Q. is a career as a network technician/administrator a good option or is this computer career being outsourced? Are there jobs available in this field? And is it potential to become independent contractor?
A. I have a CIS Computer Information Systems degree and work as a Systems Administrator. I'm going to try to describe outsourcing and off-shoring and give you some definitions and some ideas as to how this could impact you. These two terms are often used interchangeably but they are different.
Outsourcing = Hiring another company to handle specific IT services.
Off-Shoring = Sending work to another country where a reduced pay scale allows savings.
First, let me discuss outsourcing. Outsourcing is not unique to IT work. This is being done in a lot of job sectors - not just in IT. Everything from food services to janitorial services is being hit by this. Some companies will outsource all IT services and others will retain some of the work and cover that with internal employees. Sometimes Computing Security, Networking, Storage, among others, are the types of work that will continue to be done by company employees. What kinds of work could be outsourced? Servers, Desktops, Programming, Help Desk, Computer Technicians, etc.
In Outsourcing you would be hired by a service company like IBM, CSC or others and then those companies sell a list of services to the actual company that wants the work done. In these cases you are actually employed and paid by the outsource vendor and are not really an employee of the company where you work. Unfortunately, this is becoming more common as companies try to cut expenses for IT services. Some companies have gone down the outsourcing route and discovered it has problems and lots of them. They have tried to in-source some of the services that they previously outsourced.
The obvious question is how an outsourcing vendor can do the same services cheaper than employees of the company. The answer is that the outsourcing vendor will try to do the work with fewer employees who are being paid less and closely define the scope of activities. Where an employee administered 50 servers the outsourced staff will be given 300 servers each (just a fictitious example). Usually companies will discover needed services that they forgot to include in the contract and the outsourcing vendor will be glad to provide those - at an extra charge.
You will hear various scenarios on how a company transitions to Outsourcing. Usually what proceeds outsourcing is an effort by management to determine what jobs they have that are easily mapped to a list of specific tasks. Sometimes management will even send out a survey to employees to have them describe the work they are doing. Then they will go to an outsourcing vendor and give them the list of what they need done to replace the targeted employee category. The actual transition will go down in one of two different ways from here:
#1 The nasty way - You go into work and your boss tells a number of you that your jobs are now being handled by another company and your services are no longer needed and you are being laid off.
#2 The less painful nasty way - You go to work and the boss tells a number of you that your jobs are now being handled by another company and you are being laid off. However he also tells you the outsourcing company is hiring many of the former employees and you can go over there and apply for your old job back with them. You may be offered less pay and less benefits. This has the advantage to you of at least having hope of a job. The advantage to the employer is that they will have at least some continuity.
So the good news is this - if you get caught up in outsourcing you may still have hope a job but just be working for a outsource vendor.
Off-Shoring
Programming (Computer Science)has been one of the areas that has been hit by off-shoring because it is possible to develop software specifications and then send them to developers or a development company in another country where workers will work for much less than we can in the US, UK or Canada. Other potential Off-Shoring candidates may be Help Desk activities.
Computer Networking and Administration can't easily be off-shored because it requires local onsite staff. So people involved in the IT Administration sector are more immune from getting off-shored in that line of work.
Best Wishes!
Outsourcing = Hiring another company to handle specific IT services.
Off-Shoring = Sending work to another country where a reduced pay scale allows savings.
First, let me discuss outsourcing. Outsourcing is not unique to IT work. This is being done in a lot of job sectors - not just in IT. Everything from food services to janitorial services is being hit by this. Some companies will outsource all IT services and others will retain some of the work and cover that with internal employees. Sometimes Computing Security, Networking, Storage, among others, are the types of work that will continue to be done by company employees. What kinds of work could be outsourced? Servers, Desktops, Programming, Help Desk, Computer Technicians, etc.
In Outsourcing you would be hired by a service company like IBM, CSC or others and then those companies sell a list of services to the actual company that wants the work done. In these cases you are actually employed and paid by the outsource vendor and are not really an employee of the company where you work. Unfortunately, this is becoming more common as companies try to cut expenses for IT services. Some companies have gone down the outsourcing route and discovered it has problems and lots of them. They have tried to in-source some of the services that they previously outsourced.
The obvious question is how an outsourcing vendor can do the same services cheaper than employees of the company. The answer is that the outsourcing vendor will try to do the work with fewer employees who are being paid less and closely define the scope of activities. Where an employee administered 50 servers the outsourced staff will be given 300 servers each (just a fictitious example). Usually companies will discover needed services that they forgot to include in the contract and the outsourcing vendor will be glad to provide those - at an extra charge.
You will hear various scenarios on how a company transitions to Outsourcing. Usually what proceeds outsourcing is an effort by management to determine what jobs they have that are easily mapped to a list of specific tasks. Sometimes management will even send out a survey to employees to have them describe the work they are doing. Then they will go to an outsourcing vendor and give them the list of what they need done to replace the targeted employee category. The actual transition will go down in one of two different ways from here:
#1 The nasty way - You go into work and your boss tells a number of you that your jobs are now being handled by another company and your services are no longer needed and you are being laid off.
#2 The less painful nasty way - You go to work and the boss tells a number of you that your jobs are now being handled by another company and you are being laid off. However he also tells you the outsourcing company is hiring many of the former employees and you can go over there and apply for your old job back with them. You may be offered less pay and less benefits. This has the advantage to you of at least having hope of a job. The advantage to the employer is that they will have at least some continuity.
