Auckland Calling

I am spending today in Auckland with John Beer. It is our only trip this week to the City of Sails.

This says less about Auckland and more about how much we can now achieve in Tauranga. Most or our key partners are based in the Bay of Plenty. Some still choose not too. So Auckland it is and meetings with Microsoft NZ and UK T&I are set.

NZ Government goes Global

NZ Economic Development Minister Trevor Mallard announced yesterday that the Government is scrapping some grants aimed at attracting foreign investors and will instead boost support for local firms keen to partly move offshore.

New Zealand, he said, needed to dramatically boost its companies' strategic linkages and investments in other countries if the export sector was to grow at a faster rate.

This is a pretty courageous move in my view, but one that is right. I have blogged many times before on the need for NZ business to engage more in the global economy, as opposed to just focus on 'exports'. The fact that the Government now appears to be proposing some concrete (let's see the detail first) proposals to help NZ business do this can only be positive.

Bloomfield Road Heroics

With work tending to overwhelm everything else at the moment, it was good to catch up with Blackpool FC's start to the 2007 - 2008 season last night.

The 'Seasiders' were promoted last season to the English 'Championship' division. Many pundits favourites to be relegated, the 'Pool have actually managed to perform beyond expectation in the first few games.

Even though Bloomfield Road is 12,000 miles from Tauranga, checking out the Seasider's results is a weekly ritual. For a 'fan's view, I check out the Blackpool page on Rivals.net. For 'Live' Scoring, I check out the Live Vidprinter on the BBC.

China Calling

OK - so you recognise the guy on the left - that's John.

But what about the guy on the right? No? I will reveal all soon..........

Welcome to NZ, John

Hong Kong Airport

I had planned to meet John Beer, my UK Pingar partner at Tauranga Airport this morning. Air New Zealand had other ideas.

The text arrived in the early hours. The Air NZ flight from Hong Kong to Auckland had been delayed by 10 hours. Fortunately, Cathay Pacific had a spare seat on their next flight to Auckland so the delay was reduced to just 3 hours. I now plan to meet John at 14.45.

We have set up a good agenda for the next seven days. Perhaps the key aspect of the visit will be the refinement of the Pingar Business Plan as we integrate various aspects which have emerged since our last meet-up in Dubai in early April.

What the last three months have provided are substantial new global opportunities for the Pingar Platform. I expect to blog about these in the coming weeks. For the coming days, I will talk about events closer to home.

Postscript: Air New Zealand released its 2007 Annual Report this morning: Air New Zealand Expects To Continue To Improve Performance.

Arresting TV Advertising Decline

Given my interest in different advertising mediums, a short take on declining TV advertising revenues in New Zealand.

I rarely watch movies or drama on NZ television. This has nothing to do with the quality of the programme. It has everything to do with the quantity of advertising. The last 30 minutes of each programme is worst. The constant breaks totally destroy any continuity or climax build-up.

It makes me appreciate the TV license I used to pay in the UK. I guess I cannot be the only ex-Pom now living in NZ who reflects back on the ad-free BBC programming schedule with regret. Thank god for video and DVDs.

Facebook Gets Personal

The Wall Street Journal ran an interesting story on Friday. Facebook are planning to create an advertising model based on their user's personal profiles.

I read the same story on the Techcrunch blog over the weekend. This is not new thinking. We have been adopting this model for over one year now. Welcome to the World of Pingar!

Targeting personal profiles works. Pingar is based on this online advertising model because it makes sense to both advertisers and content owners. Personal privacy is assured by providing advertisers with a range of generic demographic details, not personal information. This model matches most advertisers existing marketing strategy. It maps campaign against demographic profile.

It's the way to go.

Ten Years Ago Today

Mains Hall - Singleton

10 year's ago, Jacqui and I got married.

So today it's time to reflect and time to celebrate. No email, no Internet and no more blogging. Today, it's just time for us.

Outsourcing to HBI Software

HBI Software is based in Bangalore. Formed in 2001, they have developed major applications for global clients including The United Nations, Canon Europe and BT.

