Computerworld Patrick Thibodeau News

A stinky onion blooms in the Senate, say H-1B critics

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:02:00 GMT

With the H-1B fight over and lost, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) lashed out, almost flailing in the minutes before the Senate Judiciary Committee's final vote Tuesday.

Storms test Red Cross' Tornado app

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:34:00 GMT

The Red Cross is using apps to help warn people about potential weather calamities. One of its more popular efforts is its new Tornado app.

Skill shortages? Not if you pay or train

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:24:00 GMT

Companies in search of workers with the most sought-after IT skills may be better off investing in training programs for current workers than hiring new employees, according to IDC

If you can't find a seat at Starbucks, blame IT

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:23:00 GMT

Unless you're a Yahoo employee, theres a very good chance you are working from home or at a coffee shop at least part of the week, according to Forrester Research.

Software developer wages fall 2% as workforce expands

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:15:00 GMT

The U.S. tech industry added nearly 64,000 software-related jobs last year, but as the workforce expanded, the average size of workers' paychecks declined by nearly 2%.

H-1B politics shifts to backroom as vote nears

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:22:00 GMT

High-tech industry's leading advocate in the immigration bill fight, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), has bought himself some time, perhaps until Tuesday, to try get the immigration bill changed to the liking of the tech industry.

Senators begin contentious H-1B battle

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:00:00 GMT

The Senate Judiciary Committee rejected the idea on Tuesday of requiring all H-1B employers to make a "good faith" effort in hiring U.S. workers before taking on an H-1b worker.

Tech may sink immigration bill if unhappy, Sen. Hatch warns

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Tue, 14 May 2013 19:09:00 GMT

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday began debate on more than 300 amendments to the comprehensive immigration bill, including a number of changes to sections on H-1B visas.

Desktop chips zip past 4GHz; next stop 5GHz?

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:21:00 GMT

Mobility has all but eclipsed speed and anything else as the capability garnering the most attention in desktop processors.

There's an app for that: Avoiding the ugliest business problems

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:00:00 GMT

Kindergarten rules for living well can get you in trouble in the corporate world. Now, there is an app for business complications of the worst type.

An H-1B jobs database the tech industry may hate

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:00:00 GMT

The intent of the comprehensive immigration bill's H-1B database is to improve the odds that a U.S. worker will be hired over a foreign one. But its effectiveness may depend on fuzzy concepts, such as 'good faith hiring efforts,' and enforcement. This is where the real legislative battle may be fought.

U.S. IT services providers heartened by Senate immigration bill

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 06 May 2013 10:00:00 GMT

Domestic IT services providers say the U.S. Senate's immigration bill could benefit them by raising the costs of their competitors that are based overseas.

What IBM's x86 exit may mean for rivals

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:16:00 GMT

IBM's reported interest in selling parts of its x86 server business to Lenovo may bring major changes to the global market.

U.S. firms say H-1B restrictions may help them

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:01:00 GMT

An IT support services company in Iowa said the U.S. Senate's comprehensive immigration bill, which seeks restrictions on the use of H-1B and L-1 workers, may help U.S. companies because it would raise costs on offshore IT service providers.

Senate's big immigration bill seeks to crack down on offshore outsourcing

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:07:00 GMT

The U.S. Senate's comprehensive immigration bill would make major changes to the H-1B visa that are certain to upset some and possibly please others.

Senate immigration bill may push back on globalization

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 19:21:00 GMT

The long-awaited U.S. Senate comprehensive immigration bill, which could arrive in Congress on Tuesday, will likely contain provisions onerous to offshore outsourcing firms that are dependent on H-1B visas.

Three reasons why Facebook's Zuckerberg will succeed in D.C.

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 19:04:00 GMT

For some reason, Silicon Valley's titans are encouraging Mark Zuckerberg to lead the charge on immigration visas. It's an odd choice.

Obama R&D spending plan doesn't beat inflation

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:45:00 GMT

President Barack Obama's federal budget, released Wednesday, calls for increases in federal research and development spending. The overall spending increase, though shows a decline when adjusted for inflation.

IT manager hiring, unemployment rates rise

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:00:00 GMT

There are more IT managers working today than two years ago, but their unemployment rate is rising as well. It's a paradox of government data, but there are theories for the apparent discrepancy.

Google Play speeds up instant gratification

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 20:15:00 GMT

Google has released what it calls a 'fresh look' for Google Play, with a goal of making a purchase quick and easy.

Unemployment rate for electrical engineers soars

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 17:08:00 GMT

The unemployment rate for people at the heart of many tech innovations, electrical engineers, rose sharply in the first quarter of this year. The reasons for this spike aren't clear, but the IEEE-USA says the increase is alarming

U.S. gets 124,000 H-1B petitions, 45% above cap

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 21:10:00 GMT

The federal government received 124,000 petitions for H-1B visas, 39,000 more than it can fulfill under two hiring caps.

Should universities offer Cobol classes?

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:06:00 GMT

At universities today, Cobol is often taught as an elective, and even then it's likely offered at less than one in four schools. There are strong opinions about whether that is the right approach.

DHS shifts to cloud, agile development

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:00:00 GMT

In a bid to improve its IT operations, the Department of Homeland Security has adopted agile development and is implementing cloud-based platforms.

With H-1B cap exceeded, visa lottery will be needed

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 20:10:00 GMT

The government's H-1B visa caps have already been reached, meaning a lottery will be needed to distribute visas, federal officials said late today.

