Information systems offshore outsourcing: a descriptive analysis

Purpose - The present paper has as its aim to deepen in the study of Information Systems Offshore Outsourcing, proposing three essential steps to make this decision: weighing up the advantages and risks of Offshore Outsourcing; analysing the taxonomy of this phenomenon; and determining its current geography. Design/Methodology/Approach - With that objective in mind, it was decided to base the research work on the literature about this topic and the review of reports and statistics coming from different sources (consultants, the press, public institutions, etc.). Findings - Offshore Outsourcing has grown vertiginously in recent years. Its advantages exceed even those of onshore outsourcing, though it also involves greater risks derived from the (cultural and physical) distance existing between customer and provider. Various types of services and customer-provider relationships hide under the umbrella of Offshore Outsourcing; i.e. it is not a homogeneous phenomenon. The main Offshore Outsourcing customers can be found in the USA and Europe, mainly in the UK but also in other countries such as Germany and France. As for provider firms, most of them are located in Asia −outstandingly in India but also in China and Russia. At present, there are important providers scattered in other continents as well. Originality/Value - The conclusions suggest that the range of potential Offshore Outsourcing destinations must be widened and that the search for a provider cannot be based exclusively on cost savings; other considerations such as quality, security and proximity of the provider must also be taken into consideration. That is precisely the reason why the study of new countries like Spain as Offshore Outsourcing destinations is proposed

Non-adiabatic effects in long-pulse mixed-field orientation of a linear polar molecule

We present a theoretical study of the impact of an electrostatic field combined with non-resonant linearly polarized laser pulses on the rotational dynamics of linear molecules. Within the rigid rotor approximation, we solve the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation for several field configurations. Using the OCS molecule as prototype, the field-dressed dynamics is analyzed in detail for experimentally accessible static field strengths and laser pulses. Results for directional cosines are presented and compared to the predictions of the adiabatic theory. We demonstrate that for prototypical field configuration used in current mixed-field orientation experiments, the molecular field dynamics is, in general, non-adiabatic, being mandatory a time-dependent description of these systems. We investigate several field regimes identifying the sources of non-adiabatic effects, and provide the field parameters under which the adiabatic dynamics would be achieved.Comment: 16 pages, 16 figures. Submitted to Physical Review

The complete HEFT Lagragian after the LHC Run I

The complete effective chiral Lagrangian for a dynamical Higgs is presented and constrained by means of a global analysis including electroweak precision data together with Higgs and triple gauge-boson coupling data from the LHC Run I. The operators' basis up to next-to-leading order in the expansion consists of 148 (188 considering right-handed neutrinos) flavour universal terms and it is presented here making explicit the custodial nature of the operators. This effective Lagrangian provides the most general description of the physical Higgs couplings once the electroweak symmetry is assumed, and it allows for deviations from the SU(2)L doublet nature of the Standard Model Higgs. The comparison with the effective linear Lagrangian constructed with an exact SU(2)L doublet Higgs and considering operators with at most canonical dimension six is presented. A promising strategy to disentangle the two descriptions consists in analysing (i) anomalous signals present only in the chiral Lagrangian and not expected in the linear one, that are potentially relevant for LHC searches, and (ii) decorrelation effects between observables that are predicted to be correlated in the linear case and not in the chiral one. The global analysis presented here, which includes several kinematic distributions, is crucial for reducing the allowed parameter space and for controlling the correlations between parameters. This improves previous studies aimed at investigating the Higgs Nature and the origin of the electroweak symmetry breaking

Deflation Troughs, Water, and Prehistoric Occupation on the Margins of the South Texas Sand Sheet

Within the South Texas Plains, the area broadly defined by the Rio Grande to the south and the Nueces River to the north, a distance of ca. 175 km, evidence of open human occupation is remarkably abundant. Because it is predominantly a region of loose, sandy soils and active and relict sand dunes where wind processes dominate, the area is known as the South Texas Sand Sheet (STSS). There is no running water within the STSS and all streams are ephemeral. Existing drainage systems are small, localized, and not integrated, carrying water for a few days and up to two weeks after the passage of a storm. The lack of running water makes human occupation on this semi-arid area even more remarkable. The STSS and the adjacent wind deflated areas have hundreds of small and shallow elongated deflation troughs. Most of these poorly drained swales retain seasonal fresh water that sustain high moisture plants and are ephemeral wetlands; a small percentage of them hold water year round. As a result, the long history of human occupation of the STSS was possible due to the presence of the deflation troughs. This study explores the connection between human occupation of the STSS and deflation troughs at four previously unreported archeological sites in northern Hidalgo County using a combination of intensive archeological and geological survey, oral history, GIS technology, and existing soil maps