I now declare an interest. I chair the company.

Recently, we signed up a major development contract for a pivotal New Zealand-based company. We strongly believe we can deliver more. The HBI team are highly experienced with the majority of developers having been with the company since its early days.

The team have recently launched their own blog. You can view it here. Yesterday, they wrote a good first article on the benefits of outsourcing. I hope to see more.

HBI Software has six years experience of offshore / outsourcing engagement. It you want any further information about how outsourcing to HBI Software could help your business, please contact me via my email address here. Or check out their website here. Or do both.

Partnering with Microsoft NZ

I am keen to work more closely with Microsoft NZ.

Smart Analytics is already a Partner with Microsoft UK. In fact we have several partnership accreditations. 'Certified Partner', 'Partner of the Future' and most recently, 'Cross Border Partner'.

Microsoft NZ does not support all these partner models. The focus in Auckland is to provide partner support to assist develop growth within the NZ market. I guess this generates more sales of Microsoft product locally and enables Microsoft NZ hit its sales and revenue targets.

For the majority of partners, this focus is probably justified. For partners looking at developing markets offshore, it is probably less so. That is why both Smart Analytics and Pingar will continue to focus on the Microsoft UK relationship.

We need to be able to leverage Microsoft's global network. Our product is not geographically focused and therefore the partner accreditations offered by Microsft UK benefit our marketing strategy. Long term, Microsoft also benefits.

By introducing our technology to global Microsoft networks, Microsoft can generate more global sales. This might not be reflected in Microsoft UK's revenue model, but will certainly benefit Microsoft Corp. It's a global 'win-win'.

Despite this focus, partnering with Microsoft NZ remains high on the agenda. Our product already features on global 'Office Live" portals. (Check out the 'Office Live' link). We just need to figure out a way of developing a 'win-win' scenario using Microsoft NZ's more geographically-focused model.

Planning An Agenda

John Beer, my UK-based Pingar partner arrives in Tauranga next Tuesday for a one week visit.

The purpose of the visit is to discuss the global launch of the Pingar platform. There is much to discuss.

I have blogged quite a bit about the significant partnerships and relationships Pingar has already developed globally. The focus next week is to engage with NZ-based businesses and organisations that will add value to those partnerships and relationships.

It means that part of today will be spent preparing the agenda for the visit. It will also mean touching base with some old faces: Microsoft and NZTE, amongst others.

Of course, quite a bit of time will be spent refining the existing Business Plan to ensure it maps against current objectives. With John attending important meetings in Hong Kong en route to NZ, our strategy for Asia will be high on the agenda. With the global launch now so close, next week's agenda and meetings will help shape the months to come.

Understanding Markets...or not

It's three weeks since I last commented on how global markets were impacting on Pingar's evolving Business Plan. How times have changed. Then I thought 'sub-prime' was a cheap cut of meat. Now I know better.

Today, battered currency markets are intently watching to see what happens to the New Zealand dollar as a wave of foreign held securities denominated in New Zealand dollars matures. Three weeks ago, the NZ dollar was hovering around 80 US cents a NZ dollar. Today we are back to around the 70 cents mark. In terms of export earnings, that makes a massive difference to the bottom line.

Helen Clark, New Zealand's Prime Minister, said this morning that the NZ economy was a 'cork' floating around in turbulent seas. Exporters, she thought, would today be walking with a 'lighter step' given the weakening NZ dollar and the anticipated positive impact on our competitive position.

Short-term, she is probably right. Longer-term however what any business needs is a stable currency and a stable market. Today, we have neither. The next few hours, days and weeks will reveal the extent of the impact this global crisis has on the NZ economy. In red wine parlance, let's hope it does not become 'corked'.

The Long Weekend

Waiheke Island - Weekend Paradise

Following my meetings in Auckland later today, it is off to Half Moon Bay and then the ferry for Waiheke Island.

