Gartner lays down law to journalists
Gartner lays down law to journalists
Date: Monday, July 21, 2003 1:10 PM
JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER
www.ZaZona.com
Now the UK Enquirer is picking up the story on the bullying that The
"Times of India" suffered at the hands of U.S. and Indian power
brokers. The U.S. power brokers were represented by Gartner and India
by NASSCOM. Considering Gartner's new activism their "academic" studies
should be considered as borderline corporate PR propaganda.
Following the UK article are a few new "Times of India" stories. As you
can see, most of them are "feel good" articles that describe the
benefits of outsourcing and minimize the impact of backlashes in the
U.S.
--- Feel Good Article #1:
"IT backlash will ebb away by end 2004: Gartner"
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/xml/uncomp/articleshow?msid=85342
This articles will probably be used as a blueprint for future ones
since Gartner called the shots. The outsourcing backlash in the U.S. is
described as a passing fad. Leave it to Gartner to say that there is a
70% chance that the backlash will be over by 2004 (hopefully their
other statistics are more accurate!).
The article goes on to correctly say that corporations make the
decisions for the US government so outsourcers need not fear: "The US
government will not pass any legislation which will affect the decision
making powers of US companies." Gartner said that "an insignificant
minority of politicians" might use outsourcing as an issue in
elections. Is Gartner implying that there are a few politicians that
couldn't be bribed?
--- Feel Good Article #2:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/xml/uncomp/articleshow?msid=81528
'Cross-cultural hiring may assuage BPO backlash'
Gartner understands that Americans usually fall for the supposed need
for "cross-cultural" diversity. They said that to pre-empt backlashes
companies should go global before anything can be done to stop it.
--- Feel Good Article #3:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/xml/uncomp/articleshow?msid=80750
BPO backlash may take a political turn: Blackwill
US Ambassador to India Robert D Blackwill gives some advice to Indian
companies who want to minimize backlash. He first buttressed their
confidence by declaring that there is no substantial resistance to
outsourcing in the U.S. Blackwill then advises the Indians that the
best way to avoid problems is to bamboozle the American public by
making ridiculous statements like the following:
"For example, if India could say it is importing close to what it is
exporting to the United States and convey that it is helping in
creating jobs there, the task of people like me, who support the
outsourcing activity, to convince people back there will become
easier."
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=10584
Gartner lays down law to journalists
And article mysteriously disappears from web site
By Adamson Rust: Monday 21 July 2003, 08:08
WHAT IS GARTNER? It is a market research company in the IT business
that claims to give objective and independent advice to its clients.
But it looks like it overreached its rather limited brief last week as
a US "backlash" appears to have started against the dual questions of
H1B visas and outsourcing to Indian companies.
A report in the Economic Timesoriginally claimed that Gartner officials
at an IT forum in India last week said that the "Indian press... is
over enthusiastic" in its coverage of the "US backlash against
outsourcing of work to Indian IT companies".
The same report said that the overreaction is being fanned by the
Indian press.
The original article claimed that senior Gartner VP Bob Hayward
described the Indian media as being negativistic and cynical.
But a curious thing has happened. The article, which is Googled here,
now no longer points to that story which appears to be disappeared.
Luckily, Google's cache function recovers the first paragraph of that
piece, of which we have a full copy.
So a couple of questions here. Just why does Gartner think it's got the
right to bend the very independent Indian press to its corporate line?
And more interestingly, why has the original article been disappeared,
just leaving traces of its former existence?
Could it be anything to do with the touting of outsourcing that Gartner
is currently engaged in?
We think we should be told. 5
L'INQ
ZaZona Website Noticed these anomalies
See Also
Fresh plan emerges to scrap H1-B visas
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/xml/uncomp/articleshow?msid=81555
Outsourcing outcry won't last long: US
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ SATURDAY, JULY 19, 2003 02:22:20 AM ]
MUMBAI: Research firm Gartner feels that the backlash against India and
Indian IT professionals in the US will die a natural death by the end
of 04.