Information Systems Outsourcing reasons and risks at the largest Spanish firms

El outsourcing de sistemas de información es una práctica habitual en las empresas en imparable crecimiento. Por ello resulta imprescindible conocer en profundidad cuáles son las razones que llevan a las empresas a externalizar y cuáles son los principales riesgos inherentes a esta práctica. El presente trabajo hace una propuesta de estas razones y riesgos y las valora en el caso de las mayores empresas españolas a través de una encuesta que se ha replicado por segunda vez. El análisis longitudinal permite trazar tendencias y evaluar la continuidad y el cambio en las razones y riesgos del outsourcing. Aunque las razones siguen una tendencia bastante estable, en los últimos años los riesgos se han modificado en cuanto a su valoración. En cualquier caso, la propuesta de razones y riesgos debería ser tenida en cuenta por los directivos, previa a cualquier decisión de outsourcing.Information Systems Outsourcing is a common practice in companies with unstoppable growth. It is therefore essential to know in depth what are the reasons that lead companies to outsource and what the major risks are inherent in this practice. This paper makes a proposal for these reasons and risks and it assesses them in the case of the major Spanish companies through a survey that was replicated twice. The longitudinal analysis allows to draw trends and to assess continuity and change in the reasons and risks of outsourcing. Although the reasons are fairly stable the risks have changed, in terms of their valuation trend in recent years. In any case the proposed reasons and risks should be taken into account by management, prior to any outsourcing decision

Facebook and Academic Performance: A Positive Outcome

The objective sought with the present paper consists in analyzing the literature about Facebook in order to know the conclusions of the different works with regard to its influence on those results. The examination of 37 papers devoted to this thematic area allows us to know which journals publish more about the impacts that Facebook has on academic performance, which data collection methods are more often used, which topics emerge in parallel to the use of Facebook in the academic context, and which countries are more prolific in this field. The conclusions suggest that, despite the divergence of results, the overall outcome is positive when it comes to the use of Facebook in academic environments

Research on the Information Systems Offshore Outsourcing Area

El Offshore Outsourcing consiste en la externalización del trabajo relacionado con las Tecnologías de la Información a un proveedor localizado en un país diferente al cliente. Dado el creciente interés por el Offshore Outsourcing tanto en el mundo empresarial como académico, el presente trabajo realiza una revisión de la literatura en esta área. Se han analizado los artículos sobre el tema publicados en revistas de reconocido prestigio, examinando las metodologías de investigación, el nivel de análisis de los estudios, la perspectiva de datos, las teorías económicas más usadas, dónde se ubican los clientes y proveedores de estos servicios, qué tópicos son los más tratados y qué autores y países han aportado más hasta el momento en esta área. Las conclusiones destacan la falta de formalización teórica, el carácter fundamentalmente divulgativo y el mayor interés por conocer no sólo la perspectiva de los clientes sino también de los proveedores de estos servicios.Offshore Outsourcing consists on the externalisation of the work related with Information Technologies to a supplier located in a country different from the client. Given the growing interest on Offshore Outsourcing in the managerial world as well as in the academic arena, the present work carries out a revision of the literature in this area. We have analysed research articles about this topic published in prestigious journals. Research methodologies, level of analysis of the studies, perspective of the data, economic theories used, where the vendors and clients of this services are located, most frequent topics in the area and the most prolific authors and countries are analysed. The conclusions highlight the lack of theoretical formalization, the documentary character and the biggest interest on the perspectives of the vendors as well as of the clients of these services.Este artículo se ha realizado gracias a la financiación del Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación de la Universidad de Alicante (GRE- 09-08)

ICT in higher education: an experience with e-books

The present paper seeks to explain the diverse advantages of virtual books and also the main barriers that make it difficult their implementation in the classroom. A brief review of the literature on ICT, e-learning, distance education and e-books will be complemented with a case study about the preparation, development and implementation of an e-book. The paper could be helpful both for systems analysts and for teachers when they are developing and implementing e-books

Information systems contracts and relationships: A Spanish perspective

Despite the proliferation of academic research on information systems outsourcing, not many studies analyze the characteristics of outsourcing contracts. This research aims to provide an in-depth description of information systems outsourcing. An additional objective is to examine how these characteristics evolve over time. Finally, this study reports on the usefulness of measuring such characteristics over time to assess the maturity level of the information systems outsourcing. This study gathers the data from the responses of the information systems managers of the largest Spanish firms to a questionnaire. This longitudinal study covers 12 years of research and compares authors' previous research results with the results of this study