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Offshore Development Centers
One of the unique methods adopted by Indian software
companies for providing competitive advantages to their clients is through
offshore development centers Offshore Development Centers are a Virtual
extension of client's development environment enabling complete linkage
with the parent site in terms of infrastructure and organization structure
to deliver multi site solutions seamlessly.
India ODC
The India Offshore Development Center (ODC) comprises of a facility and
staff dedicated for a client's IT project requirements. The Center ideally
consists of a team of trained application specialists and programmers
operating out of facilities in India, and another team operating out of
the client's office. The ODC team links up to client's offices and machines
via dedicated links and thereby works in the same environment as the client's
IM team.
It involves the use of high speed (64 KBPS and above)
datacom links. This enables the use of computers situated anywhere in
the world to be used by programmers in India on a real-time and on-line
basis. Even if the client is situated 10,000 miles away from a software
company in India, the client is still able to monitor the software development
on a minute-by-minute basis, ensure quality checks, communicate with the
programmers as if they were just next door and get efficient software
developed.
The U.S. and India have an average 12-hour time zone
difference, but this kind of use of datacom infrastructure can provide
a virtual 24-hour office to a client in the U.S. Lately, this concept
has worked wonders for large projects and also for projects involving
remote software maintenance using video conferencing. Offshore projects
mean immense time and cost savings.
Essential features of India ODC
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Infrastructure |
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Advanced infrastructure is essential to any software
development activity, a fact that led Government of India to create
numerous "Software Technology Parks". The concept of Software
Technology Park (STP) initiated by the Department of
Electronics, Govt. of India has worked very well.
A STP is a privately owned software export facility providing world
class office space and on-site satellite earth station for direct
single-hop, data communication to the United States. This is especially
useful as America represents the largest
software market in the world and India's largest export market too.
Besides America, STPs facilitate links to any country in the world.
STPs with their ambience, atmosphere and state-of-the-art facilities
are places where American companies wishing to set up software export
operations will feel very much at home. A Technology Park is a 100%
export oriented unit.
There are several STPs in India spread throughout the length and breadth
of the country. Among others, STPs are located at Bangalore, Calcutta,
Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Noida, Ahmedabad, Indore, Jaipur and Bhubaneswar.
India's government has also encouraged private companies to develop
Infrastructure and facilities to support high-tech information technology,
telecom and software companies.
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Technical Manpower resources |
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India represents the second largest English-speaking
technical resources pool after the US and also in the software sector.
More than 350 universities and engineering colleges and 2,300 recognized
private training institutes teach computer science courses. The output
of trained manpower at degree/diploma level has increased from less
than 1,000 in 1983, to about 67,785 in 1998.
The ODC's are equipped with a large and diverse pool of technical
manpower. The large pool enables quick ramp-up of teams for client
projects. The diverse skill in different technologies and industry
applications takes care of the skill
requirements of the client's projects
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State-of-the art Technologies |
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Most of the ODC's are equipped with state-of-the art
hardware and software resources.This enables replicating the clients
working environment abroad (hardware, operating system, GUI, tools,
databases etc) in the ODC. High-speed
communication lines are available for connecting to the client's machines
across the globe. This addresses the "distance problem"
and in fact the time zone difference is used to an advantage by converting
"the yesterday evening's problem to today morning's solution",
besides improving productivity and capacity utilization of resources
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Quality Management System |
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The offshore development facilities have a clear cut
Quality Management System for ensuring quality deliverables. Each
of the projects executed use specific methodologies for Development
projects, maintenance projects & conversion projects etc.
Most of the Indian companies used ISO9000 for setting up the basic
framework. This ensured compliant process for software development
resulting in project monitoring and performance measure. Subsequently
these companies adopted the SEI CMM model for improving the effectiveness
of the processes. This ensured predictability of results, risk reduction
and a measure for process maturity.
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IP Protection |
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Articulation of a corporate policy governing IPR issues
for confidentiality, with
legal and contractual definitions of responsibilities, is an important
factor in
setting up an ODC.This provides confidentiality and comfort to the
client. Many
Indian companies understand and practice this.
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Virtual Software Organizations |
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With the concept of offshore development in place, Indian
software companies today, instead of selling individual projects are
selling "virtual software organizations." Just as it is
a lot more complicated to build a system than it is to develop a program,
it's a lot more complicated to run an entire software organization
than it is to manage an individual project. But many Indian software
companies have demonstrated that they can do that, and they're offering
that expertise to the global marketplace.It is evident that increasingly,
Indian software companies are providing a competitive edge through
cost and quality.
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