Samsung Electronics America Inc, lider de piata si inovator premiat in domeniul electronicelor de larg consum, a lansat urmatoarea generatie de televizoare LED, care prezinta procesorul 3D incorporat, primul de acest gen, o experinta interactiva si un design inovator ce stabileste noi standarde, cu o gama larga de optiuni pentru a se potrivi decorului din aproape orice camera de zi. Produsul de top din acest an, Seria 9000, a castigat premiul Best of Innovations in cadrul editiei CES 2010. Mai mult, Samsung ofera cea mai versatila gama de televizoare LED, care consta in introducerea tehnologiei HD la cele mai performante televizore Full HD, intr-o varietate de dimensiuni ale ecranului. Cele mai recente televizoare HD de la Samsung vor fi expuse la standul 11026 in cadrul International Consumer Electronics Show, care are loc in Las Vegas Convention Center, intre 7 si 10 ianuarie 2010.
„Leadership-ul nostru in categoria televizoarelor LED nu reprezinta o intamplare. Am identificat o nevoie a consumatorilor pentru imagini de calitate superioara, dimensiuni ultra subtiri si un consum de energie cat mai ecologic”, a declarat Yangkyu Kim, Senior Vice President al diviziei Visual Display din cadrul Samsung Electronics. „Am depus toata energia si pasiunea noastra in gama de televizore LED din acest an, cu obiectivul unic de a livra experiente uimitoare, cu o profunzime a imaginii cat mai fidela realitatii. Cu aceasta gama premiata, Samsung stabileste inca o data standardele industriei, nu doar pentru experiente vizuale de calitate, dar si pentru tehnologie si leadership inovator.”
Cu opt serii de produse si dimensiuni ale ecranului de la 19 ” la 65″, aceasta este cea mai cuprinzatoare gama de televizoare LED din industrie. De la Seria 9000, distinsa cu premii, la Honoree Innovations Seriile 7000 si 6500, consumatorii au practic de ales dintr-o gama nelimitata de modele care se potrivesc stilului de viata si preferintele individuale atunci cand vine vorba de entertainment. In mod special, emblematica Serie 9000 este cea mai impresionanta serie Samsung HDTV de pana acum – chintesenta televizorului LED subtire, cu telecomanda premium touch-screen si tehnologie 3D incorporata, stabileste un nou standard pentru home theatre cu o calitate impresionanta a imaginii si conectivitate. Cel mai subtire televizor LED integrat din lume, Seria 9000, a fost proiectat pentru a inceta competitia in ceea ce priveste profunzimea imaginii si stabileste un standard inovator printr-un tuner incorporat.
O noutate in 2010, gama de modele premium de televizoare LED, Seriile 7000, 8000 si 9000, include procesor si emitator 3D incorporate care sunt optimizate pentru a permite compatibilitatea cu mai multe formate 3D, precum si asocierea cu Blue-ray Disc omologata cu standardul „Blu-ray 3D”. In plus, sistemul Samsung 3D ofera imaginile folosind un spectru complet de culoare pentru o experienta vizuala autentica si captivanta.
Impreuna cu player-ul Blu-ray 3D (BD-C6900), Samsung ofera o solutie completa care permite consumatorilor sa aduca experienta 3D in casele lor. Pentru cei care doresc sa adauge o a treia dimensiune vizionarii obisnuite, Samsung a inclus in procesorul 3D o tehnologie de auto-conversie care face trecerea de la formatul 2D la 3D in timp real, fara a fi nevoie de un PC – o noutate in industrie. Consumatorii pot adauga un nivel de profunzime si claritate unui meci de fotbal in direct, simtind in acest mod ca iau parte la actiune.