Jacqui and I are spending two nights with friends at their weekend bach. No Internet, no mobile, peace. I have spent the past two weekends on flights, to and from India, and the batteries need re-charging.

It is of course back to work on Monday but before then however it is just relaxation, walks and rest.

Bliss!

Working with UK Trade and Investment

In February, Pingar was recognised by UK T&I as being a 'Technology of Enormous Potential'. Accordingly, Pingar became part of UK T&I's Global Entrepreneur Programme.

Tomorrow I am traveling to Auckland to meet up with John Waugh, British Consul General in Auckland and Head of the UK T&I team in New Zealand.

I first demonstrated our technology to John last year. We met at a series of events organised by Austrade at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. The plan now is to discuss ways in which UK T&I can assist Pingar develop both its research and its marketing activities in the UK.

UKT&I provide a valuable service to NZ companies wishing to do business in the UK. UKT&I also enjoys a good relationship with NZTE making the opportunity even greater. I would strongly recommend any NZ ICT company wishing to expand into the UK to make contact with John and his team. I am confident that tomorrow's meeting will make our own entry into the UK market that much smarter. So can you.

Focusing on Pingar

In two week's, John Beer, my UK-based Pingar partner will arrive in New Zealand.

We plan to spend a week meeting potential partners and introducing the Pingar platform to a key group of stakeholders. The build up to this meeting has been a long time coming.

It started with engaging both New Zealand Trade & Investment (NZTE) and UK Trade & Investment (UKT&I) back in 2006. Since then, John and I have either separately, or together, visited the United States, the UAE, India, Australia, Hong Kong, Taipei and Singapore for specific Pingar focused events. The momentum has built.

During John's visit, we plan to consolidate this build-up by signing off Pingar's medium to long term Business Plan. Over the next few months, more and more of this blog will be focused around the execution of this Plan and the impact that has on the global role out of Pingar.

It has taken over two years to build the platform. It is now time to focus on its commercialisation. The next few months will define a critical period in this process. It all starts now.

Future of Media Report 2007

Steve Clayton has once again come up with the goods. This time he provides a link that looks at the changing landscapes of both new and old media. This is very relevant for the development and launch of the Pingar platform.

The Future of Media Report 2007 provides a good insight into current trends indicating the growing importance and significance of the 'new', with statistics to match. You can download a copy of the Report for free from the link above.

Introducing the HBI Software Blog

Over the past 10 days, I have blogged fairly extensively about my experience of HBI Software and the visit to Bangalore last week.

From today, you can begin to learn more about HBI Software directly. The team there have established their own Blog. You can access it here.

Early days yet, but expect the content to grow daily. You will learn more about the team, their daily work and their daily lives. The blog is designed to provide a Bangalore take on the issues that make this City and its ICT sector tick.

Enjoy.

Bangalore Reflections from the Deck

- a dusk view of the Kaimai's taken from home deck -

That was some journey. I left Bangalore at 23.15 on Friday and arrived back home in Tauranga at 17.00 on Sunday. That's a lot of flight and transit time, but it gave me an opportunity to reflect on my 5 days in India. What were the three key memories?

1. The immense contribution, organisation and input of HBI Software. Once again, I brought a new major project to HBI and the management team immediately understood both its scope and its execution. That is a critical factor in the success of any offshored project - a complete confidence that the management team can deliver without the need for constant interference. With HBI, that confidence is total.

2. The energy and optimism of Bangalore itself once again inspired. This is a city where the focus on IT and innovation is entrenched. The confidence it, and much of India now generates, is contagious. Despite being much less well developed than NZ in many respects, there is a dynamism and optimism that I rarely find in much of New Zealand. Bangalore, once again, truly inspired.

3. The impact that coordinated 'long-term' Government and private sector planning has had at creating such a dynamic global IT cluster is clear. I will discuss this in more detail in future blogs since there are lessons I believe we can learn in NZ. What the success of Bangalore as an IT and BPO outsourcing destination demonstrates is that a long-term coordinated public - private sector strategy of infrastructure, investment and fiscal policy can work.

