Blind Men and the Elephant: Demystifying the Global IT Services Industry [Paperback]

Was Rahman (Author), Priya Kurien (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0761936203 | ISBN-13: 978-0761936206 | Publication Date: September 10, 2007

In just a few decades since its birth, the global IT industry has grown to a trillion dollars. It continues to transform society and business, as perhaps no other industry has, and yet remains one of the least understood industries in the world. Behind the facade of geekiness and technophobia lies a set of organizations that are routinely given the power to fundamentally reshape many facets of our lives, and in the process create lucrative sources of financial rewards for those investing in it. This book explains what consultants and IT Services firms do. It examines the industry s surprisingly captivating history, and in doing so, explains why the industry does things the way it does and what motivates the different players within it. The book tries to answers basic questions such as: Why is it that those fundamentally affected by the industry have little idea about how this industry has managed to have such a hard-hitting impact globally? How has this industry managed to reach the unique statues it enjoys around the world today, with literally millions from all corners of the world aspiring to enter it? What is it about this industry that has caused it to evolve so differently as compared to other fields? Perhaps most importantly, where could it, and the rest of us, go next? Drawing vivid comparisons from everyday life and other industries, this book makes complex concepts accessible to the general reader, giving them for the first time an in-depth insight into the IT industry, how it works, how it affects all of us, and where it is likely to catapult us in this century. Written in a lucid style by renowned IT professionals, this book is a must read not only for management and engineering students, IT professionals, managers, and technocrats, but also for anyone keen to have the mysteries of the computer age unraveled.

Editorial Reviews

Review

`The book is easy to read, entertaining and informative. A useful, easy to read book, for people looking to move from working in the IT Services industry to working on the industry. As your role moves from providing the service to managing those that provide the service, this book challenges you think about where you want to guide those teams to' - Maria DiGregorio, General Manager, Telstra Corporation Limited

`The subject is very interesting and you use some great examples to illustrate your points' - Morgan Hurwitz, Global IT Manager, Shell International

`A one-of-a-kind book that demystifies a 'common' industry for just about anyone in, outside or influenced by IT. An IT encyclopedia that is a must-have at least for its sheer wealth of trivia. For those people that feel they have lost time by being away from the industry on a sabbatical of any sort, this book can be the key to making a strong and confident comeback' - Nivedita Chandrasekhar, Application and Architecture Developer, Credit Suisse Readership

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Sage Publications Pvt. Ltd (September 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761936203
• ISBN-13: 978-0761936206
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,821,970 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Straightalk on Global IT Services, September 14, 2008

By 

R. Shankar "shikarishambu" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Blind Men and the Elephant: Demystifying the Global IT Services Industry (Paperback)

A very clear, concise, and easy-to-read book that lays out the origins, current state and the challenges facing Global IT services. This book is a must read for people who buy IT services, sell IT services, deliver IT services and also for those who have more than a passing interest in Global IT. The authors present an unbiased view of the industry, how the different parties involved have created the successes (some accidental), the challenges, and some future scenarios (four-seeable futures), without introducing the reader to new jargon. In the process the authors pepper the book with industry trivia, some more welcome (origin of IBM) than others (full name of FIAT, the auto company). They do a great job of presenting the realized value and the larger unrealized potential of IT services transforming businesses. The authors certainly deliver what they set to achieve (as outlined in "About this book"). There are many takeaways from this book that some may call "common sense." And, that would be a shame because it is not that common.

I wish the authors had spent a little more time on how the different parties involved in Global IT services have contributed to the challenges and the unrealized potential. I also think it would have been better if the authors had expanded/ shown preference for at least one or two of the four future scenarios they layout even though they clearly say they are not out to predict the future. In addition, areas like software-as-service and vertical specific products could have benefited from more discussion.

Overall, `Blind Men and the Elephant: Demystifying the Global IT Services Industry' is a great introduction for anyone interested in Global IT services or entering it as a participant and a good summary for all those who are in it.