Cu ajutorul conexiunii Ethernet incorporate si a capacitatilor wireless-ready, gama anului 2010 de televizoare LED este pregatita pentru a satisface cererea tot mai mare a consumatorilor de „continut fara frontiere”. Caracteristica imbunatatita Internet@TV include acum Samsung Apps, oferind astfel consumatorilor o selectie de continut usor de navigat si aplicatii furnizate de servicii de renume, precum Accedo Broadband, AccuWeather.com, The Associated Press, Blockbuster, Fashion TV, Netflix, Picasa, Pandora, Rovi, Travel Channel, Twitter, USA TODAY, You Tube si Vudu. Aceste servicii sunt disponibile in functie de tara de provenienta a produsului. Aplicatiile pot fi descarcate si vizualizate in timp ce utilizatorii se uita la televizor. Toate televizoarele LED premium, de la Seria 6500 in sus, vor include caracteristica imbunatatita Internet@ TV cu Samsung Apps.
Televizoarele LED premium de la Samsung vor afisa o calitate de neegalat a imaginii cu ajutorul unei tehnologii dezvoltate de Samsung care imbina avantajele LED edge-lighting si controlul tehnologiei local dimming direct in televizoare back-lit LED. Aceasta tehnologie, alaturi de o inalta eficienta a sursei de lumina LED si a motorului de amplificare a imaginii cu procesor video asigura o calitate de neegalat a imaginii prin culori vibrante, nuante profunde de negru si un raport mai bun de contrast.
In 2010, Samsung isi consolideaza traditia in ceea ce priveste design-ul inovator prin introducerea fatetelor mai inguste si ramelor metalice finisate, in argintiu si negru – depasind limitele fatetelor negre familiare ale celor mai multe televizoare HD. Samsung a dezvoltat in mod special un suport revolutionar patrat cu patru picioare care face ca televizorul sa arate mai mult precum o piesa de mobilier si mai putin ca un aparat TV, dar si o noua schema de design „mystic earth” Crystal Design cu margini cromate, pentru a se potrivi mai bine decorului unei camere de zi. Cu o vasta paleta de materiale si modele, Samsung ofera practic cate ceva pentru toate gusturile si preferintele atunci cand vine vorba de design-ul interior. Chiar mai mult, noile televizoare Samsung LED se potrivesc liniei de playere Blu-ray si sistemelor home theater din 2010, ceea ce aduce un element de coeziune unei camere dedicate home entertainment-ului.
Toate aceste functionalitati sunt livrate fara a compromite bine-cunoscuta eficienta energetica a televizoarelor LED si respecta standarde si mai inalte de durabilitate. In acest mod depasesc si standardul strict EnergyStar 4.0. Televizoarele Samsung LED sunt cele performante si ecologice produse HDTV lansate vreodata de Samsung si continua sa stabileasca noi standarde in fiecare an.
O alta premiera in industrie este reprezentata de catre dezvoltarea unei telecomenzi cu display full-touch usor de utilizat. Ecranul color touch al telecomenzii determina intelegerea mai usoara si simpla a caracteristicilor si optiunilor. Tehnologiile integrate Wi-fi si infrarosu controleaza dispozitivele TV si AV cu ajutorul butoanele de pe ecran si tastaturii QWERTY. Aceasta permite utilizatorilor sa vizioneze continutul transmis direct pe telecomanda, astfel incat sa puteti viziona prima parte a unui meci important, in timp ce un film Blu-ray ruleaza pe marele ecran HD al televizorului (doar pentru Seria 9000). Puteti parcurge, de asemenea, fisiere cu muzica, fotografii si fisiere video de pe un PC certificat DLNA, iar apoi puteti transfera continutul ales direct pe TV (doar pentru Seria 9000). Aceasta telecomanda reprezinta prima optiune pentru Seria 9000, iar versiuni derivate ale acesteia se vand separat, optional, pentru alte modele de televizoare LED, inclusiv Seriile 7000 si 8000.