It is good to be back in Tauranga, but the memories I have brought back with me will continue to inspire as I face up to the inevitable challenges most of the ICT sector in NZ experience back home. Those challenges are real and collectively, they need to be met.

Au Revoir Bangalore

The bags are packed and it is time to go.

The whole HBI Software team are joining me for a final meal at their favourite 'Chicken Restaurant', Eden Park. No, that is not a joke. That really is the name!

And then it's off to Bangalore Airport. I have resisted the temptation to mention the airport in this blog, but finally I give way. The best, and probably only thing I can say about it, is that the new Bangalore International Airport is scheduled to open in April 2008. Until then............it's the converted aircraft hanger that doubles up as an airport for the next 9 months.

So it's Au Revoir Bangalore. It's been a great week.

I will provide some of my reflections on the week when I get back to Tauranga on Monday.

Outsourcing to HBI Software

As I prepare to leave Bangalore, a shameless plug for HBI Software.

The company was formed in 2001 and many of the team have been with HBI for over five years now. In terms of Bangalore, this is remarkable loyalty. And they are.

They have produced great work and major applications for clients including The United Nations, Canon Europe and British Telecom. They have created the Smart Analytics portal, now integrated into Microsoft Office 2007 portals and Pingar.

The team is Microsoft Accredited and has a deep understanding of Microsoft Technologies. If you would like to take advantage of the team's great skills and learn more about how successful outsourcing can help your business, do not hesitate to contact me at peter@whc.co.nz

Bangalore is 'Global'

It's hard to fully describe how significant Bangalore is as a 'global' player until you have spent some time here.

There are seven new IT companies a week being registered. Hundreds of thousands of designers, developers and engineers work in the software space.

Later this month, Bangalore has some interesting visitors. Craig R. Barrett, Chairman on Intel; John Chambers, Chairman and CEO of Cisco, and Pekka Kallasvuo, President and CEO of Nokia Corportaion.

For New Zealand companies wanting to engage with the global ICT community, Bangalore really is a great place to start. If you want any information about how to connect, you can contact me in Tauranga. My email address is: peter@whc.co.nz

Bangalore - Day 5

This is my last day in Bangalore. Tonight, I will be flying out to Singapore, before heading back to New Zealand.

There are two key tasks today.

The first is that this is 'Vendors Day'. That's the day that I meet regular HBI Software suppliers such as the landlords for our two offices. Based on our internal discussions this week, we have planned for our future resourcing needs and these will be cemented today.

The second task is what we might called the 'Wrap-up Day'. This is to firm up that the whole team know the priorities for the next few weeks and months and that due process has been established.

And then it's home.....before anyone mentions the cricket!

Traveling by AUTO

There is only one way to see Bangalore. The photograph above is the first I ever took in the City. I could have taken similar photgraphs many times since. It is taken from the back of my favourite three wheel vehicle - The Auto.

Bangalore has over 90,000 Auto's. They are the prefered mode of transport for millions of people. They are everywhere you go.

Blogs cannot capture the sights, sounds and smells of a City. If this Auto could talk though, you would get the lot. They are part of this City's make-up. Long live The Auto!

Accommodation in Bangalore - Update

Adios hotel with no hot water.

Adios hotel with sky-rocket prices.

I have just returned from my Serviced Apartment mission. It was right under my nose!

Just 200 metres away from our offices lies Shilton Suites. Modern, with every facility you would possibly need, and at a fraction of your typical Bangalore business hotel. Saving at least US$500 a week over the hotel with no hot water, that was one hour well spent.

There is another reason for the saving. Hotels in Banaglore have two room rack rates. For Indian nationals it is in rupees, for non-Indian nationals it is in US$'s. The US$ rate is significantly higher. By contrast, Serviced Apartments charge a single rupee rate, irrespective of nationality. I say no more.

Moral of the Story: If you are planning to visit and stay in Bangalore, check out the Serviced Apartments first. You will not regret it.

