Globalization Insider

Strategic Sourcing in Today's Globalization Industry: The Convergence of Product Development and Globalization Services

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:16:59 +0000

Global software product development and globalization services are converging. The globalization services that make it possible for companies to sell and support their products and services outside of their home markets – internationalization engineering, software localization, website globalization, international QA & testing – are moving upstream, as more and more software development functions are outsourced.

Globalizing Your Business Processes: Are You Ready for the Transition to IFRS?

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:21:59 +0000

The current economic downturn may have slowed the transition from U.S. GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) to IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards), but Paul Munter, Audit Partner with KPMG, explains why and how U.S. companies need to put this issue back on their financial radar screens. You can meet Paul personally during LISA@Berkeley on August 5, when he addresses The Potential for IFRS Adoption in the U.S. Click here for more information.

Shedding Light on SDL’s Latest Technology Announcement

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:18:26 +0000

SDL International made a technology announcement recently that will be of interest to any of you who are focused on streamlining the way you create, distribute, manage and pay for your global content, whether that be in the form of websites, marketing and sales materials, product documentation, support information, legal documents – whatever. We asked Andrew Draheim, one of the most experienced, hands-on content globalization consultants, to put the SDL announcement in perspective.

NOTE: Neither Andrew nor LISA has had access to software or any specifications, so all comments below are based on publicly available information from SDL.

The World Is NOT Flat, Thomas Friedman!

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:08:05 +0000

What did Facebook have to say at the LISA Forum Asia 2009 in Taipei, after announcing that it had reached 200 million users - 70% of whom are outside of the U.S.? Did you know that Google is currently failing in all non-English search markets in Asia? And why is Thomas Friedman (of the 'world is flat' fame) flat out wrong?

Where Does Taiwan Go From Here as a Global Outsourcer?

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:29:24 +0000

All of us are only too painfully aware of today’s global financial downturn. Asia is being hit particularly hard, since its economies have long relied on exports and manufacturing as a road to increased prosperity. GDP growth in Mainland China dropped to substantially in 2008 compared to a robust 13% in 2007, and industrial production in Taiwan dropped by 32% in December 2008 (The Economist, January 29, 2009). The ever-expanding Western appetite for goods made in Asia has now disappeared, for the most part. It’s now time for the region to cultivate a more diverse economic base with unique offerings and value-added services.

One Software Executive's Advice to Taiwan: Bite the Bullet!

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:13:38 +0000

Sin-Yaw Wang is back and refreshingly candid, as always. Wang, who helped establish the Sun Engineering and Research Institute in China in 2001, and then ran it from 2005-08, recently toured Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam. When we talked to him, he explained why standards are dangerous political weapons of war. He also brought us up-to-date on what’s happening with open source in Greater China, along with his views on Taiwan’s prospects for becoming an outsourcing destination for global product development. I’ll give you a hint – they’re bleak at this point, but he did offer some advice.

The Greater China Economy at a Crossroads: Cross-Straits Collaboration to Build the ‘Innovated in China’ Brand

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:49:26 +0000

Joseph Hsu (Chairman of the Board of Symbio Investment Holdings Company) has been a ‘mover and shaker’ in the global outsourcing services industry in Asia since the beginning. In the following interview, he explains why Taiwanese and Mainland business leaders have a joint responsibility to ensure that China doesn’t become another Japan in ten years. It’s now time for people on both sides of the straits to work together to usher in an era based on the “China value” instead of the “China price,” one that is based on collaboration to build the ‘Innovated in China’ brand.

A Wakeup Call for Taiwanese Companies

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:15:53 +0000

You can learn a lot from the companies founded by Taiwanese expats who were schooled abroad and honed their entrepreneurial talents in the U.S. They’re back in force in China and have excellent advice for Taiwan as it searches for the right model to leverage its global ODM/OEM success to move up the value chain to global outsourcing services. Eric Mou of iSoftStone warns other Taiwanese companies (in no uncertain terms) that their window of opportunity is closing very quickly in China. He encourages them to seriously explore the possibility of complementing Taiwan’s IP in the business applications arena with China’s scale to create a world-class services sector for Greater China and the world.

Cisco China: Building the Next Global Center for Product Localization

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000

In November last year, Cisco announced plans to double its investment in China to USD 16 billion over the next five years. At the same time, it revealed that demand for its products grew 35% in emerging markets, compared to 20% in Europe and 13% in the U.S.

Building the Infosys of China

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 11:04:08 +0000

Editor’s Note: The following interview is an excerpt from the LISA Industry Insights Report: The New Breed of Chinese Localizers - Building Quality Localization Hubs With Full Outsourcing Capabilities. The report includes full versions of interviews of Beyondsoft, Celestone, Cisco Systems, E-C Translation Ltd., hiSoft Technology International, Neusoft Group Ltd., thebigword, VanceInfo Technologies and Welocalize, along with an analysis of how the Chinese software development and services sector is transforming itself into a global product development center before our very eyes.

Welocalize: Built to Last

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 12:39:18 +0000

For the past eight years running, Deloitte & Touche has ranked Welocalize as one of the fastest growing technology companies in North America in its annual Maryland Technology Fast 50 ranking. And in 2008, Welocalize earned a place on the Inc. 500/5000 list of fastest growing private companies in the U.S. for the fourth year in a row.

The Institute for Information Industry: Leveraging Taiwan's Strengths Through Middlesourcing

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:45:52 +0000

Many of us will be in Taipei the week of April 6-9 for the LISA Forum Asia 2009. We are pleased to have as one of our Forum sponsors the Institute for Information Industry, known as "the III" in Taiwan, which was set up by the government to foster and promote that country's ICT industry. One of III’s principal missions is to cultivate new industries to leverage Taiwan‘s existing strengths in ICT.

Article 3 for January

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:04:56 +0000

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Article 2 for January

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:01:40 +0000

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Article 1 for January

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 12:59:40 +0000

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