Despre Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. este lider mondial in industria semiconductorilor, a telecomunicatiilor, a dispozitivelor media digitale si a convergentei digitale, cu vanzari consolidate de 96 miliarde USD in anul 2008. Compania are aproximativ 164.600 de angajati in 179 de birouri din 61 de tari, fiind alcatuita din doua divizii principale de afaceri – Digital Media & Communications si Device Solutions. Recunoscut ca unul din brandurile cu cea mai rapida dezvoltare in lume, Samsung Electronics este lider in productia de monitoare digitale, chip-uri de memorie, telefoane mobile si televizoare TFT-LCD. Vizitati
pentru mai multe informatii.
The software company SMARTSOFT, operating in the software development area since 1997, is offering quality strategic software outsourcing services including process analysis, project management, marketing strategies, system analysis and design, support & deployment and search engine optimization, and IT and business consulting and development services.The Romanian IT Outsourcing Industry: A Stable Stable of Freelancers for the Online Marketplaces By Ulad Radkevitch, Outsourcing Journal IT freelancers and small businesses from over 130 nations compete for IT jobs at Rent A Coder, an online marketplace for professional services that facilitates over 12,000 IT projects per month. With over a dozen bids per project, buyers at Rent A Coder enjoy a wide selection of low-cost, high-quality suppliers; currently nearly 130,000 freelancers and companies are registered to bid for IT projects. Surprisingly, the largest proportion of these projects ends up not in the hands of Indians or Americans, but rather with IT professionals from Romania, an Eastern European nation. One such buyer is Athens Development, Inc., a small company from Tennessee that specializes in software applications for marketing. The company uses the marketplace to outsource 100 percent of its software development and support as well as some marketing-related services such as Web design. „For a small company like ours, it might be difficult to get adequate treatment from a typical Indian outsourcing provider as we do not generate enough work,” says Tracy A. Childers, the Founder of Athens Development. „A marketplace like Rent a Coder that provides access to talent from all over the world, along with value-added services such as escrow accounts, document storage, and arbitration, is an excellent solution for us. My business heavily relies on Rent a Coder. If something happens to Rent a Coder, it would be hard for me to switch to a different outsourcing channel,” he adds. For years, Romanians have been among the top three most active nations at this lively international bazaar, according to Rent a Coder Founder and CEO Ian Ippolito. In November 2005 Romanians accounted for 18 percent of the marketplace transaction volume, followed by Indians and Americans with 17 percent and 16 percent respectively. Why Romania? Athens Development, which has been using Rent a Coder for 18 months and runs several small outsourcing projects on a monthly basis, has developed a special preference for coders from Romania. According to Childers, Romanians always deliver high quality and are very committed to results. This type of attitude is supported by Ippolito. „Some buyers have told me that they prefer Romanian coders because their experience was that Romanians were harder working, more reliable with deadlines, and didn’t pester them with requests for payment before the job was completed.” However, even if Romanian freelancers are as hard working and cheap as it gets, this alone hardly explains why the country, with a population of just 22 million, is performing so well compared to offshore outsourcing giants such as India or Russia. Struggling to seize a portion of the offshore IT outsourcing pie, post-communist nations in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) are trying to capitalize on a variety of strengths. Poland and the Czech Republic put forth their newly-acquired EU membership and attractive business climate; Russia builds on a vast scientific and technological heritage of the Soviet era; the Ukraine tries to exploit its new democratic image. In this race, Romania, the birth-place of the infamous Count Dracula, is primarily relying on its talents. With over 100 universities, the country annually produces 30,000 engineering graduates; 8,000 earn degrees in IT. Romanian student teams won first place at the International Olympiad of Informatics in 2003 in the US and were third in the world at the International Mathematical Olympiad in Mexico in 2005. However, mathematical and programming skills are typically strong in all CEE countries. What really makes Romanians stand out is their language skills. The Romanian language belongs to the Romance language group, making it easy for Romanians to pick up French, Italian, or Spanish. In addition, they held first place in the Certificate of Proficiency in English exam at Cambridge University, according to a 2003 Pierre Audoin Consulting report. Add to this the fact the country’s struggling economy was not offering a great deal of jobs after the collapse of the central planning system, and you will have a good picture of the forces driving skilled and foreign language-savvy Romanians to online marketplaces like Rent a Coder, Elance Online, or eWork. How Outsourcing is Affecting the Romanian Economy The shadow of the 1989 revolution that climaxed in the execution of