Accommodation in Bangalore

I am about to leave the office to check out a couple of Serviced Apartments for my next visit. It is something I should have done some time ago.

Room rates in Bangalore's main business hotels have sky-rocketed since I first came here in 2001. This morning, the truth was revealed. A study on the Hospitality sector by Indusview Advisors estimated that Bangalore has the world's highest room rents ranging upwards of $US500 a night. This compares with London's rate of US$300 - 450 and Rome's US$140 - 350 per night.

The hotel where I stay charges US$160 a night, plus taxes. No wonder the hot water did not work last night. These prices are not about quality. They are all about supply and demand.

Fortunately, a number of serviced apartments are now being built. Coming in at closer to US$100 per night, they appear to be well situated and well built. I hope the days of ludicrous Bangalore hotel bills are now to become a thing of the past. The next two hours will decide that.

Banking in Bangalore

HSBC, Citibank, ING. The names may be familiar, but that is where it ends. Banking in India is perhaps the biggest difference that will be noticed by offshore investors and foreign locally – owned entities.

It starts with the ‘Terms of Business’ which are significantly more conservative and restrictive than one finds in most banks in the US or Europe. But it is the issue of bank to bank payments to India that perhaps causes the greatest strife.

Where a SWIFT arrangement exists, funds can be transferred by an offshore bank to the beneficiary account in an Indian bank within 2 – 3 days. That's standard. Where no such arrangement exists however (ING Vysaya Bank for example, does not have a SWIFT arrangement for $NZ’s), the transfer can take a very long-time. This is down in part to the fact that the process in India takes on a manual role when the cleared funds hit the receiving bank in India.

On its website, Westpac, state that transfers to India can take between 3 days – 3 weeks! This clearly has issues for both cash flow and fund management. It also poses a bigger question.

Why?

Bangalore - Day 4

After three days of internal discussions on projects and process, today is the day that we will formalise the realignment of some of the Bangalore operations.

This includes merging different elements of the business into a single existing entity rather than duplicating cost and overhead. It also reflects the fact that HBI Software is to become much more focused around product, as opposed to third party outsourced development. The launch of Pingar and other opportunities in New Zealand and the UK make such a re-alignment necessary. So it’s a second meeting with Rajesh of CBS, our accountants, who will formally begin to take the necessary legal steps to evolve this process.

Later, the focus of the office, and much of India, will turn to The Oval and the final test match between India and England. This trip has been a bit of a revelation. The fervour I normally experience from Indian cricket fans (most of the country) is missing. The shock of India’s early departure from the Cricket World Cup in the West Indies still hangs over the nation.

Still, if India do lose, all is not lost. Sania Mirza, the rising star of Indian tennis last night beat Martina Hingis in the East West Bay Classic last night. Anyone for rackets then…………

Hunting the Illusive Kiwi

One of the great things about working in Bangalore is the ability to meet up with great visionaries, both local and global.

One of the best places to meet these software entrepreneurs is in the bars of the few major international hotels. Every time I visit here, I meet up with Brits, Scandinavians, Americans and even the odd Australian. My favourite hunting grounds are The Polo Club at The Oberoi, The Taj West End and The Sheraton.

I have yet to meet an illusive Kiwi however. In this city that turns IT dreams into IT reality, I really hope that the Kiwi here is not as endangered as its feathered cousin back home. And if you are here, give me a call at HBI Software. The Kingfisher is on me.

Recruiting in Bangalore

HBI Software is recruiting!

We are not alone however. The IT industry in Bangalore is on a hiring spree. Firms here are constantly hiring staff in anticipation of future projects, not because of them. It is called recruiting for 'The Bench'.

Essentially, once hired, these new recruits are not given any 'live' project to work on. Instead they are put on training of new skills or are placed on various 'in-house' projects. To put it into perspective, in some large firms, and here that means thousands of developers, not hundreds, up to 50% of all employees are 'On The Bench'.

