'Had there not been outsourcing and utilization of cheaper resources offshore, average computer users would not have been able to afford the hardware and software that are available to them today.' In this manner, author Robin Sood brushes aside superficial criticism of outsourcing and brings home to the reader of IT, Software and Services: Outsourcing and Offshoring two key points: outsourcing is already widely used and its positive effects go well beyond increased company profits. Forget about the naysayers and the trumped-up, political maelstrom of controversy surrounding the issue of outsourcing, Sood urges. Instead, consider that outsourcing is here to stay, as an inevitable part of the global market, and is already providing most of us with practical benefits. Policy makers and industry leaders already understand these matters, but Robin Sood has dedicated himself to making the best information and strategies pertaining to outsourcing and offshoring more widely available. Sood is an ideal person to take on this task, as he has more than fourteen years of experience in the outsourcing field, in domains from oil well-logging to banking, and in various nations around the world. Currently, Sood is Program Manager of a large product development program with 280 staff members and nine sites in five countries: China, France, India, Japan, and the U.S. IT, Software and Services: Outsourcing and Offshoring distills his experience, offering the reader concise, information-packed overviews of such crucial topics as 'Reasons for Outsourcing,' 'What Can Be Outsourced?,' 'Prerequisites for Effective Outsourcing,' 'Selection of Vendors,' 'Contracts and Contractual Issues,' and so forth. Throughout, Sood focuses on the importance of productive self-questioning and on elucidating proven strategies. His goal is to make certain that the reader does not fall into one of the many traps outsourcing and offshoring can set in the path of the unwary novice. Companies lose literally millions every year because of a lack of information and foresight'but with this book in hand, that won't happen to you. Sood rounds out his consideration of outsourcing by providing overviews of the strengths and weaknesses of major offshore destinations, such as India, China, Russia, and the Philippines, and by glancing at developing trends that will shape the future of outsourcing. He also provides appendices that examine vendor and offshore culture and the current situation of software professionals in the United States. IT, Software and Services: Outsourcing and Offshoring is essential reading for the shrewd business leaders of the 21st century. If you are contemplating outsourcing, already involved in it, or merely want to remain competitive in today's fast-moving and ever-changing marketplace, you cannot afford not to read this book. "IT, Software and Services: Outsourcing and Offshoring," ISBN 0-9760674-3-9, LCCN 2004097070, can be purchased from http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0976067439 or http://www.aiaiyo.com

About the author: Contact : Jack Brown, AiAiYo Books LLC

IT, Software and Services: Outsourcing and Offshoring by Robin Sood. Original trade paperback, ISBN 0-9760674-3-9, published by AiAiYo Books, LLC, P.O. Box 201672, Austin, TX 78720-1672. (877) 742-6657. http://www.aiaiyo.com.