Romania’s communist leader Ceausescu and his wife, and a prolonged economic recession through the most of 1990s, did not contribute to immediately turning the country into an investor’s hot spot. Romania still remains one of the least well-off CEE countries. What makes a difference, though, is that today Romania is a NATO member and a candidate to join the European Union in 2007; its economy is showing considerable growth (8.3 percent of GDP in 2004 and 4.1 percent in 2005) and the country’s image is changing. Big names such as Siemens, Alcatel, and Motorola have set up research and development, software development, or manufacturing facilities here. Siemens is the leading foreign employer with over 2,000 in the local workforce. Oracle maintains its European development and call centers there; its call center in Bucharest provides support in 13 European languages. IT export became an important part of the economy, currently involving nearly 17,000 people. In 2005 the export of software and IT services reached $250-280 million, estimates Florin Vrejoiu, Executive VP of the Romanian Association for Electronic and Software Industries. On the export side, Romania is especially strong in three areas: R&D outsourcing, security and embedded software development, and mechanical engineering outsourcing. A good example is Softwin, a 500-person Bucharest-based company known for its anti-virus tool BitDefender. Microsoft acquired intellectual property rights for RAV AntiVirus from GeCad, another successful maker of anti-virus software, in 2003, which reflects the increasing interest of foreigners in local companies and their products. In 2005 the volume of acquisition deals in the IT industry reached 250 million, says John Mennel, a US consultant working for USAID Enterprise Development and Strengthening Program in Romania. IT outsourcing companies include s Akela, Intrarom, IP Devel, andTotalsoft. Mennel estimates that around one third of approximately. 40,000 IT industry employees work for companies with 15 or less people. This estimation, however, uses official statistics and does not take into account hundreds or even thousands of freelancers who do not report their earnings to tax and statistical authorities. Even the government, a stakeholder which is usually slow to give a hand to the IT industry in other countries of the region, has contributed to the progress by granting a 100 percent income tax exemption for IT workers. What remains to be seen is whether the thousands of freelancers and small businesses who are successful at IT marketplaces will be seduced by corporations (which will inevitably start exploring this lucrative pool of resources) and eventually give up their independence in exchange for handsome salary packages. This perspective may seem questionable to some, considering Romanians’ love of being their own masters. „In Romania people like to own themselves. They do not like to be managed,” says Bodgan Castaliu, the 26-year-old executive manager of XcellenceIT, a 15-person Web development company. „As a matter of fact, every Romanian dreams about having a company of his own.” Considering that online IT markets still grow at a high rate (over 60 percent in 2005 in the case of Rent A Coder), it looks like big companies may have a tough time taking Romanian freelancers and small businesses under their wings. Lessons from the Outsourcing Journal: Romania attracts Western clients due to the high level of technical and language skills of IT workers, its well-developed (albeit fragmented) IT industry, and availability of a vast IT labor pool, largely untapped by IT outsourcing companies. The Romanian IT outsourcing industry is growing ahead of the rest of the economy. IT attracts foreign investors and is experiencing a wave of acquisitions of local companies by foreign investors. Evolutionary transformations, such as further growth and acquisitions as well as a reduction in the level of industry’s fragmentation, can be expected. Online marketplaces are becoming increasingly popular with small and medium businesses that outsource their IT tasks. These marketplaces enable access to a wide range of offshore suppliers, provide mechanisms for competitive supplier selections, safeguard transactions, and provide a number of other value-added services. Small companies and IT freelancers from Romania are very active at these marketplaces. Publish Date: June 2006 Source:Outsourcing Journal
Copyright © 2009 S.C. Smart Soft S.R.L. Romania
Citeste articolul pe: SmartNews
Noua gama de televizoare Samsung LED HDTV stabileste noul standard de excelenta in domeniu
Samsung Electronics America Inc, lider de piata si inovator premiat in domeniul electronicelor de larg consum, a lansat urmatoarea generatie de televizoare LED, care prezinta procesorul 3D incorporat, primul de acest gen, o experinta interactiva si un design inovator ce stabileste noi standarde, cu o gama larga de optiuni pentru a se potrivi decorului din aproape orice camera de zi. Produsul de top din acest an, Seria 9000, a castigat premiul Best of Innovations in cadrul editiei CES 2010. Mai mult, Samsung ofera cea mai versatila gama de televizoare LED, care consta in introducerea tehnologiei HD la cele mai performante televizore Full HD, intr-o varietate de dimensiuni ale ecranului. Cele mai recente televizoare HD de la Samsung vor fi expuse la standul 11026 in cadrul International Consumer Electronics Show, care are loc in Las Vegas Convention Center, intre 7 si 10 ianuarie 2010.