By investing in this diverse range of skills and by developing this capacity, major Indian IT outsourcing companies such as Wipro, Infosys and TCS have been able to secure very major outsourcing projects from the US, Europe and Australasia.

How different from the NZ experience. It has focused my mind once more - these Bangalore visits always re-energize me - that I need to focus more on recruitment when I get back to Tauranga even if there is not the immediate work in place. Securing great people will make that job much easier.

Bangalore - Day 3

Memo to Self - Avoid the 'cold' milk at breakfast tomorrow.

Yesterday was a full day with a lot of focus on one project. Today, we will be developing our thoughts on this project as well as looking at the Pingar application in more detail.

Tonight, I am out for dinner with the HBI Management Team. It will allow us to discuss the domestic company issues that will drive the business in the coming weeks. It will also give them a chance to lecture me on cricket - and why India will beat England in the upcoming third test at The Oval. Now that will be fun!

The Management!

I said 'Smile' and this is what I got!

Introducing the Management Team at HBI Software. From left to right: Santosh, Rajesh and Aravind.

These guys have been at HBI for over five years now and they make it all happen. It's great for me to know that whilst I am either in NZ or on my travels, that these guys are directing projects and affairs from the offices in Ulsoor Road.

An absolute key requirement in any offshored company is to have a management team that you can rely on in times, both good and bad. We have had our share of both and it is a symbol of their skills and commitment that five years on, the original HBI management team is still here.

Now back to that photo.......

The (Shining) Rising Rupee

Nasscom, the India software industry trade body is meeting in Bangalore this week.

They are concerned about the impact that the high valued rupee is having on the software sector. They are concerned that rivals including China and the Philippines will increasing target India's burgeoning IT sector. It is not only the high valued rupee. Increased wage costs and real estate rents are also increasing the pressure on margins. Infosys, Wipro and other publicly owned companies have all recently reported results reflecting this trend.

A key component in Nasscom's plea to the Indian Government is to retain the Scientific Technical Park of India (STPI) status beyond its planned end date on March 2009. This provides a tax holiday for approved software companies engaged in 100% export focus. Nasscom want to increase this for a further ten years.

Both China and the Philippines are offering similar incentives beyond this date. And this is beginning to attract long-term inward investment. Watch out for Vietnam. They are moving into the same space.

As I sit in the office in Bangalore, I reflect on where NZ sits in all this. I have commented enough on this blog about the importance of NZ ICT companies engaging with the global market. The competition that is currently growing between these Asian giants is likely to further marginalise ICT in NZ from the global market. Listening to Nasscom of all people, complaining about growing offshore competition, is pretty interesting and not a little scary.

Tackling Infrastructure Issues

India is at the moment suffering from its worst monsoon floods for decades. Whilst the focus is on North-East India, flooding is occurring around the country, including both Mangalore and Mysore - both close to Bangalore.

I have been in Bangalore before during extreme flooding. It totally cripples the City and sadly, people are often drowned. This is one very visible aspect of some of Bangalore's chronic infrastructure issues. Poor roading and pavements, inadequate drainage systems and a seemingly endless stream of new rural inhabitants into the City fringes, places immense pressures on the infrastructure that exists.

Both City and State claim to be facing up to these issues. There is no shortage of 'Action Plans'. The local Times of India once said. 'All Plans, No Actions'!

Yet against this background, the IT sector continues to expand at an exponential rate. It employs hundreds of thousands of designers, developers and engineers. Over the next three days, I hope to blog about how HBI Software manages to operate in this testing environment. For despite the challenges, the future for the IT sector in Bangalore remains strong.

Bangalore - Day 2

Having now got over most of the jetlag, the focus today is on the new project Technical Specification and the resourcing requirements. It is good to have a team of experienced managers, (you will meet them later in the week), to make this work.

This exercise will also focus everyone's minds on the priorities for the weeks and months ahead. It is one thing to communicate by email and Skype. It is quite another to actually sit down around the same table and thrash out both the technical and operational details. That's what makes visits such as this so important. They provide a platform to set out the medium term agenda so that everyone associated with both the project and the company becomes engaged in its future.

