By Alex Polezhaev
I recently posted a question to LinkedIn Answers trying to figure out what makes people outsource to Russia if there exist cheaper options in India and Pakistan.
I got 27 answers, all different, and majority was quite detailed. I selected 4 most popular answers why outsourcing to Russia is worth it.
1. Education.
The Russian education system that has its roots in Soviet Union is still one of the best in the world. Especially when we speak about math, physics and other exact sciences. Programming often requires solving non-typical problems and creative approach to abstract tasks – things that are developed very well in the heads of recent CS and Math graduates of Russian universities.
2. Culture.
Although Russia belongs both to Europe and Asia, mentality of its people is more European. So is the way to do business. I don’t want to sound nationalist or underestimate values of Eastern civilization, but it appears to be easier for Europeans to establish relationships with Russia-based partners than with people living in purely Asian environment. Answerers also noted Russian dedication and orientation to result.
3. Time zone.
Respondents pointed that Russia is quite close to Europe, thus time zone difference is less than with Asia. However, don’t forget that Russia is not just Moscow and St. Petersburg. For example, we are at Novosibirsk and almost in the same time zone with New Deli. One can benefit from this as well, enabling a “follow-the-sun” approach where one would have application developers from 3 – 5 timezones spanning the globe.
4. Weather.
Funny enough but two people said weather is a factor for better productivity. Not only brain works better when it’s cold, but also long winters make developers stay in front of their computers instead of going to a beach.
The full thread is located at http://www.linkedin.com/answers/international/offshoring-outsourcing/INT_OFO/116631-4827274