„Leadership-ul nostru in categoria televizoarelor LED nu reprezinta o intamplare. Am identificat o nevoie a consumatorilor pentru imagini de calitate superioara, dimensiuni ultra subtiri si un consum de energie cat mai ecologic”, a declarat Yangkyu Kim, Senior Vice President al diviziei Visual Display din cadrul Samsung Electronics. „Am depus toata energia si pasiunea noastra in gama de televizore LED din acest an, cu obiectivul unic de a livra experiente uimitoare, cu o profunzime a imaginii cat mai fidela realitatii. Cu aceasta gama premiata, Samsung stabileste inca o data standardele industriei, nu doar pentru experiente vizuale de calitate, dar si pentru tehnologie si leadership inovator.”
Cu opt serii de produse si dimensiuni ale ecranului de la 19 ” la 65″, aceasta este cea mai cuprinzatoare gama de televizoare LED din industrie. De la Seria 9000, distinsa cu premii, la Honoree Innovations Seriile 7000 si 6500, consumatorii au practic de ales dintr-o gama nelimitata de modele care se potrivesc stilului de viata si preferintele individuale atunci cand vine vorba de entertainment. In mod special, emblematica Serie 9000 este cea mai impresionanta serie Samsung HDTV de pana acum – chintesenta televizorului LED subtire, cu telecomanda premium touch-screen si tehnologie 3D incorporata, stabileste un nou standard pentru home theatre cu o calitate impresionanta a imaginii si conectivitate. Cel mai subtire televizor LED integrat din lume, Seria 9000, a fost proiectat pentru a inceta competitia in ceea ce priveste profunzimea imaginii si stabileste un standard inovator printr-un tuner incorporat.
O noutate in 2010, gama de modele premium de televizoare LED, Seriile 7000, 8000 si 9000, include procesor si emitator 3D incorporate care sunt optimizate pentru a permite compatibilitatea cu mai multe formate 3D, precum si asocierea cu Blue-ray Disc omologata cu standardul „Blu-ray 3D”. In plus, sistemul Samsung 3D ofera imaginile folosind un spectru complet de culoare pentru o experienta vizuala autentica si captivanta.
Impreuna cu player-ul Blu-ray 3D (BD-C6900), Samsung ofera o solutie completa care permite consumatorilor sa aduca experienta 3D in casele lor. Pentru cei care doresc sa adauge o a treia dimensiune vizionarii obisnuite, Samsung a inclus in procesorul 3D o tehnologie de auto-conversie care face trecerea de la formatul 2D la 3D in timp real, fara a fi nevoie de un PC – o noutate in industrie. Consumatorii pot adauga un nivel de profunzime si claritate unui meci de fotbal in direct, simtind in acest mod ca iau parte la actiune.