Bangalore - Day 1

I arrived in Bangalore at 10.00pm last night. The journey from the airport to the hotel was 'interesting'. More about that when I reveal the 'highs and lows' of the week after my return to NZ.

The photograph above is of Sunrise Chambers on Ulsoor Road. It is located in Bangalore's CBD and is situated just off M.G. Road, the City's main thoroughfare. It is home to HBI Software and it is from here that I am blogging now.

This is my first trip back to Bangalore for several months. Today is therefore very much a 'domestic' day, catching up with both the administration and operation issues necessary to manage the business. It also gives me a chance to meet Rajesh, our accountant from CBS. If there is ever a professional you need to engage in Bangalore, it is Rajesh. He is an angel in a pinstripe suit and has been a huge asset to HBI Software in the four years that we have engaged him. If you are ever planning to outsource or locate here, Rajesh is the man. You can email him here right now.

I am also introducing the management team at HBI to a new major development project that we are about to start. Much of the next few days will be spent building the Project Plan and assigning the resources to make it happen. For me, this is 'back to basics'. An opportunity to engage with a brilliant professional team of software engineers and designers who can make the impossible happen. If only they had met that driver last night.

Singapore Sling

It is 5.35pm on Sunday (Singapore time), and I am about to jump on the flight to Bangalore.

The journey is only 3.5 hours, but having flown 10 hours yesterday to get here, it still means my time clock is misfiring. The 20-odd hours in transit in Singapore however have helped.

Waking up this morning, I decided the thought of the 'international breakfast buffet' was just too much. I opted instead for the Kampong Glam Cafe on Bussorah Street. Located off Arab Street, this is set in the heart of Singapore's Middle East enclave. The food was great and the patrons all smiled. It was a good decision.

Lunch was spent at 2 Chinatown, Seafood Restaurant. Do not get me wrong. This is no Harbourside. A cafe / restaurant situated in the centre of Chinatown, it serves as an outlet for several street food stall vendors. It is a great people watching place though. I had been there before with Jacqui. You actually expect someone you know to walk by.

By the time I had arrived back at the hotel, my thoughts had turned to the week ahead. There is so much to do and so little time.

I have time though for one final Singapore Sling before I leave here tonight. Today is the anniversary of my mum's birthday and she would certainly be joining me for a gin if she was here. So this one is for you mum. You are in my thoughts today.

Bangalore - Departing Gate 3

The luggage is packed. The tickets, the India visa and the rupees have all been sorted. I am less than 24 hours from departing for Bangalore.

In the past year, and even more frequently in the past few months, I have been repeatedly asked, "What is ITC outsourcing and Bangalore all about?". Over the next week, I plan to blog from 'IT City' and provide an insight into the daily realities of working out of Bangalore.

I will be based at HBI Software's offices in Ulsoor Road. HBI Software has developed key portals and applications including Pingar, Smart Analytics and The View.

You will meet Santosh, Rajesh and Aravind as well as the rest of the team at HBI. At ground level, you will see Bangalore from the back of an auto, whilst the rooftop restaurant at The Capitol will give you a birds eye view of the City at night.

I will blog about some of the daily operational issues you need to manage and try and identify some of the challenges that you might face should you choose to either outsource or locate there.

Tonight then, it will be farewell to Jacqui and the neighbours in Tauranga. Tomorrow, it is the first leg to Singapore and then Bangalore beyond.

Tauranga CoC BA5

Tauranga Chamber of Commerce is holding its monthly 'Business After 5' tonight, so Jacqui and I will be attending.

The hosts are The Oceansider and The Harboursider, two premier monthly lifestyle magazines that strive to deliver editorial and advertising content that they believe is above and beyond the current standards in the market. Well, that's what it says in the PR.

BA5 events always attract a large crowd of business owners and remains one of the best networking events in the Bay. And with the Texas Smokehouse providing samples of their produce at this event, this is one not to be missed.