Addressing a press conference on the issue here, analysts from the
research firm said, It is not a major trend yet, and it is being
triggered by the current economic slowdown in the US. The unemployment
levels in the US are the highest that the country has seen in a long
time. And some of this backlash is coming from the people who have lost
their jobs. The US economy will improve over a period of time, and as
the situation improves the trend will disappear, they said. Gartner
analysts were confident that there is a 70% probability of the backlash
ebbing away by the end of 04.
Gartner officials stressed the point that economic decisions in the US
are made at corporate levels, and offshore outsourcing is one such
decision. The US government will not pass any legislation that will
affect the decision making powers of US firms. In turn, US companies
are responsible to their shareholders, and offshore outsourcing helps
them reduce costs and increase profits. Gartner analysts also pointed
out that in spite of the large number of legislation introduced in
various American states, none of them have been passed yet. An
insignificant minority of politicians are using this issue of job
losses, and combining it with offshore movements of jobs, to introduce
such restrictive legislations, Gartner analysts say.
Gartner is advising its clients to be sensitive to the issue but not to
be overly concerned about the legislation.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/xml/uncomp/articleshow?msid=81528
'Cross-cultural hiring may assuage BPO backlash'
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, JULY 18, 2003 02:13:47 AM ]
MUMBAI: Engaging in local alliances, correcting misconceptions about
outsourcing in foreign markets and hiring cross-cultural expertise,
will help Indian IT companies combat the backlash against outsourcing
much better, a senior official from Gartner said on Thursday. Rolf
Jester, research vice-president for IT services in Asia Pacific was
referring to instances where certain bodies in the US were trying to
curb outsourcing to India through collective social and political
support.
"What you do back home (offshore), may not work in a new market
(onsite) since every country, including that within the same region, is
unique," Mr Jester said. Indian companies are not getting the branding
and value proposition right, more so while operating in global markets,
analysts feel. Undertaking shorter projects will aid the process.
According to Gartner, the backlash can be dealt with easily only if one
pre-empts it, and for that, IT service companies should not just aim
towards becoming global, but identify a local identity in each market
of operation.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/xml/uncomp/articleshow?msid=80750
BPO backlash may take a political turn: Blackwill
PTI[ FRIDAY, JULY 18, 2003 01:02:33 AM ]
NEW DELHI: India must evolve an effective strategy to deal with the
opposition its companies are facing in the US on business process
outsourcing, since this could soon become a "political problem",
outgoing US Ambassador to India Robert D Blackwill said here on
Thursday.
"There is a sentiment in the United States about job loss (in case of
increased outsourcing to India), but it is not substantial yet. This
could well become a political problem and India must put in place a
political strategy to deal with this situation," he said while speaking
at his farewell organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries.
Blackwill's remarks follow close on the heels of a proposal in four US
states to ban outsourcing of processing contracts to developing nations
including India.
"For example, if India could say it is importing close to what it is
exporting to the United States and convey that it is helping in
creating jobs there, the task of people like me, who support the
outsourcing activity, to convince people back there will become
easier," Blackwill said.
"From what I can see right now, imports from the US into India are
almost flat".
The proposed Bill, which seeks to ban outsourcing of government
contracts to Asian companies, is being viewed by Indian IT industry as
a latent restriction.
Among those considering the measure to curb flight of jobs in the US
are New Jersey, Maryland, Connecticut and Washington.
The outgoing ambassador said he supported outsourcing arrangement
himself because this led to "cheaper goods and services" becoming
available to the US citizens.
In his speech, he pointed out that India's large and talented labour
pool made it possible for it to become yet another "Asian miracle" and
that the country had already shown its mettle through spectacular
accomplishments in Information Technology and software.
"An India that tosses its licence raj and red tape into history's
dustbin, would be ever more competitive in trade and international
capital markets and that would bring increased American investment," he
said.
Taking note of the ongoing economic reforms process, Blackwill noted
that "an India that enters into a full-fledged series of
second-generation domestic economic reforms, would inevitably play an
increasingly influential role in international affairs across the
board. That too would be beneficial for the United States".
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Rob Sanchez is board member of NAEA - www.NAEA.US
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