Cu ajutorul conexiunii Ethernet incorporate si a capacitatilor wireless-ready, gama anului 2010 de televizoare LED este pregatita pentru a satisface cererea tot mai mare a consumatorilor de „continut fara frontiere”. Caracteristica imbunatatita Internet@TV include acum Samsung Apps, oferind astfel consumatorilor o selectie de continut usor de navigat si aplicatii furnizate de servicii de renume, precum Accedo Broadband, AccuWeather.com, The Associated Press, Blockbuster, Fashion TV, Netflix, Picasa, Pandora, Rovi, Travel Channel, Twitter, USA TODAY, You Tube si Vudu. Aceste servicii sunt disponibile in functie de tara de provenienta a produsului. Aplicatiile pot fi descarcate si vizualizate in timp ce utilizatorii se uita la televizor. Toate televizoarele LED premium, de la Seria 6500 in sus, vor include caracteristica imbunatatita Internet@ TV cu Samsung Apps.
Televizoarele LED premium de la Samsung vor afisa o calitate de neegalat a imaginii cu ajutorul unei tehnologii dezvoltate de Samsung care imbina avantajele LED edge-lighting si controlul tehnologiei local dimming direct in televizoare back-lit LED. Aceasta tehnologie, alaturi de o inalta eficienta a sursei de lumina LED si a motorului de amplificare a imaginii cu procesor video asigura o calitate de neegalat a imaginii prin culori vibrante, nuante profunde de negru si un raport mai bun de contrast.
In 2010, Samsung isi consolideaza traditia in ceea ce priveste design-ul inovator prin introducerea fatetelor mai inguste si ramelor metalice finisate, in argintiu si negru – depasind limitele fatetelor negre familiare ale celor mai multe televizoare HD. Samsung a dezvoltat in mod special un suport revolutionar patrat cu patru picioare care face ca televizorul sa arate mai mult precum o piesa de mobilier si mai putin ca un aparat TV, dar si o noua schema de design „mystic earth” Crystal Design cu margini cromate, pentru a se potrivi mai bine decorului unei camere de zi. Cu o vasta paleta de materiale si modele, Samsung ofera practic cate ceva pentru toate gusturile si preferintele atunci cand vine vorba de design-ul interior. Chiar mai mult, noile televizoare Samsung LED se potrivesc liniei de playere Blu-ray si sistemelor home theater din 2010, ceea ce aduce un element de coeziune unei camere dedicate home entertainment-ului.
Toate aceste functionalitati sunt livrate fara a compromite bine-cunoscuta eficienta energetica a televizoarelor LED si respecta standarde si mai inalte de durabilitate. In acest mod depasesc si standardul strict EnergyStar 4.0. Televizoarele Samsung LED sunt cele performante si ecologice produse HDTV lansate vreodata de Samsung si continua sa stabileasca noi standarde in fiecare an.
O alta premiera in industrie este reprezentata de catre dezvoltarea unei telecomenzi cu display full-touch usor de utilizat. Ecranul color touch al telecomenzii determina intelegerea mai usoara si simpla a caracteristicilor si optiunilor. Tehnologiile integrate Wi-fi si infrarosu controleaza dispozitivele TV si AV cu ajutorul butoanele de pe ecran si tastaturii QWERTY. Aceasta permite utilizatorilor sa vizioneze continutul transmis direct pe telecomanda, astfel incat sa puteti viziona prima parte a unui meci important, in timp ce un film Blu-ray ruleaza pe marele ecran HD al televizorului (doar pentru Seria 9000). Puteti parcurge, de asemenea, fisiere cu muzica, fotografii si fisiere video de pe un PC certificat DLNA, iar apoi puteti transfera continutul ales direct pe TV (doar pentru Seria 9000). Aceasta telecomanda reprezinta prima optiune pentru Seria 9000, iar versiuni derivate ale acesteia se vand separat, optional, pentru alte modele de televizoare LED, inclusiv Seriile 7000 si 8000.
