Naash Kaum A (non) report!

Recently, I attended the most famous IT industry event in India. I dont want
to name it because I have not been paid for the publicity that will be generated
by my sheer association with the event.

The event lasted three days and two nights, not exactly in that order.
Technocrats from all over the world discussed, debated, agreed, argued,
networkedthrough all forms of media, social or anti-social, and disappeared
with a promise to meet again next year. Here is what I heard and learned at the
event:

All iz well: In true 3 Idiots fashion, this was the key message from
the event. Everyone seemed upbeat, and the techies seemed to rub their keyboards
with glee. All of them wanted to talk of double digit growth, but continued to
say that we need to be cautiousand therefore kept losing a digit.

Cloud is all over us: The cloud word has a dark connotation, but in
the bizarre world of IT, cloud is apparently a good thing. It surely won the
buzzword of the conference award. Everyone spoke about it and the talk remained
as fluffy and airy as a cloud. No one knows whether this cloud will rain or not,
but everyone seemed ready with a bucket.

We will need new skills that we cannot define: Reflecting how most of
the IT requirements are defined, the industry demanded that it needs skills, but
will not be able to define them. Classic techies took revenge on the education
system. After all, if we can produce an IT system without clear requirements,
cant the education system do the same?

Recession was good: All those who were at the event agreed unanimously
that the recession was a good thing. It made the industry more efficient. Those
who lost their jobs, were anyway not present at this event, and therefore,
couldnt present alternative points of view.

Collaboration will be the key: All of us will work together. Cross
countries, cross sectors, cross organizations. What exactly will we work upon is
not yet known. But then, thats not the point. Workers dont ask questions and
managers dont work. Everyone will be happy and collaborated.

Social media will boom: People will spend more and more time on
Facebook. Other body parts will feel neglected and human bodies will run the
risk of revolt. Tweets will grow and we will bask in the knowledge of what our
third cousins step brothers friends family intends to have in the lunch.
Following each other will become acceptable and will no more be considered a
criminal offense.

Time and material will disappear: I have never understood this anyway.
I can understand the time part, but not sure of what material refers to in the
industry. In any case, more and more contracts will now be fixed price. The
industry will arrive at fix price by putting a premium on T&M and will make more
profits. Clients will be happy because, after all, they would have successfully
killed T&M.

Industry will move towards specialization: Imagine, whatever we
achieved till now was through generalization. We will now specialize, grow core
competency in our back gardens, mix it with a couple of tablespoon of business
skills and will provide client focussed solutionsa recipe never attempted
before.

Satyam will never happen again: Corporate governance will take center
stage. Industry will develop software to track additional zeros pretending to
roam around aimlessly in the balance sheets, especially if they are suspiciously
out of place. Cant guarantee Shivam or Sundaram though.

Long live the IT Kaum. Nass-Comically yours,Tech Rancho

Manish Khandelwal,

PA Consulting Group, London

maildqindia@cybermedia.co.in