Letter: OU should consider quality Indian firm for information system contract
October 9, 2008
To the Editor:
Some years back, I had children who swam. As a result, I got involved in fund-raising for the aquatic center when it came to the acquisition of 10 stainless-steel starting platforms. As you see, the state had purchased 10 platforms for the center already but an additional 10 where required to accommodate the needs of age-group swimming, which includes 50-, 100- and 200-meter events.
When I went and asked how much money it would take, the answer took away my breath. Having raised money to equip the city pool a few years earlier, I had a real good sense of the value involved. I knew that the price that the state paid was more than double the price for which I could get them. The then Ohio swim coach lent me the drawings and one platform to use as a model, and I got the identical platforms fabricated in Pennsylvania for 40 cents on the dollar.
I see where Ohio is estimating a makeover cost of $23 million for our student information system. Fortunately, this is one time that globalization can work to OU’s advantage. A graduate of Ohio University is Ramalinga Raju, who happens to be the founder and CEO of one of the huge IT firms in India, Satyam. Ohio’s CIO, Brice Bible, has already had one discussion with the group. My hope is that the inclusion of Satyam among the bidders can provide substantial help to Ohio in getting a fair price for the work to be done.
Given my experience with the starting platforms from years earlier, it is difficult to tell how much pork could be in any bids for something as opaque as a software installation of the size contemplated. The presence of an India IT firm (which has offices here in America) would bring a discipline to the bidding process and ensure that Ohio gets the best price. It would also be nice to work with an organization whose chief operating officer has publicly declared that his years in Athens in the mid-’70s and the confidence in himself that he took away changed his life forever.
For those who may balk at the idea of contracting with an Indian firm, don’t. Any domestic provider is going to charge domestic rates and then contract or subcontract much of the work offshore. Including Satyam in the mix will serve largely only to eliminate the middleman.
John L. Keifer
Management Systems Department
College of Business
Ohio University
Athens
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