So the good news is this - if you get caught up in outsourcing you may still have hope a job but just be working for a outsource vendor.
Off-Shoring
Programming (Computer Science)has been one of the areas that has been hit by off-shoring because it is possible to develop software specifications and then send them to developers or a development company in another country where workers will work for much less than we can in the US, UK or Canada. Other potential Off-Shoring candidates may be Help Desk activities.
Computer Networking and Administration can't easily be off-shored because it requires local onsite staff. So people involved in the IT Administration sector are more immune from getting off-shored in that line of work.
Best Wishes!
can linksys router work with netgear expander?
Q. i have a linksys router and i own a linksys expander which btw sucks honestly
im wondering if i can use the
Netgear 54Mbps Wall-Plugged Wireless Range Extender Kit
instead it would be more helpful i think any thoughts? would the router reconize netgear products?
im wondering if i can use the
Netgear 54Mbps Wall-Plugged Wireless Range Extender Kit
instead it would be more helpful i think any thoughts? would the router reconize netgear products?
A. I theory, each device doesn't care what brands are connected to it - it just processes packets (routes them based on a configured rule set).
In practice, the quality of the devices can make a big difference.
Servers: IBM
Workstations: These days, hp/Compaq
Laptops: IBM (not Lenovo) Thinkpads
Routers/Firewalls: Cisco (enterprise), Linksys Netgear (SOHO)
Switches: 3COM, hp (enterprise), Netgear (SOHO)
Printers: hp (however, only high capacity, networked laserjets, I hate desk model printers with a passion)
Batteries: APC
In my opinion, the one thing Dell has going for them is they give you CD/DVD media with shipment rather than recovery partitions and software. I don't want all the bloatware - I want a clean install which means the bloat ware wasn't just removed, it was never there to begin with.
In my experience, proven hardware (and software) is better than cutting edge... at least if you are trying to get something done and have to answer for the reliability of your choices. I don't like bleeding edge stuff - though I thank the brave for working out the kinks before I make an investment.
Yes, they are more expensive... but as the adage goes, you get what you pay for.
In practice, the quality of the devices can make a big difference.
Servers: IBM
Workstations: These days, hp/Compaq
Laptops: IBM (not Lenovo) Thinkpads
Routers/Firewalls: Cisco (enterprise), Linksys Netgear (SOHO)
Switches: 3COM, hp (enterprise), Netgear (SOHO)
Printers: hp (however, only high capacity, networked laserjets, I hate desk model printers with a passion)
Batteries: APC
In my opinion, the one thing Dell has going for them is they give you CD/DVD media with shipment rather than recovery partitions and software. I don't want all the bloatware - I want a clean install which means the bloat ware wasn't just removed, it was never there to begin with.
In my experience, proven hardware (and software) is better than cutting edge... at least if you are trying to get something done and have to answer for the reliability of your choices. I don't like bleeding edge stuff - though I thank the brave for working out the kinks before I make an investment.
Yes, they are more expensive... but as the adage goes, you get what you pay for.
Your opinion: Should I buy a Moniter or Upgrade from a Dimension 3100?
Q. I currently have $107 right now and theres this widescreen lcd on Newegg for $105, should I buy the moniter or Upgrade from old pc?
A. neither save your money and get a better one in a few weeks!
i saved and now i have 4 lovely 28's sitting on my desk
Richard
Certifications:
MCSE (microsoft technician)
CSSA (Sonicwall technician)
Dell, HP, Gateway, Acer, Lenovo/IBM, PowerSpec certified technician
Helpful Programs:
(all these programs are 100% free lifetime programs, if your asked to pay for it you clicked the wrong link)
CCLEANER
(http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/)
DISK DEFRAG and REGISTRY DEFRAG
(http://www.auslogics.com/en/software)
Feel free to also get System Information! Its very helpful.
AVG FREE
(http://www.download.com/AVG-Anti-Virus-Free-Edition/3000-2239_4-10320142.html?part=dl-AVGAntiVir&subj=dl&tag=button)
SPYBOT
(http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/Spybot_Search_and_Destroy/1043809773/1) (make sure you take the one with the check mark)
AD-AWARE
(http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-2008/3000-8022_4-10045910.html?part=dl-ad-aware&subj=dl&tag=top5&cdlPid=10903602)
i saved and now i have 4 lovely 28's sitting on my desk
Richard
Certifications:
MCSE (microsoft technician)
CSSA (Sonicwall technician)
Dell, HP, Gateway, Acer, Lenovo/IBM, PowerSpec certified technician
Helpful Programs:
(all these programs are 100% free lifetime programs, if your asked to pay for it you clicked the wrong link)
CCLEANER
(http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/)
DISK DEFRAG and REGISTRY DEFRAG
(http://www.auslogics.com/en/software)
Feel free to also get System Information! Its very helpful.
AVG FREE
(http://www.download.com/AVG-Anti-Virus-Free-Edition/3000-2239_4-10320142.html?part=dl-AVGAntiVir&subj=dl&tag=button)
SPYBOT
(http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/Spybot_Search_and_Destroy/1043809773/1) (make sure you take the one with the check mark)
AD-AWARE
(http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-2008/3000-8022_4-10045910.html?part=dl-ad-aware&subj=dl&tag=top5&cdlPid=10903602)
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