It’s 2010. Do you know where your staff is? Most likely, scattered across the globe. In a somewhat scary look at the future of IT in the United States, CIO magazine’s December 2003 issue posits two different scenarios for technology — one where the U.S. retains its dominance and the other where, as the magazine bluntly puts it, “Americans need not apply.” Regardless of which point of view you endorse, it’s hard to argue with the numbers. CIO cites statistics from consulting firm NeoIT: A programmer with two to three years of experience earns $7,500 a year in India and $10,000 in Russia, compared to $65,000 stateside.
Voices Carry Voice recognition technology is one of the hottest things around, but it isn’t cheap. Here’s what you’ll need to pay, according to warehousing guru Kenneth Ackerman of K.B. Ackerman Company:
- $4,500 per order selector
- $30,000 for bridging software
- $20,000 plus $3,000 for each 40,000 sq. ft.
- RF installation (if necessary)
- $30,000 to $100,000 for training and implementation