Despre Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. este lider mondial in industria semiconductorilor, a telecomunicatiilor, a dispozitivelor media digitale si a convergentei digitale, cu vanzari consolidate de 96 miliarde USD in anul 2008. Compania are aproximativ 164.600 de angajati in 179 de birouri din 61 de tari, fiind alcatuita din doua divizii principale de afaceri – Digital Media & Communications si Device Solutions. Recunoscut ca unul din brandurile cu cea mai rapida dezvoltare in lume, Samsung Electronics este lider in productia de monitoare digitale, chip-uri de memorie, telefoane mobile si televizoare TFT-LCD. Vizitati
pentru mai multe informatii.
The software company SMARTSOFT, operating in the software development area since 1997, is offering quality strategic software outsourcing services including process analysis, project management, marketing strategies, system analysis and design, support & deployment and search engine optimization, and IT and business consulting and development services.The Romanian IT Outsourcing Industry: A Stable Stable of Freelancers for the Online Marketplaces By Ulad Radkevitch, Outsourcing Journal IT freelancers and small businesses from over 130 nations compete for IT jobs at Rent A Coder, an online marketplace for professional services that facilitates over 12,000 IT projects per month. With over a dozen bids per project, buyers at Rent A Coder enjoy a wide selection of low-cost, high-quality suppliers; currently nearly 130,000 freelancers and companies are registered to bid for IT projects. Surprisingly, the largest proportion of these projects ends up not in the hands of Indians or Americans, but rather with IT professionals from Romania, an Eastern European nation. One such buyer is Athens Development, Inc., a small company from Tennessee that specializes in software applications for marketing. The company uses the marketplace to outsource 100 percent of its software development and support as well as some marketing-related services such as Web design. „For a small company like ours, it might be difficult to get adequate treatment from a typical Indian outsourcing provider as we do not generate enough work,” says Tracy A. Childers, the Founder of Athens Development. „A marketplace like Rent a Coder that provides access to talent from all over the world, along with value-added services such as escrow accounts, document storage, and arbitration, is an excellent solution for us. My business heavily relies on Rent a Coder. If something happens to Rent a Coder, it would be hard for me to switch to a different outsourcing channel,” he adds. For years, Romanians have been among the top three most active nations at this lively international bazaar, according to Rent a Coder Founder and CEO Ian Ippolito. In November 2005 Romanians accounted for 18 percent of the marketplace transaction volume, followed by Indians and Americans with 17 percent and 16 percent respectively. Why Romania? Athens Development, which has been using Rent a Coder for 18 months and runs several small outsourcing projects on a monthly basis, has developed a special preference for coders from Romania. According to Childers, Romanians always deliver high quality and are very committed to results. This type of attitude is supported by Ippolito. „Some buyers have told me that they prefer Romanian coders because their experience was that Romanians were harder working, more reliable with deadlines, and didn’t pester them with requests for payment before the job was completed.” However, even if Romanian freelancers are as hard working and cheap as it gets, this alone hardly explains why the country, with a population of just 22 million, is performing so well compared to offshore outsourcing giants such as India or Russia. Struggling to seize a portion of the offshore IT outsourcing pie, post-communist nations in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) are trying to capitalize on a variety of strengths. Poland and the Czech Republic put forth their newly-acquired EU membership and attractive business climate; Russia builds on a vast scientific and technological heritage of the Soviet era; the Ukraine tries to exploit its new democratic image. In this race, Romania, the birth-place of the infamous Count Dracula, is primarily relying on its talents. With over 100 universities, the country annually produces 30,000 engineering graduates; 8,000 earn degrees in IT. Romanian student teams won first place at the International Olympiad of Informatics in 2003 in the US and were third in the world at the International Mathematical Olympiad in Mexico in 2005. However, mathematical and programming skills are typically strong in all CEE countries. What really makes Romanians stand out is their language skills. The Romanian language belongs to the Romance language group, making it easy for Romanians to pick up French, Italian, or Spanish. In addition, they held first place in the Certificate of Proficiency in English exam