The Cold War has not ended yet, but the North-Korean IT-industry is a promising business sector. In order to investigate the offshore capabilities in North-Korea in detail, a studytour will take place from 27 September - 4 October 2008. The delegation will visit firms in Pyongyang in the field of IT, animation, cartoons, computer games and BPO (Business Process Outsourcing). The trip will start in Beijing, and after returning from North Korea, an extension of the stay in China is possible. The t more...

The main focus of this European business mission is to explore IT opportunities in China and North Korea. The goal of this studytour (May 10-17, 2008) is to give the participants detailed information about offshoring. They will visit several firms in Beijing and Pyongyang in the field of IT, animation, 2D and 3d design, cartoons, computer games, mobile games and BPO. The business mission will have an informal character, with some attention to cultural or touristic elements. The trip will start i more...

In Europe, the offshore-opportunities in Latin-America are not yet discovered. We know Colombia because of its music (salsa and Shakira!), but the country also has an advanced IT-sector. American companies are increasingly outsourcing IT-work to this destination. Well-known enterprises such as IBM, EDS, Accenture and Getronics are already locally active. From 16 - 29 April 2008, for the first time, our IT-mission to Bogota (Colombia) and Quito (Ecuador) will take place. An interesting cultural more...

North Korea is becoming a new outsourcing destination for international software development. A growing number of foreign companies are outsourcing their software development activities to IT-firms located in North-Korea. Others are investing in joint-ventures in the field of offshore ICT sourcing.

Paul Tjia, the founder of GPI Consultancy in The Netherlands, wrote about his experiences during his recent ICT study tour to Pyongyang.

A UNCTAD Publication. From the introduction: "The computer software industry has the potential to become one of the most internationally dispersed high-tech industries; the last two decades saw high growth rates of this sector and a dramatic increase in the spread of computer software and services world-wide. This paper explores the issues surrounding the development of the computer software and services industry; examines how intellectual property rights affect their establishment and growth in more...

This meeting was held by the OECD in Paris on June 10, 2005. Its objective was to increase understanding of how OECD economies can benefit from the offshoring of ICT-enabled services, and the associated challenges and opportunities. According to the website, "presentations were given about Hungary and Ireland, two countries that benefit by attracting offshored services. Siemens Business Services and Satyam Computer Services Ltd. provided company perspectives on how global ICT-enabled services so more...

This is a blog that is dedicated primarily to podcasting. Its aim is to gather multimedia content from around the Internet and post it in such a way as to be 'listenable' in iTunes or any other podcatcher. This blog is among the first to offer multimedia content to those willing and capable of sharing best-practices in a multimedia format. Users are encouraged to submit multimedia content (ictfordevelopment @ gmail.com) that they feel will benefit their community as a whole. All content is b more...

Abstract: "This paper investigates the position of China in the international fragmentation of production in the ICT industry, the most dynamic and globally dispersed sector in the world economy. The evidence shows that during the 1990s China dramatically increased its market shares in ICT products and now ranks among the top three world exporters. Moreover, China has upgraded from mere assembly of imported inputs to the manufacturing of high-tech intermediate goods. As a result, import dependen more...

The third session of the World Urban Forum (WUF3) opens today in Vancouver, Canada, and will continue until Friday, 23 June 2006. Held every two years, the Forum examines rapid urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies and policies.

The Dutch have been egalitarian in choosing their offshore IT suppliers. At least 35 nations have conducted IT work for Dutch organizations, including in its former colony of Surinam, and in some unlikely spots such as North Korea and Iran. Not surprisingly, India is the preferred source.

Have issues of culture been relevant in these offshore projects, or was the impact limited? After all, we have seen hard working and well-educated IT talent everywhere — they are all citizens of the moder more...