Archive for August, 2009

Show your location using Google Latitude!

Monday, August 31st, 2009

Now you can show your location to the best friends via Google Latitude! The service Google Mobile Maps introduced a new feature called Google Latitude. It gives the opportunity to indicate user’s location and show it to selected contacts via mobile phone (using the GPS). You may be know this flashing blue dot on the map, which shows your location, wherever you are. In other words Google Latitude gives you the opportunity to “share” this blue dot with anyone you want.

Google Latitude is a mobile application (supporting such platforms as Windows Mobile, iPhone, Android and BlackBerry). You can install it by downloading via mobile browser at google.com/latitude. Using it, you will always know where your friends and family are, also you can call them directly from this application, send instant messages or emails. Each contact added in your profile will be marked as an icon or avatar on the map; it will have the same look in the contact list (like in Twitter).

Do not want to shine your location? So you can “hide” from unwanted contacts (choose “hide from this friend” in properties of each contact). You can even enter your fake location. So it’s so easily to control the degree of your privacy.

Google Latitude is available for users of Blackberry, Windows Mobile Smartphones, iPhones, Android-devices and Nokia S60 in 27 countries.

Making your best IT-projects with offshore dedicated team in Belarus

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

The company starting any IT-project with outsourcing faces a list of questions connected with profit, possible losses, risks and opportunities. But nevertheless a lot of companies all over the world prefer to work with offshore dedicated teams. Why? Such cooperation allows them to take priority of different benefits. They can:

- reduce costs;

- concentrate on core business;

- improve the quality of service;

- increase share value;

- use the experience of third-party companies / teams;

- increase profits;

- etc.

Belarusian IT companies are ready to share their secrets of remote collaboration with other European and American companies. Barys Mamonenka, CEO and founder of the EleganceIT company, told us about the main fears of his foreign partners and the main advantages of his software development team that made them change their mind.

The 1st fear: Belarus is on the other continent / so far from my country. May this geographical distance become an obstacle for the future work?

The answer proved in practice: Not at all, modern communications allows being constantly in touch. It makes no difference, where the company is situated: in the building across the street or on the other continent / country.

The 2nd fear: I will have to monitor the process in order to ensure that the work will be done with high quality and in time, isn’t that so?

The answer proved in practice: You should not be frightened by possible loss of control over the development process working with offshore dedicated team. Good project management, continuous exchange of information and gradual work according to the plan – that is the solution of the problem.

The 3rd fear: I’m worried about the fact that I have to share my trade secrets with outsourcing company. It’s hard to imagine what difficulties can arise in case of leakage of confidential information!

The answer proved in practice: Of course, all the companies think about this risk. That’s why it is so important to choose the right IT partner, to work with reliable companies only, cooperating with professionals whose reputation raises no doubt.

The 4th fear: How to overcome language barrier and how much time will I spend on explaining developers my demands?

The answer proved in practice: Companies working with dedicated teams in Belarus were pleasantly surprised that they hadn’t to face these problems. Specialists in EleganceIT speak English fluently, and they can help their partners with the preparation of documentation for the project.

The 5th fear: Building successful communication is not enough to speak the same language. We must also be in our offices at the same time. How is it possible living in different time zones?

The answer proved in practice: EleganceIT clients are grateful to the dedicated team for their good communication skills and readiness to change the work schedule.

So thinking about the pros and cons of cooperation with offshore dedicated teams, take into account the considerable quantity of successful IT-project that was done with the help of Belarusian companies. It shows high effectiveness of this choice. The gained experience became the key factor of flourishing offshore IT business in this county.