at Cambridge University, according to a 2003 Pierre Audoin Consulting report. Add to this the fact the country’s struggling economy was not offering a great deal of jobs after the collapse of the central planning system, and you will have a good picture of the forces driving skilled and foreign language-savvy Romanians to online marketplaces like Rent a Coder, Elance Online, or eWork. How Outsourcing is Affecting the Romanian Economy The shadow of the 1989 revolution that climaxed in the execution of Romania’s communist leader Ceausescu and his wife, and a prolonged economic recession through the most of 1990s, did not contribute to immediately turning the country into an investor’s hot spot. Romania still remains one of the least well-off CEE countries. What makes a difference, though, is that today Romania is a NATO member and a candidate to join the European Union in 2007; its economy is showing considerable growth (8.3 percent of GDP in 2004 and 4.1 percent in 2005) and the country’s image is changing. Big names such as Siemens, Alcatel, and Motorola have set up research and development, software development, or manufacturing facilities here. Siemens is the leading foreign employer with over 2,000 in the local workforce. Oracle maintains its European development and call centers there; its call center in Bucharest provides support in 13 European languages. IT export became an important part of the economy, currently involving nearly 17,000 people. In 2005 the export of software and IT services reached $250-280 million, estimates Florin Vrejoiu, Executive VP of the Romanian Association for Electronic and Software Industries. On the export side, Romania is especially strong in three areas: R&D outsourcing, security and embedded software development, and mechanical engineering outsourcing. A good example is Softwin, a 500-person Bucharest-based company known for its anti-virus tool BitDefender. Microsoft acquired intellectual property rights for RAV AntiVirus from GeCad, another successful maker of anti-virus software, in 2003, which reflects the increasing interest of foreigners in local companies and their products. In 2005 the volume of acquisition deals in the IT industry reached 250 million, says John Mennel, a US consultant working for USAID Enterprise Development and Strengthening Program in Romania. IT outsourcing companies include s Akela, Intrarom, IP Devel, andTotalsoft. Mennel estimates that around one third of approximately. 40,000 IT industry employees work for companies with 15 or less people. This estimation, however, uses official statistics and does not take into account hundreds or even thousands of freelancers who do not report their earnings to tax and statistical authorities. Even the government, a stakeholder which is usually slow to give a hand to the IT industry in other countries of the region, has contributed to the progress by granting a 100 percent income tax exemption for IT workers. What remains to be seen is whether the thousands of freelancers and small businesses who are successful at IT marketplaces will be seduced by corporations (which will inevitably start exploring this lucrative pool of resources) and eventually give up their independence in exchange for handsome salary packages. This perspective may seem questionable to some, considering Romanians’ love of being their own masters. „In Romania people like to own themselves. They do not like to be managed,” says Bodgan Castaliu, the 26-year-old executive manager of XcellenceIT, a 15-person Web development company. „As a matter of fact, every Romanian dreams about having a company of his own.” Considering that online IT markets still grow at a high rate (over 60 percent in 2005 in the case of Rent A Coder), it looks like big companies may have a tough time taking Romanian freelancers and small businesses under their wings. Lessons from the Outsourcing Journal: Romania attracts Western clients due to the high level of technical and language skills of IT workers, its well-developed (albeit fragmented) IT industry, and availability of a vast IT labor pool, largely untapped by IT outsourcing companies. The Romanian IT outsourcing industry is growing ahead of the rest of the economy. IT attracts foreign investors and is experiencing a wave of acquisitions of local companies by foreign investors. Evolutionary transformations, such as further growth and acquisitions as well as a reduction in the level of industry’s fragmentation, can be expected. Online marketplaces are becoming increasingly popular with small and medium businesses that outsource their IT tasks. These marketplaces enable access to a wide range of offshore suppliers, provide mechanisms for competitive supplier selections, safeguard transactions, and provide a number of other value-added services. Small companies and IT freelancers from Romania are very active at these marketplaces. Publish Date: June 2006 Source:Outsourcing Journal
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