[cstreit]

Bitterweet problem for me:

I work for a small software company. The market is SO brutal right now with the big 3 software firms (Microsoft, Oracle, SAP) making it virtually impossible to compete in any space they decide to work in.

Why? They make so much money from their base operations that when they want to penetrate a market (appropriate choice of words) they will give away their software for free for a few years. Now the niche players and small firms have a hell of a time competing against this. Costs must be reduced because while a superior product will sell against "free", it reduces your overal revenue considerably.

(Free is in quotes because if it was really good, it wouldn't be free. Most places that accept this offer end up paying more in implementation and management costs untill the product is ready.)

Not being able to outsource means we will be down to the "Big Three" in no time. Unfair pricing abounds.

Why Bittersweet? I'm a technology worker. I saw the writing on the wall years ago and got out of programming, etc.. before I was outsourced. Now work in sales. You can't sell with a thick accent over a phone from Bangalore and Chenai.