One year PG Diploma in Intellectual Property Rights Law - NLSIU

Before I begin this post, this is my mantra since the last few years when I have been exposed to this: I have a fondness for IP creation or Intellectual Property creation and this blog probably stands testimony to that fact! Which better place than to study IPR law from India’s topmost institute - National law school of India University (NLSIU).

I have written about this earlier too: http://ecofin.wordpress.com/2007/05/17/captive-product-units/

Procured my new DELL Notebook - the Vostro 1200 (mini notebook)

I finally received my DELL Vostro in 7-days flat since ordering it last Friday. I am a true DELL fan and as you would find on earlier posts have read up every book and article on DELL’s strategy of Direct sales to consumers/businesses and the Direct model. I admire Michael DELL’s guts to take on the established players such as IBM, Lenovo, HP etc. who used to go through distribution channels. All my systems on the last 3 years have been DELL branded - my DELL Inspiron 6000 that I bought from Texas in 2005, my DELL Vostro desktop that I bought in 2007 or my latest acquisition - my DELL Vostro 1200 mini notebook!

Some macro economic predictions for 2008

Here’s a caveat: I fully understand economic predictions are foolhardy and its a bunch of crap since it is not something that can be predicted. Famous investors such as billionnaire Warren Buffett etc. also share the same viewpoints about economic predictions not being practical due to the changing dynamics of economies worldwide!

I still choose to defy this and some of my predictions for 2008 are as follows. Do not worry - I will not try to state the obvious and this is a result of some tad bit of analytical analysis thrown in for it to have some meaning.

Blogging guidelines - my two cents

What are the important factors one needs to consider before one begins to blog:

1. First, get over this obsession of Google adsense. 99/100 bloggers I meet first think of making a quick buck on adsense rather than focus on quality of their blogs and its relevance towards the topic(s) chosen! This is really very disturbing statistics.

IT products / impact on the Indian offshoring industry of the impending US recession

Its been talked about for a long time now. The US recession sounds imminent. With the high profile exit of Citi CEO, Charles Prince and a couple of others and the US housing bubble caused by the sub prime defaults - President Bush’s sops notwithstanding, the recession odds have now been raised to 50-50.

Mercer study - IT Pay around the world - 2007

One of the reasons I attribute to India being on the lower end of the salary spectrum is because we are not an innovative economy. We prefer doing things like BPO, KPO, backoffice stuff for others and while it is bringing in  FDI and encouraging FII’s, I don’t see it is a growth engine going forward. We are primarily a service based economy - we need to change that mindset - thats first priority. Services constitute 50% of our GDP and Agriculture is a measly 4 or 5%. Our share in world trade is a measly 0.5%. We should stop gloating about India shining etc. - its really not shining as brightly as the other growing economies - look at China - for starters - people who have been there tell me they are a decade ahead of us in every respect.

http://www.himalmag.com/2003/december/analysis.htm

I heard about a $1.2 billion deal for TCS - no use. Unless we build and create IP that is here to stay, we are doomed. Else, it will be an all too familiar saga such as the Yoga, Basmati rice patents with someone else taking credit for our work.

Interesting read:

http://www.mercer.com/pressrelease/details.jhtml?idContent=1284940

Research reports to come shortly - aka McKinseyQuarterly style

All our research reports would be in PDF format and we are going to do comprehensive consulting analysis for our readers on myriad topics especially on the business sectors.

All research reports would be made available at http://www.acc101.com

Watch that space for more.

High value IT consulting - 12 keys to a thriving practice

I have just started reading this book now. Lets see how it is different from IT products. Will post a detailed review once done.

http://www.amazon.com/High-Value-Consulting-Keys-Thriving-Practice/dp/0072226250

Will Infosys acquire Capgemini

Yesterday at the dinner table at Tandoor - a posh restaurant on MG Road, this rather interesting topic sprung up at our dinner table conversation.

I stayed mum giving non-commital responses as I myself wasn’t sure if it was ever going to happen.

Out of curiosity, I wanted to examine if there is any merit in this acquisition and I don’t make any attempt at fuelling further speculations. I am merely expressing my freedom of thought and expression in an analytical perspective. My analysis will be filled with numbers - First of all, I am no M&A expert and will be trying my hand at something new here and secondly, I am an MBA (wildcard characters pun not intended!) and cannot speak casually about number driven things like these - I need to put figures to analysis reports so it makes sense else why have this blog in the first place? Let me look at their annual reports and compare notes with people working at both organizations before commenting on this interesting development - even if it was just a rumour.

Watch this space for more as they unfold.

Direct from DELL

Courtesy of Dell Inc.

http://www.amazon.com/Direct-Dell-Chairman-Executive-Corporation/dp/0887309143 

I am currently reading up on the book - Direct from DELL written by none other than the legendary founder of DELL Computer Corporation (NASD: DELL).