It's all Greek to me

I love cows...

Before you write this post off because of the title I would ask you to consider that there is some real meaning here as it relates to having perspective. If you're someone who gives presentations on a regular basis, whether inside your organization or to potential clients and audiences, then you have experienced the burden of coming up with creative ways to communicate the content.

In my business one of the key challenges is presenting the value proposition of why global companies need to consider diversifying their outsourcing portfolio by looking at Russia and Eastern Europe as a more than viable alternative. Many years ago I attended a conference and one of the speakers was presenting on leadership. For the most part his content was what I call "typical". There was nothing compelling about what he shared with the audience until he came to a section in his presentation meant to communicate the value of have perspective. It wasn't about just having "a" perspective but more about the idea that perspective is an important leadership characteristic for individuals and corporations alike.

He started by making the odd statement "I love cows" - this got everyone's attention and we all waited for the "why" to follow suit. He said that cows were not the most attractive animal or perhaps the animal you might think of first, but indeed there was lots to love. What was the reason he loves cows? He said "I loves cows because they are made of steak, and hamburgers, and cheese, and gum, and butter"...you get the idea.

We all laughed and the room seemed to revive but almost immediately everyone realized that there was a deeper truth here. As business people and leaders we typically make decisions and arrive at opinions with limited information on a topic and often a preconceived idea of a subject. His point , which is obvious and perhaps even adolescent in it's approach, is that there is value in making sure you have explored all the opportunities offered to you when looking to make a key decision or when confronted with a new idea.

Since then I have told this story to people around the world and use it often as a means to get them to see why the "normal" outsourcing scenarios may not be the best route for them to take.

Perspective really is a core attribute of every successful organization.

Too many benefits to ignore

Our inaugural post (and now for something entirely different)...by alexadamopoulos

Like all great service models, offshore outsourcing continues to evolve and customers are demanding more from it. As someone who has been on both sides of the outsourcing arena, buyer and supplier, the demand for complex skills, faster time-to-market and software that actually works are only some of the key business drivers that today's outsourcing executive has in mind.

Other "top of mind" thoughts are where to outsource. Industry analysts, the press and colleagues are talking about Eastern Europe and Russia as the next big geo from where we'll get the best and most competitive outsourcing services. Of course I'm biased to Russia, but let's talk about the reason why companies need to, at a minimum, explore Russia as a viable option if not the best solution for their software development needs. Remember, we're not talking "call centers" or IT services and support, but rather advanced software development that encompasses the latest technologies and development methodologies that only a handful of companies are truly leveraging.

In terms of benefits there are several to consider:

1. Proximity - most people in the U.S. and even EMEA don't realize that St. Petersburg is only a 3.5 hour flight from London's Heathrow airport. Eastern European countries are even closer, so what does that mean?
   • Time zones nearly overlap so development teams and clients are able to communicate and address topics throughout the same day without lag times
   • Client teams can visit their development team more frequently and be better integrated in the development process
2. Stability - here is a little known fact unless you've experienced it first hand - the average attrition rate on projects outsourced to India is between 35% - 45%. This continues to be a huge issue for companies since the ability to keep the original teams intact is constantly at risk. Russia's attrition rate is 8% and StarSoft's is less than 6%. This is an obvious benefit since companies can look at their development team more like employees than consultants
3. Skills & Expertise - on average Russia has 40% more scientists per capita than Germany. Each year there are thousands of engineers coming out of university with the latest skills to tackle complex projects. Additionally, companies like StarSoft have become global leaders in using Agile development methodologies, i.e. distributed scrum and xp. These facts are compelling for companies that need to catch up and leverage advanced software development
4. Cultural Alignment - with the close proximity to Europe, Russia is more aligned to the West than the other nations known for outsourcing. English is a primary language and the culture differences are small. This makes for a better team approach.

Ok, these are some excellent points to consider but there are many more. As a supplier I am adamant about the level of quality, skills and know-how we bring to clients around the globe. As a former buyer of these services I know the value that is created when the time is taken to consider all the facts. You can find anyone to do software development for ridiculous prices at the expense of the real need - getting the software you want on time, in budget and having it exceed customer expectations.

As I've always said about many situations in life; think it through...

StarSoft Announces Partnership With Direct Tech, Inc.

Nov 13, 2006

Cambridge, MA: November 13, 2006 - StarSoft Development Labs, the premier software outsourcing service provider with development centers in Russia and Eastern Europe, today announced a new partnership with Direct Tech Inc., the leading developer of software used to improve marketing, merchandising and inventory management for organizations that market through e-commerce, catalog, and retail sales channels.

StarSoft and Direct Tech have successfully completed their first joint Agile software development project. This collaborative development effort resulted in a comprehensive reporting tool integrated into the entire suite of Direct Tech's products, including Forecast 21 inventory management tool, Merchandise Assortment Planning, and Open to Buy budgeting software. This wide-ranging line of software is used to drastically improve supply chain execution in merchandise assortment planning, inventory management and purchasing, and demand planning, as well as retail allocation and replenishment. The newly developed Dynamic Reporting System (DRS) encompasses a number of report creation capabilities such as active filtering of columns, dynamic column selection and summarization, information sorting, and grouping and adjustment, allowing for dynamic reporting by the end-users.

"We wanted to ensure that our software had the most comprehensive and flexible active reporting capabilities built directly into the product, without the need for an additional third-party program," said Craig Harding, President of Direct Tech. "We chose StarSoft as our development partner based on its strong reputation as a high quality provider, its experience with Agile processes, and its impressive track record with other ISVs".

