Developers search for partnerships
RUSSIAN SOFTWARE COMPANIES TARGET RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR U.S. COUNTERPARTS
By Wayne Rash can lead to more effective
IN ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA relationships with offshore
The russian software partnerships. However, he
developmentindustry said most U.S. companies
is working to move don’t choose where their
awayfromtraditional work is being done. In
outsourcing models, some cases, they might not
relying more on becoming even know. “There are many
partners with overseas com- times the American client
panies and touting talent chooses a service provider,”
and innovation over cheap Davison said. “They may be
labor. in Russia, China, India or all
According to customers, Peter the Great stands guard in front of the Pribaltijskaya Hotel in of the above.”
analysts and managers at St. Petersburg, Russia, site of the Russoft conference. For many companies
development companies no input into whether the cated to solving just your that provide such services,
at the Russoft conference specification makes sense. problems.” the decision as to where to
here June 21-22, today’s “You create a joint team,” Makarovsaidthatbecause send work greatly depends
Russian development com- he said. the Russian software indus- on what needs to be done
panies would rather work The Russian companies try has low turnover, Rus- rather than simply being
with customers to create also are trying to be more sian companies can offer a search for the lowest
something new than sim- proactive in getting that teams that stay together for price. “The cultural align-
ply churn out program message out. For example, a decade or longer, giving ment to the West is key to
code in the commodity Russoft, which represents them more depth of knowl- us and our clients,” said
market. Russian companies, is plan- edge than what’s normally Alex Adamopoulos, general
According to Valentin ning a U.S. tour next year, found in more traditional manager and senior vice
Makarov, president of the something it’s done in the outsourcing. president of Exigen Ser-
Russoft Association, Rus- past. Another differentiator vices, in Boston. “There’s
sian service providers are Throughout the confer- is that Russian develop- a strong collaborative effort
concerned about more than ence, the story was the same. ment companies can help as part of the [Russian] cul-
just the specifications of Russian development com- define a customer’s prob- ture. This [country] is very
the program panies want to lem and a solution. “Most results-oriented rather than
a company is be viewed dif- U.S. companies don’t know task-oriented. That also
creating. ferently from what they’re looking for, so leads to a more success-
“When you competitors in it’s hard to find what they ful engagement. These are
come to Rus- India, China or can’t define,” said Dean people who solve business
sia, the ques- South Amer- Davison, an analyst with problems.”
tion is, ‘What ica. Instead of NeoIT. Davison said many Adamopoulos said the
is your prob- being thought companies are still trying to ability to be integral to the
lem?’” Mak- of as outsourc- figure out what they need. solution process is bring-
arov said, add- ing providers, “They’re doing exploratory ing bigger and bigger
ing that this the Russians work,” he said. enterprises to companies
approach is want stable, Most U.S. companies that provide the services of
Makarov said Russian devel-
different from opers create long-standing long-term re- start out with outsourcing Russian developers.
that used in relationships with customers. l a t i o n s h i p s that’s aimed almost exclu- “One of the trends we’re
most of the that span the sively at reducing cost, Davi- seeing is larger enterprise
rest ofthe world, wherepro- course of years. “I call it son said, something that clients that have tradition-
grammers simply code to a team-sourcing,” Makarov helps them learn about how ally sourced to India are
specification and provide said. “You have a team dedi- outsourcing works and that [CONTINUED ON PAGE 18]
WAYNE RASH
WAYNE RASH
