Succeeding with External Alliances: Applying Tested Tools to the New Environment

If you are in the Portland area on Wed. March 18th:
Join Guest Speaker Dr. Ron Khormaei of Logitech as he presents…
Succeeding with External Alliances: Applying Tested Tools to the New Environment


This event will provide technology managers with a fresh look at the external alliances as a tool to succeed in a
challenging economy.
Date: April 22, 2009.
5:30 P.M. Registration table opens
5:30 - 6:00 P.M. Food and networking
6:00 – 7:30 P.M. Presentation and Q & A
Speaker: Dr. Ron Khormaei, Director of Engineering for the Audio Business
Electrical group, Logitech.
Location: 2828 SW Corbett Ave., Portland, OR 97201 SW Meade and SW Corbett

RSVP Required. Register on-line: http://www.ieee-oregon.org right sidebar under Technology Management Chapter
http://www.ieee-oregon.org/index.php?option=com_events&task=view_detail&agid=70&year=2009&month=03&day=25&Itemid=56
Contact: Chris Dennis, Registration Volunteer, 503-285-6034, chris@steaming-kettle.com,

Abstract:
This is clearly a challenging, uncharted economic and business environment. In such an environment, successful organizations focus on their core competencies, to not only survive, but to emerge as even stronger players in the market. This success requires improving and fine-tuning existing tools.
Outsourcing and establishing effective partnerships are such critical tools when used with offshoring, but now can be applied effectively to re-tool organizations big or small.
Leveraging external design and development capabilities is important to both established companies as well as the fresh start-ups during economically uncertain times. Larger operations rely more on the flexible commitments to “preserve capital,” while individual entrepreneurs rely on specific niche capabilities to adjust to the impact of wide-spread “right sizing.”

This talk will cover the elements for a successful alliance, and provide the framework for the audience to apply the concepts to their own specific circumstance. A clear definition and set of expectations for different models (like EMS, CDM, and ODM) is commonly overlooked, but forms the important foundation to a strong relationship. The types of relationships, structure, subtle pitfalls, and measures of
success are discussed during this talk.

About the Speaker:
Dr. Ron Khormaei is the Director of Engineering managing the Audio Business Electrical group at Logitech. Before joining Logitech in Vancouver, WA, he was Director of Engineering at Hewlett-Packard’s OEM Printer Division managing a global engineering team of over 100 and multiple external design partners. He started his career at Planar Systems in Beaverton, Oregon, leading development of advanced displays. Since 1995, he has held various management roles in HP and has led technology developments resulting in over 15 products. He has a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering in Solid State Electronics from Oregon State University, and has led multidisciplinary programs in display systems, IC and printer development areas. Dr. Khormaei has established and led multiple successful external consortiums as well as global university and industry partnerships.

The Technology management Chapter of IEEE is being sponsored by Portland State Business Accelerator. The PSBA is part of Portland State University to promote and incubate start-up technology companies in the Metro area. The PSBA primarily focuses on the industry clusters of Green Tech & Sustainability, IT & Software, and Biotech/Bioscience.
Companies locating at the PSBA gain affordable space for offices and labs and a range of support services to help speed each company's time to market. http://www.psba.pdx.edu/

Tighter U.S. Oversight Comes to H-1B Visa Program

As federal officers raid alleged abusers, tech employers worry they'll run short of skilled foreign workers, especially in stimulus sectors
By Moira Herbst

As the unemployment rate in the U.S. rises, the federal government is tightening its oversight of a controversial visa program that allows companies to bring in skilled workers from overseas. The crackdown is aimed at reducing alleged abuses of what are known as H-1B visas, but it may also make it more difficult for U.S. companies to hire talented workers from abroad. Tech giants such as Microsoft (MSFT), Oracle (ORCL), and IBM (IBM) have been active participants in the program and have lobbied for its expansion.
The H-1B visa program was originally designed to let American companies fill high-skill positions for which no local workers were available. But critics say the program has had such lax oversight that it has been open to abuse and fraud. In several cases, companies have been charged with underpaying workers they bring to the U.S. In addition, outsourcing firms have become some of the heaviest users of the program, raising concerns that visas are being used to train foreign workers who end up taking American jobs. Late last month the government disclosed that the top four recipients of the work visas in 2008 were all Indian outsourcers—Infosys Technologies (INFY), Wipro (WIT), Satyam (SAY), and Tata Consultancy (TCS.BO). The companies use the visas to bring employees from abroad to work in their U.S. operations, typically for two or three years.
Increased oversight of the program is likely to come on several fronts. The Labor Dept. is tightening its review of applications for the work visas, having staffers process requests manually for the first time. Meanwhile, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) is more actively investigating companies that receive the visas for potential misuse. Last month, USCIS and the U.S. Attorney's office in Iowa cooperated on a six-state raid of companies allegedly abusing the program. Matthew Whitaker, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, says the resulting 10-count indictment against a New Jersey-based company called Vision Systems Group is just "the tip of the iceberg." Vision Systems did not return calls seeking comment.
Congress Could Act
Senators Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), two of the program's vocal critics, are pressing for legislative reform as well. They plan to introduce legislation by early April that would require employers to pledge they had attempted to hire American workers before applying for H-1B visas—a step not required under current law. "I want to make sure that every employer searches to make sure there is no American available to do the job," says Grassley.
American tech companies are wary of any reforms. Microsoft, the top U.S. recipient of H-1Bs in 2008, says the Durbin-Grassley plan risks making it more difficult to recruit talented workers to the U.S. and more likely companies will hire abroad. The company says expansion of the program will bring in skilled immigrants who will help the U.S. economy recover. Still, Microsoft says it supports government efforts to crack down on companies misusing the existing program and has met with USCIS to help develop methods to detect fraud. "We are supportive of steps to reform the H-1B visa system to eliminate the potential for abuse," says Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith.
The government will begin accepting applications for this year's H-1Bs on Apr. 1. In recent years, the 65,000 visas permitted annually have been scooped up in days. Robert Hoffman, spokesman for the tech lobbying group Compete America, says it's important the government not clamp down too much because skilled workers will be needed in green tech, health care, and other sectors that are targeted for expansion in the stimulus plan. "We're trying to create industries where none exist," he says. "That may create an added need for workers."
Herbst is a reporter for BusinessWeek in New York.