The companies used an Agile development methodology called Scrum for the implementation of this project by the geographically distributed team. "We are very satisfied with the initial outcome," said Ray Goodman, Vice President of Technology at Direct Tech. "Due to constant synchronization achieved by daily Scrum calls, we were able to collaborate efficiently, eventually completing the project on time and with desired quality".

The DRS project signals the launch of an ongoing relationship for the two companies, with a number of development projects in the pipeline for the near future.

"We are excited to continue working with Direct Tech Inc., and look forward to a dynamic long-term relationship", said Peter Vaihansky, StarSoft's Vice President of Marketing. "With our combination of Agile techniques and strong CMMI-based process discipline, we are particularly well suited to support software and service providers like Direct Tech in their critical product development efforts".

About Direct Tech Inc.:
Direct Tech, Inc. (www.direct-tech.com) is the leading developer of inventory management software used to improve marketing, merchandising and inventory management for organizations that market through e-commerce, catalog, and retail sales channels. Direct Tech's clients include Hickory Farms, Fingerhut, Oriental Trading Company, Hammacher Schlemmer, Sundance Catalog, Plow & Hearth, Swiss Colony, The Home Depot, and others.

For more information, please contact:
Stephanie Rubino, 617-475-1574
Val Rimer, 617-475-1575
March Communications
starsoft@marchpr.com

StarSoft Appoints It Services Industry Veteran Alex Adamopoulos As Senior Vice President

Nov 7, 2006

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.: November 7, 2006 - StarSoft Development Labs, the fastest growing software outsourcing service provider in Russia and Eastern Europe, today announced the appointment of IT services industry veteran Alex Adamopoulos as Senior Vice President. Adamopoulos will spearhead the company's global business development and strategy, focusing on building and streamlining sales efforts in the North American and EMEA regions. He will be based in StarSoft's headquarter offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Adamopoulos has over 17 years of industry experience in professional and IT services, successfully advising and consulting with a combination of Fortune 1000 and startup organizations to shape their business model for further expansion and growth.

"Alex brings to StarSoft extensive international and industry-leading IT services sales expertise coupled with technology and industry know-how, said Nick Puntikov, CEO of StarSoft Development Labs. "Alex understands how to effectively advise clients on critical technology and services investment decisions. At this turning point in our company's history, he will be a key player on our executive team, helping us cultivate new business opportunities and leverage the capacity we have built in our offshore development centers in both St. Petersburg and Kazan in Russia as well as Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine."

"I see a lot of opportunity for companies to tap into the software development brainpower available in Eastern Europe, and particularly in Russia, where the market is really opening up," said Alex Adamopoulos. "StarSoft occupies a unique position in this market. For me, it is thrilling to join StarSoft now since the company has built up unrivalled outsourcing management expertise over 15 years. They have access to the best industry talent and a commitment to exploiting new, highly productive Agile development methodologies that dramatically improve software quality and time-to-market on mission-critical enterprise software projects for companies large and small."

Prior to StarSoft, Adamopoulos previously served as Director, Global Services at EMC Corporation where he was primarily responsible for expanding EMC's global professional services strategy by implementing standards, engagement and delivery models and by playing a key role in the sales effort.

Alex's Bio

Alex Adamopoulos
General Manager & Senior Vice President, Exigen Services

Alex Adamopoulos is the General Manager & Senior Vice President for Exigen Services. As a key member of the executive team he is focused on the company’s global business development and strategy.

Alex brings over 18 years of successful industry experience in professional and IT services. Prior to Exigen Services, Alex put his experience to use in advising and consulting a combination of Fortune 1000 and startup organizations in shaping their business model for further expansion and growth.

Alex previously served as Director, Global Services at EMC Corporation where he was primarily responsible for building out the global professional services strategy by implementing standards, engagement and delivery models and by playing a key role in the sales effort. Alex brings extensive general management experience from leading start-up and turnaround businesses in the IT sector to global operations in a multi-billion dollar corporation.

Alex brings extensive international and industry-leading IT services expertise coupled with technology and industry know-how, which continue to be key ingredients in advising clients on critical technology and services investment decisions.

About Us

Since 1991 StarSoft Development Labs has been one of the leading offshore software outsourcing providers in Russia and Eastern/Central Europe.

We deliver high value in software development engagements though the combination of deep business knowledge, excellent technical skills, a proven client engagement process, innovative development methodologies, and an experienced executive team firmly committed to client satisfaction.

Named "A Company to Watch" by CIO Magazine and recognized as one of the Top 3 Russian offshore development providers by eWEEK, StarSoft offers consulting services, onsite work and offshore / nearshore delivery for clients in North American and EMEA.

Our client list is extensive ranging from the Global 1000 to early and expansion stage companies that require rapid application development services with high commitment to quality. StarSoft's commitment to Agile Development has set us apart as a leader in the space. Numerous articles, endorsements and case studies continue to demonstrate our breadth and depth in Agile Development  services, consulting and training. There are many outsourcing firms today that claim to have deep Agile skills but only StarSoft can make the claim that this is a corporate wide culture and approach to delivering successful projects for clients that exceed expectations.

We welcome your inquiry and the opportunity to communicate our value and expertise in working with your organization.

Sincerely,

Alex Adamopoulos
Senior Vice President