"...Esther Dyson vs Bill Campbell Bet $5,000: Russia will be leader in software development in 10 years "Russia right now is a world leader in unexploited mathematical/logical talent and creativity. My bet is essentially that it will learn to exploit this talent, and that the country will become known for it. Currently, Russia's programmers are beginning to recognize their own capabilities and, being smart and creative, they will no doubt figure out how to organize their marketplace better, putting in place not just software firms but training centers, education loans and the like. I expect them to be recognized as leaders not so much for financial muscle, but as the community to go to when you want creative solutions to tough programming problems. In a world becoming more realtime, optimized and quantified, the Russian talent for algorithms will shine. (Full disclosure: As an investor/advisor to several Russian start-ups, I am trying hard to make this scenario come true!) My final hope is that these successful and fulfilled Russia programmers will be part of a flourishing civil society, which is why I want my bet to go to the Eurasia Foundation or its successor organization..."
www.longbets.org
ST. PETERSBURG This city has earned a number of nicknames in its 300-year history - Venice of the North, the Northern Palmir and Russia's Cultural Capital. Now St. Petersburg has joined the growing list of places trying to add a "Silicon Valley" nickname.
www.iht.com
"...Offshore outsourcing in computer programming is at the vanguard of the new high tech international economy. Firms of all sizes are beginning to utilize foreign programming firms to meet their IT needs. This trend is largely in response to the widespread and costly shortage of programmers in the west. However, many western firms note the flexibility and speed to market advantages afforded by going abroad. John Tuder, CEO of Internet start-up Videos.com, questioned "Why spend months searching for a second-rate U.S. programmer when you can instantly find a first-rate one overseas at half the cost?"..."
www.informationweek.com
"...By focusing on developing cutting edge technologies, US programmers are falling behind in terms of productivity. That is why it makes sense for many firms to outsource their basic coding needs to offshore firms and keep the groundbreaking work in house..."
www.businessweek.com
"...The shortage of H1-B visas allowing foreign computer programmers to immigrate to the U.S. and the existing shortage of programmers in the west has forced many companies who had never considered offshore programming to look for overseas programming companies..."
www.informationweek.com
"...A team that built supercomputers for the Soviet military in the Cold War has reportedly designed a chip that promises to be more powerful than anything the West can muster. But the company is too broke to build it. Led by Boris Babaian, the so-called "Father of Soviet Supercomputing," the engineers at Russia's Elbrus International have designed a chip that bears a resemblance to Intel's and Hewlett Packard's next-generation Merced processor. But this design would outperform that processor by a factor of three..."
www.wired.com
"...Three scientists, including one Russian, are sharing this year's Nobel Physics prize. The prestigious award went to men who paved the way for computer and communications technologies. Russia's Zhores Alferov of the Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute in St Petersburg and Herbert Kroemer of the University of California share half the prize for developing semiconductors with practical uses from cellphones to barcode readers..."
www.allnews.ru
"...Near the summer palace of Peter the Great, young men filter in and out of a cramped computer lab for cigarette breaks in the stairwell on the second floor of the department of mathematics and mechanics at St. Petersburg State University..."
www.chronicle.com
"...Intel, recognizing the cost advantages in Russia and the strength of the countries programmers, announced it would open a new programming facility in Nizhny Novgorod. The Palo Alto based chipmaker hopes ultimately to hire 500 programmers to support its operations. Intel management cited the strength of the Russian education system in science and mathematics as justification for the move..."
www.themoscowtimes.com
"...A team of university students from St. Petersburg proved once again that Russian programmers are true world-beaters. In an international competition sponsored by tech industry giant IBM, the St. Petersburg team beat out a total of 2,400 international teams from esteemed institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and California Institute of Technology..."
www.themoscowtimes.com
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