Understanding Scalability

On Friday, I had an interesting meeting at NZTE's offices in Tauranga. The discussion focused on HBI Software and its outsourcing role in Bangalore.

One of the greatest challenges most NZ ICT businesses face is that of scalability. This is partly down to the shortage of skilled software engineers and partly down to the limited size of the domestic market.

More on the outcome of Friday's discussions shortly, but the ability to outsource certain back office functions and IT development work is not one that many NZ businesses have addressed. In part, this is down to a lack of an obvious entry point. Where do you begin to look for offshore partners?

It's a question that I hope HBI will assist answer in both the medium and the longer term. Global engagement of this type is essential if NZ ICT businesses are to seiously grow their business. I do understand the SaaS model, but in terms of the broader IT space, offshoring part of your work process should be considered an essential element of a business model.