Exploitation or Extreme Need? The Search For Talent Goes Global
by Rohit K. Shukla, larta CEO
High-tech companies have long complained about unfilled demand for technology workers. Congress responded last year by increasing the caps on H-1B visas. There also is an increase in interest by companies across industry sectors in "offshore development". What is going on here?
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Global Impact
The effects of the economic slowdown in the U.S. are everywhere, yet offshore development may prevail as technology companies seek out cost-slashing alternatives without stunting growth.
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Organizational Profile: The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE)
After only seven years since its formation in Silicon Valley, The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) has become one of the most highly effective global non-profit organizations, having helped entrepreneurs generate an estimated $75 billion of new market capitalization. This is probably why TiE has been commonly mistaken as a venture capital firm, and sometimes referred to as the "Indian Mafia" of the technology world.
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Related Articles

The Taj Majhal of outsourcing
India's answer to the tech slowdown is to entice US companies to set up shop there. They've got cheap land, the know-how, and they speak English, too.
Click here for the full article from Wired Online

Immigration's new H-1B process gets mixed reviews
Trying to clear the backlog of pending foreign worker visas, the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) will initiate on July 30 a premium processing service that will charge clients filing H-1B petitions an additional $1,000 to complete the application request in 15 days.
Click here for the full article from IDG

Sad Plight of Fired H-1B Workers
In 2000, tech companies in the United States successfully lobbied for an increase in the cap on the number of H-1B visas granted annually. A few months later -- in the face of mass layoffs -- an increasing number of foreign tech workers are finding themselves out of a job, and either forced by law to return to their homeland within 10 days or become part of a temporary employment phenomenon
Click here for the full article from Wired Online

Dell India Sets Up Customer Center
The Indian subsidiary of Dell Computer Corp. launched a customer support unit on Thursday in Bangalore that will cater to U.S-based clients.
click here for the full article from SiliconIndia

Investment News

Analysts pledge more credibility
Under pressure from investors and regulators who suspect analysts aren't telling the whole ugly truth about companies they cover, Wall Street firms are pledging to beef up measures to make their practices more credible.
Click here for the full article from Mercury News

Technology News

Airline Internet service ready for takeoff
Boeing announced Wednesday a venture with three major airlines to launch a high-speed in-flight Web-surfing service, indicating that the in-flight Internet market is taxiing for takeoff.
Click here for the full article from CNET

Ellison unveils "Holy Grail" database
Software impresario Larry Ellison unveiled "the last database'' at Oracle's Redwood Shores headquarters Thursday, in a performance that celebrated Ellison's zeal for high-tech competition as much as it demonstrated improvements to the company's database technology.
Click here for the full article from Silicon Valley.com

larta's upcoming events

June
larta Venture Salons are exclusive, private, invitation-only showcases for the most promising technology startups in the region that are ripe for investment. Select companies will have the opportunity to present themselves to a small group of premier investors. Each Venture Salon showcases approximately 7 emerging companies that have been carefully screened and mentored in an intensive workshop. Email executive summaries to Stefanie Chao at schao@larta.org.
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July
The Right Stuff, Building Your Management Force:
July 11 in Costa Mesa, July 12 in Santa Monica
It's no secret that good management is what makes any successful company what it is. It distinguishes the "doers" from the "also-rans." But how to attract and manage that talent, often with limited resources, poses one of the toughest challenges for any company. Both investor and entrepreneur perspectives are brought into this workshop, touching on all crucial aspects of high-level recruitment and overall staff management: where the talent is, what is the right talent, creative compensation, employment law issues, and more.
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September
larta will be hosting a Venture Salon for bioscience companies coming this September. We are currently accepting 1-2 page executive summaries for review for the private showcase. Email executive summaries to Stefanie Chao at schao@larta.org.

