While many people view a computer only as a way to increase their
efficiency, I have gone one step further and have decided to become an IT
professional that creates the applications that foster productivity.
However, in this endeavor, I am intrigued and, at the same time, troubled
by the advancements in grid computing and outsourcing and their impact on
the demand for my services in the United States. Yet, as I will reveal, I
am optimistic that even with the best applied SDLC techniques, project
realities will make on-site IT staff a reality. In fact, I predict a
decline in the current outsourcing fervor over time and will continue my
During the class we discussed much of the efficiency gains of multiple
processing. But, I feel that we just touched the surface of its potential.
Computer clustering involves the use of multiple hardware, typically
personal computers (PCs) or UNIX workstations, storage devices, and
redundant interconnections, to form what appears to users as a single
integrated system. It has already fulfilled its promise for improving
parallel processing, batch processing, load balancing and high
availability. In the future, grid computing is emerging as a form of
distributed and large-scale cluster computing. Grid computing adds
detailed scheduling, high levels of service and distributed control
(Douglas, 2002). This makes it easier to share, select and aggregate
geographically distributed resources for a truly virtualized computing
On top of virtualized computing resource available, the Internet and
increased bandwidth has already made it possible for a programmer to reside
in any remote location in the world. And, communication via phone VPNs is
cheap. It may first appear that there's little reason to turn to higher-
priced U.S. IT staff. Estimates of IT project failure rates range from 40
to 70 percent (Hierl). The major causes
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