CEO Minute: Pervasive Software's David Sikora

Question #1: David, you have stated very eloquently that by outsourcing software engineering jobs to India that we will in tern create more, higher-paying jobs within the US, citing that "IT jobs created by outsourcing is expected to create 317,000 jobs in 2008." Can you tell us what types of jobs we'll see within IT that are a direct outcome of overseas outsourcing?

Question #2: In your experience with offshore development, can you tell us how you have assured against the potential pitfalls of efficiency (getting bi-continental teams on the same page) and software quality (lack of adequate testing, inexperienced developers, etc.)?

Question #3: While arguing for outsourcing, you have strongly suggested that the practice is absolutely imperative, that if companies do not adopt such practices that they may not succeed. Can you tell us, from your experience, what conditions in the industry have made this so for your company for others as well?

Question #4: When you consider the two emerging models of software development, open source and outsourcing, how do you think they'll interact over the coming years? Will outsourcing and open source remain very different approaches to development adopted by very different companies?