift in the nature of innovation, the increasing importance of time to market, the advent of inexpensive computing, and a movement away from vertically integrated technology firms. Microsoft Research researcher Steven Drucker contends that academics face a constant struggle for funding, and as a result are working on projects with a much shorter window for implementation than industry, giving corporate research the opportunity to pursue longer-term research goals. Arranging existing technologies in new ways rather than coming up with new technologies is considered to be the real thrust of innovation today. The fusion of research and development owes a lot more to software being a central driver of innovation, while the very low cost of computing and accelerated development times are also factors. The use of the Internet in the third capacity explains why Web-based companies are experiencing the deepest integration of these once separate activities. The earlier model for research and development was based on the presumption that computing machines were very costly and development cycle times very long. Furthermore, companies have a wider selection of where to shop for ideas, which is also fueling the changes in research and development.Let's hear it from the horse's mouth. (XNOR is the same as logical equivalence.)
Many IT jobs have become Dilbertized - micromanaged, bureaucratic and stifled of any creatively. An environment where busy work is praised and morale is low. "There's less emphasis on creativity, and more on maintenance. Tweak this, work on this ... everything is a crisis. Something has to be done right now, putting out fire after fire, going a long way to making IT a less pleasant environment," said one observer. Beyond making for an unpleasant work environment, this firefighting atmosphere serves as a warning to potential recruits: you will not like this job.Let's hear it from the horse's mouth. BTW: What is Dilbertization?
Western companies are beginning to notice the value of moving operations to Eastern Europe, where the schools are producing many computer scientists that will work for one-third of the pay of those in Western Europe. The curriculum in many former Soviet-bloc countries is heavily grounded in math, given the former Soviet Union's emphasis on industrial and military production. Last year's TopCoder collegiate challenge drew 21,000 participants from around the globe, but half of the finalists were from former Soviet-bloc countries. IBM, Google, and Motorola have all recently opened research labs in Krakow, Poland. Successful programmers, such as Tomasz Czajka, who won three TopCoder contests between 2004 and 2005, are national icons that provide inspiration for children to pursue computing. Many university computer science departments are concerned that higher-paying western companies and universities could lure away professors, leaving them without the capacity to continue producing computer scientists and engineers. Some small cities that experienced rapid growth in the IT industry have found themselves on the verge of being without programmers, while others have been able to prosper by boosting salaries and collaborating to help local schools increase their capacity to retrain engineers and others. "We said why fight over the same 200 graduates each year?," says Jozef Ondas a CEO of a company in one such area. "Let's invest and create an educational system that can produce 500 specialists each year." Investment in universities and research in important areas will attract students to these areas, says Google's Kannan Pasupathy. Ït's a nice circle which ultimately benefits everybody."Let's hear it from the horse's mouth.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the recent surge of video sites such as Youtube and Google video are starting to push on the limits of the Internet's bandwidth.Take me to the horse's mouth.
As a shortage of developers with mainframe skills looms over the industry, IBM and some of its partners hope to renew interest in the big systems through partnerships with universities, new programs, new tools, and support for modern languages and architectures.Take me to the horse's mouth.
Trackers of employment trends appear to be mixed on the outlook for the U.S. technology market. On Wednesday, the Washington Alliance of Technology Workers (WashTech) released a study that indicates new jobs have not been a large factor in the rebound of the tech market. The report notes that 76,300 tech jobs were added from April 2003 to February 2006, which is less than a quarter of the number of jobs lost from March 2001 to March 2004, a period in which the economy went into recession for eight months then recovered over the course of two years. Ëmployment levels have been very volatile over the last couple years and remain so," says Nik Theodore, a professor at the University of Illinois who co-authored the study. Though the WashTech study says Washington, D.C., Seattle, and San Francisco have had solid growth in tech jobs, the Monster Employment Index says there is high demand for tech workers in Cincinnati, Phoenix, and Kansas City, Mo., and that growth was strong from March 2005 to March 2006. Meanwhile, IDC economist Anna Toncheva says tech has been stronger than the overall market, with IT-related employment rising 1.83 percent since last March compared with 1.5 percent for all jobs. Also Wednesday, staffing firm Robert Half Technology released a survey of over 1,400 hiring managers that shows that 13 percent plan to make IT hires in the third quarter, 3 percent plan to cut back, and the rest do not intend to make any changes.Investor's Business Daily (06/15/06); Donna Howell.
The Senate's recent move to broaden the H-1B visa program has renewed the already contentious debate in all corners of the IT industry, as employees fear that their jobs may not be secure while technology companies bemoan the shortage of qualified U.S. workers. The Senate's provision, which must now clear the House before the broader immigration reform bill is debated by both chambers, would expand the number of H-1B visas available annually from 65,000 to 115,000, while allowing for the possibility of annual increases of up to 15 percent in the future. Roughly half of the H-1B visas are awarded to computer workers, with the rest going to skilled workers from other sectors. Industry leaders such as Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates have lobbied extensively for an expansion of the H-1B program to safeguard U.S. competitiveness. Ï applaud the Senate for recognizing that U.S. competitiveness depends on our ability to recruit and retain the world's best minds, no matter where they are from," Gates said. Some IT leaders have hinted that they would outsource jobs overseas if the cap was not adjusted. IT workers, meanwhile, protest that the program floods the job market with foreigners who drive down salaries, particularly for older and entry-level workers. "We think expansion of the H-1B would devastate our careers," said American Programmers Guild President Kim Berry. Berry referenced a 2005 studying finding that H-1B workers receive an average of $13,000 less in compensation than comparably placed American IT workers. Other studies have found that the data on the subject is too incomplete to draw firm conclusions. Though the H-1B visa program has been limited to 65,000 since 1990, Congress increased the annual cap in fiscal 1999 and 2000, and again from fiscal 2001 to 2003, before reinstating the 65,000 mark in 2004.Take me to the horse's mouth.
A team from Saratov State University in Russia earned the highest honors at the Association for Computing Machinery's (ACM) 30th annual International Collegiate Programming Contest on Wednesday. Eighty-three three-student teams competed in the contest where they attempted to solve 10 sophisticated computing problems in five hours. The contest, initially dominated by the United States, has recently seen teams from Europe, Asia, and Australia take top honors. MIT, the only U.S. team to finish in the top 20, placed seventh, solving four of the 10 problems. By successfully completing five problems, the team from Saratov State earned $10,000 scholarships and bragging rights. The team from Altai State Technical University, another Russian school, also solved five problems, though it took longer to do so and settled for second place. Each time a team completed a problem, contest officials let a balloon float to the top of the large, open assembly hall where the students worked. Of the 16 teams from the United States in the contest, only Princeton University and DePaul University joined MIT in finishing in the top half. Schools with noted computer science and engineering departments such as Carnegie Mellon, the California Institute of Technology, and Duke all faltered early. ACM President David Patterson said the decline of U.S. computer science could stem from widely publicized fears of outsourcing. Ëvery high-school senior thinks every programming job has already gone to India," he said. "There's this assumption that computer science, as a profession, is completely over, even though the facts aren't nearly as dismal as the folklore." Patterson also said that Asian and Eastern European schools take the contest more seriously than U.S. institutions. U.S. teams could simply be falling prey to increased competition, said Martin Rinard, who coached the MIT team. Roughly 5,600 teams attempted to qualify, compared with 1,100 in 1997, the last year a U.S. team won.Take me to the horse's mouth.