Nickname: socrates

Review: The U.S. needs to decide what kind of country it wants. The standard of living in India is lower than most parts of the U.S.: poor air quality, overcrowding, etc. It has well-educated people but is still mostly a third world nation. If we want the U.S. to be like this then we will continue to send our high- paying, high-value jobs overseas. The government could prevent this via tariffs but won't because lawmakers write the laws for large corporations, not the people.

Date reviewed: Feb 6, 2006 1:22 AM

Nickname: blah blah

Review: The recent rush of investments in high-tech companies in India is sure to benefit the U.S. economy. It is this efficiency of resource allocation that has made the U.S. economy so vibrant that attracts foreign funds for better returns (let us not forget the billions of dollars that countries like China and India keep as foreign exchange reserves - for the reason that the U.S. currency/economy is the most productive in the world!

Date reviewed: Dec 15, 2005 8:35 PM

Nickname: Sanjay

Review: In response to Zigma's last comment, it does depend on the cost of living and the purchasing power of the Average Joe. The middle income group in India would expect an average salary of Rs. 10,000-25,000 a month (about $200-$500). And it is this group of English-educated degree holders that is propelling India forward in competition with developed nations. The more talented of the lot do find greener pastures abroad, but then India has the bulk (perhaps surplus) of required talent.

Date reviewed: Dec 13, 2005 7:11 AM

Nickname: Sovani

Review: The main reason why jobs are moving to India is obviously the low cost of skilled manpower there. Now the question is, why is the cost of manpower lower? To answer that question we need to examine the lifestyle of people in USA vs people in India. Take food, for example. People in India are mainly vegetarian, while people in USA eat a lot of beef. Producing one pound of beef consumes 30 times the earth's resouces (in terms of water, space) than producing one pound of wheat. This applies to all fields of life. Ultimately, societies that follow the principle of simple living and high thinking (As Mahatama Gandhi said) will be intrinsically more competitive.

Date reviewed: Dec 13, 2005 1:14 AM

Nickname: Crabby

Review: What makes anyone think that a company like Microsoft, which was founded and grown in the U.S., won't take on the culture of the U.S., which is to get as much as possible for as little as possible? Even if it means going out of the country for labor and even building infrastructure in other countries? Remember, people. This is a country that didn't originally belong to us, was founded on free labor of slaves, and in its history has found a way to get more for less (For example, during the industrial revolution workers toiled in some of the most deplorable conditions just to make ends meet). Based on that premise I think that Microsoft is doing what would only come naturally to any U.S. company. To comment on an earlier post regarding the government stepping in and dealing with Microsoft -- they did set a precedent. It's called NAFTA.

Date reviewed: Dec 12, 2005 6:19 PM

Nickname: dikbor

Review: Before the industrial era, India was the largest textile producer and exporter in the world. With the advent of mechanized spinning and weaving technology, within a century Indian textile workers who were using hand-operated looms were redundant. One of India's main industries was obliterated and a significant proportion of the workforce was rendered unemployed.I am sure the workers must have whined like the American techies, except they wouldn't have known that some dude in Manchester had taken their jobs. The rise and fall of civilizations, nations and economies is a natural part of mankind's history. Americans just need to get used to that idea (I know it is hard for a nation that's 222 years old.) India is rising, it produces lots of smart people, cost of living is low compared to the U.S. and unlike some of the whiners, very smart people seem to think that India is the place to be in. And they have put their money where their mouth is.

Date reviewed: Dec 11, 2005 5:01 PM

Nickname: Imran khan

Review: It will create more quality and employement if Microsoft invests in India's school system.

Date reviewed: Dec 11, 2005 12:55 PM

Nickname: joec

Review: As an indian born and raised in the USA, I'm happy to say that India is getting the money instead of China, but I hope there is enough cash in Microsoft to go around for us in the States. I believe that Bill Gates needs to get more involved in the political scene to push our government. All the tech companies to need invest at home first, otherwise like the other person said earlier, don't bite the hand that feeds you! As our market matures more and globalization will happen. If it can be outsourced, it will be -- we are a capitalistic economy.

Date reviewed: Dec 10, 2005 10:06 PM

Nickname: CTO

Review: You will be surprise how fast the time flies, and it won't take a century to train someone to become a good developer. Now, the fact that employment at Microsoft in India outpaces it in the U.S. means that the opportunities for the degree holders are going to India.

Date reviewed: Dec 10, 2005 4:28 PM

Nickname: bbesco

Review: Speaking from experience with Denver developer Quark (Xpress), their customer service is now in India. I had an install activation problem and cryptic error. Upon phoning Quark's customer service number -- (U.S. area code), I was connected with a rep with a bit of an accent. I asker her where she was located -- India. After 10 minutes of on/off hold, she never did answer my question. I called a friend and got an answer in 30 seconds. I will no longer be a Quark customer. Do their employees volunteer as soccer coaches for my kids, help with charity drives for my community? No.

Date reviewed: Dec 10, 2005 4:23 PM