Games and diversions dominate mobile app use

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 19:33:00 GMT

The average person in the U.S. spends 2 hours and 38 minutes a day on smartphones and tablets.

U.S. gets flood of H-1B petitions on first day

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 16:00:00 GMT

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services received roughly 50,000 'packages' with H-1B petitions on Monday, the first day of filing for the next fiscal year.

Electrical engineer takes on the job of IT security head

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:07:00 GMT

Pepco, a large utility that serves Washington DC and the surrounding area, is in the political bullseye. Its customers include many members of Congress so a security breach that hurts service would get noticed.

Cloud platform OpenStack got its start at NASA

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:00:00 GMT

OpenStack gained some momentum when IBM decided to use it as the foundation of its cloud services, but the three-year-old technology may not have experienced its rapid rise without NASA. Insider (registration required)

Sandberg's book prompts discussion on dearth of women in IT

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:00:00 GMT

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg's belief that the women's revolution has 'stalled' and that 'men still run the world' may hold true in IT.

Computer science enrollments rise 29% in 2011-12

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:00:00 GMT

The number of new undergraduate computer science majors at Ph.D.-granting U.S. universities rose by more than 29% last year, an increase that the Computing Research Association called 'astonishing.'

Emerging tech keeps cities running

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:00:00 GMT

Boston residents are using city-provided apps to improve municipal operations, and South Bend, Ind., is using sensors to detect sewer problems.

Plan to hike H-1B cap to 300,000 seen dead; 130,000 cap still possible

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:04:00 GMT

The U.S. Senate's comprehensive immigration bill is expected to include an H-1B cap hike and higher fees aimed at offshore outsourcers.

Are there 60 votes in the Senate for online sales taxes?

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 21:26:00 GMT

The U.S. Senate is expected this week to take up a non-binding amendment to test support for online sales tax collections.

Foreign OPT students work long hours for low pay, says professor

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 19:13:00 GMT

Foreign students in the federal Optional Practical Training (OPT) program often work long hours and for much less pay than their U.S. counterparts, according to Karen Panetta, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Tufts University.

Lawmakers hear from CEO opponents of H-1Bs

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:53:00 GMT

In a closed door meeting this week on Capitol Hill, lawmakers and staff took the H-1B visa debate in a different direction. They invited the heads of U.S.-based IT services companies, competing directly with offshore outsourcing providers, for a frank discussion away from the public eye.

Facebook's Sandberg stirs debate among women in IT

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 10:01:00 GMT

Sheryl Sandberg's belief that the women's revolution has 'stalled' and that 'men still run the world' may be true for the tech industry. Women are rejecting IT as a career.

Foreign students now a majority in computer science grad schools

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:25:00 GMT

The majority of students in computer science department graduate programs are from overseas, and that percentage is rising, according to data from the Computing Research Association.

Security concerns bedevil Chinese outsourcing

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:00:00 GMT

China's plan to create a competitive outsourcing industry was hit with another blow last month with the release of a report that lay bare, in ways never seen before, the extent of the security risks of working in the country.

Computer science enrollments soared last year, rising 30%

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 21:36:00 GMT

The number of new undergraduate computer science majors at Ph.D.-granting U.S. universities rose by more than 29% last year, an increase that the Computing Research Association called 'astonishing.'

Cloud computing's big debt to NASA

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 11:00:00 GMT

IBM's decision this week to base its cloud services on OpenStack may help establish this open source platform as the standard in enterprises.

Sensors lead to burst of tech creativity in government

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 20:22:00 GMT

At the IBM Pulse conference here this week City of Boston CIO Bill Oates showed off a new city-made app that piqued the interest of attendees like Gary Gilot, an engineer who heads the public works board in South Bend, Ind.

IDC says tech spending will grow by 6% this year, the same rate as 2012

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 21:00:00 GMT

IDC is predicting a growth rate of 6% in IT spending in the U.S. this year, an amount that's virtually unchanged from last year.

H-1B visas used by firm to create low-cost workforce, U.S. alleges

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 18:18:00 GMT

A Texas IT services firm has been indicted by federal authorities for using H-1B visa workers to create an inexpensive 'as needed' labor force.

HP halfway through restructuring, 15K layoffs to go

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 20:01:00 GMT

HP has reached the halfway point in its restructuring, with 15,000 employees left to cut to meet its layoff target by the end of next year, according to CEO Meg Whitman.

Dell Latitude 10 gets some attitude with 20-hour battery, fingerprint reader

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:24:00 GMT

Dell has bolstered security features on its Latitude 10 tablet and offers an extended life battery, all in the hope these add-ons will appeal to large institutional users like the government, healthcare operations and the financial services industry.

Dell promises to focus on enterprise after buyout

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:00:00 GMT

There are still many unknowns about how going private will affect Dell and its customers, but company executives insist that the vendor will continue to pursue its latest enterprise strategy. Insider (registration required)

Obama touts IBM-backed tech education program

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:00:00 GMT

In his recent State of the Union address, President Barack Obama had nice things to say about tech vendors, specifically drawing attention to a unique IT education program backed by IBM.

Top users of H-1B visas are offshore outsourcers, Computerworld study finds

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:00:00 GMT

The biggest users of H-1B visas are offshore outsourcers, many based in India, or U.S.-based companies whose employees are mostly located overseas, according to government data obtained and analyzed by Computerworld.

Premier 100 IT Leader: Malcolm Jackson

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:00:00 GMT

This IT leader uses his background in marketing to help sell business partners on new IT projects, such as shared services.