Special Announcements
June 20: Digital Media Wire "Digital Asia"
larta is proud to be co-sponsor of Digital Asia. This panel of executives, investors and professionals will discuss the latest developments in digital media, with a focus on business opportunities, strategies and ventures being created between the United States and Asia. "There's no question that capabilities and platforms and technologies that are applied here (in the US) will be developed in Asia. To a large degree it's an issue of market timing, and obviously Asia also has tremendous cost advantages as far as the American and European markets are concerned. But in terms of specific products, that's where the devil is, in terms of market timing." - Ravin Agrawal, East West Venture Group.
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For the Schools!
Computer solutions firm, Nemonic recently announced that it will head up a new program to insure donated computers get into Los Angeles Unified School District classrooms. Companies looking to participate by donating PC's can contact Nemonic directly to schedule a pick up. Contact Tony S. Nejad at (800) 237-9191, Fax (310)388-1239 or by email: tony@nemonic.com

Meet, Mix and Mingle:
Highlight of Featured Events
This event bulletin is provided as a service by larta on behalf of various partner organizations and about events vetted and endorsed by larta.

June 16: "Growing Pains: Fundamentals for Companies Experiencing Smart Growth"
larta's sister organization, the San Diego Regional Technology Alliance, presents Growing Pains. This seminar will serve as a critical guide, helping CEOs of early stage companies establish the fundamental practices to grow rapidly and prepare for exit. The two panels, designed to be interactive, will explore the core strategies--and experiences--to help CEOs avoid making critical mistakes and ensure rapid and smart growth. Hear from successful entrepreneurs, investors and service providers of what it takes to experience smart growth. Featuring: Todd Gutschow, Co-founder of HNC Software; Brian Kenner, Cofounder and former CTO of INTERVU, Inc.; Nick Sturiale, Sevin Rosen Fund; and Scott Alderton, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP - just to name a few. 8 a.m. to 12 noon in San Diego.
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June 18: Forum for Women Entrepreneurs Event
The secret to opening doors is keeping them open and knowing where to go and what to do once you walk through them. Structuring and closing a deal involves more than mechanics. Sure, it's about finance, accounting, law and negotiation technique. It's also about understanding people. There is the 'psychology of the deal' and successful closure sometimes requires great patience and resolve. It's all about knowing which doors to open and knowing where to go and what to do once you walk through them. Come learn from those who have been through these doors more than once. Featuring Ann Cole, Mergers & Acquisitions, Broadcom Corporation. From 6-8 p.m. in Newport Beach. Contact Gabrielle at ggdesantis@aol.com or visit www.fwe.org/socal

June 18: Milken Institute Forum, "Health Care Venture Capital in the 21st Century" Presented by Albert Waxman, Founder and Senior Managing Member of Psilos Group, a venture capital firm that focuses on health-care services. Michael Milken, Chairman of the Institute, will introduce Waxman and engage him in a dialogue at 4:30 p.m. at the Milken Institute Conference Center in Santa Monica. Amid the volatility in the markets over the past several months, there is renewed interest in health-care companies. Albert Waxman, who is recognized as one of the innovators in care management and health-care services, will present his unique perspective on this topic. He will discuss where venture capital for the health-care industry is flowing, and what sectors and companies are the ones to watch in the coming years. To register call (310) 998-2605.

June 19: LINC Evening Reception with Dr. Steve George of UCI
Topic: Corporate Partnering with the BioMedical Engineering Program at UCI.
Dr. George will give an overview of the Biomedical Engineering Program at UCI and how it will enhance the Life Sciences industry in Orange County. Please plan on attending to learn more about this new and important educational endeavor at UCI and how you can work with the program to enhance your life sciences career and/or your business.
5:30 - 7:30 PM at the Irvine Marriott.
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June 20: IndUS Entrepreneurs (Tie), Southern California - Monthly Meeting
Featured speaker: H.K. Desai President, CEO and Chairman of the Board QLogic Corporation. QLogic designs and supplies a wide range of silicon and board-level I/O solutions for peripheral and computer system applications. Largely credited with the Company's increased growth and earnings, Desai has focused QLogic's resources into developing new markets and customers, driving market capitalization from $25 million in August 1995 to approximately $10 billion in October of 2000. In nearly five years under Desai's leadership, QLogic has led the I/O industry in innovative technology development, diversified into new markets, and driven additional growth through acquisition. As a result of his leadership, the company is now listed in the S&P 500 index. 6-9 p.m. at the Cerritos Sheraton. Mention this newsletter and get a special discount.
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June 20: Digital Asia: Recent Developments & New Business Opportunities
Digital Media Wire & socalTECH present a panel discussion on "Digital Asia: Recent Developments & New Business Opportunities." This panel of executives, investors and professionals will discuss the latest developments in digital media, with a focus on business opportunities, strategies and ventures being created between the United States and China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan. Speakers include: Ravin Agrawal - Partner, EastWest VentureGroup; James Hsu - Attorney, Jones Day Reavis & Pogue; Stuart Levy - Cofounder & CEO, TOKYOPOP; and Beth Minehart - SVP Business Development, Universal Studios Television.
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June 21: Southern California Biomedical Council's 23rd Networking Forum
Panel discussion: "Stimulating Venture Capital Investment In Los Angeles." Four venture capitalists and three LA biomed executives will explore answers to the following questions: Why don't we see more venture capital investment deals in the Los Angeles proportional to the number of bioscience startups emerging in the area? Why do many promising local firms avoid venture capital sources of funding in favor of private placements, angel money and/or capitalization through corporate alliances? Can LA's biomed/tech industry grow significantly without a strong local venture capital community to support it? How can we improve the interface between local venture funds and bioscience firms?
5 PM - 9 PM at the Wilshire Grand Hotel.
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June 23: Caltech/MIT Enterprise Forum - "Venturing In Wireless and Mobile Technology: Separating Money From Mirage"
A panel of entrepreneurs and industry experts takes a fresh and hard look at the promise of wireless and mobile technology and its potential for new and viable ventures. Featured speakers include: Tracy Trent, President and CEO, Stellcom, Inc.; Joel Balbien, Managing Member, Smart Technology Ventures; Joseph Cadieux, Enterprise Solutions Group, Palm, Inc.; Joseph Lawrence, Director of Global Technology Marketing, Qualcomm Incorporated; Bruce Perens, Open Source Evangelist, Hewlett-Packard Company; Katrina Barillova, Founder and CEO, Fusion Technology; Ari Kaplan, Cofounder, President and CEO, PocketDBA Systems, LLC; and Moderated by Michael Krieger, Lecturer, UCLA Computer Science Department.
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June 26: Jetro 4th Tuesday Meeting "Who Wants To Be A Venture Capitalist?"
The unprecedented bull market in the 1990s set the stage for the explosive growth of venture investment. Despite a substantial decline in venture investment at its second half, 2000 as a whole was still a banner year - $93 billion was raised by venture firms, $104 billion was invested in 5,380 companies located in 48 states, and $90 billion was pulled down through IPOs and Mergers and Acquisitions. Currently, there are nearly 1,000 venture firms in the US, over a dozen of which have billion-dollar-funds loaded in their war chests. Featured speaker: Luke Wang of Venture Spring Capital.
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June 26: Kylix/Delphi 6 Free Seminar
Join iApplication Technologies for a free seminar that will introduce you to Kylix, the new Rapid Application Development (RAD) environment for Linux from Borland Software. You will also learn about the amazing new Delphi 6 RAD environment and its support emerging standards like XML, SOAP, WSDL, and XSL. Finally, cross-platform development capabilities between the two products will be demonstrated. This is a 'don't miss' event for corporate IT managers and developers alike. The seminar is free but seating is limited. Attendees must make a reservation by calling iAT at (626) 296-6253 or sending an email with name, company, and address to kylixseminar@iatinc.net.

October 18-19: FilmIT - Mark your calendars!
larta is proud to support the Film Information Technology Conference & Exposition (FilmIT) --it is the premier, business-to-business event that examines the convergence of the Motion Picture and Technology Industries. FilmIT creates an unparalleled program for IT and film executives to explore the impact that cutting-edge technologies have on Hollywood through an extensive, senior level conference forum, keynote presentations, case studies, workshops, networking events and vendor demonstrations.
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LA VOX is provided weekly as a free service to you by larta - the technology alliance for Southern California. LA VOX is made possible by the generous support of: Ernst and Young Akin Gump Technology Ventures Grubb and Ellis Mission Ventures State of California Technology Trade & Commerce Agency

Copyright © 2001 larta. All rights reserved. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to those who may be interested. Permission to quote any proprietary part of this material is granted given proper credit. Distribution is allowed provided that no modifications are made to the original content.