Sometimes vendors do get it (mostly) right. Hewlett-Packard put together a brief white paper in February of this year laying out their view of Business Intelligence (BI) for 2009 (and beyond). I think that they got it largely right. Their #2 trend is the emergence of a robust non-Western technology economy. Below is a summary of the trend, my thoughts on whether HP got it right and what the trend may mean for HIT.
HP predicts: outsourcing/offshoring will evolve from cheap talent to value-add process and product innovation.
The Verdict: Right on. Look especially to India and Poland both of which have large English speaking populations, robust educational systems that identify and nurture science, engineering and technology talent, and strong entrepreneurial . Russia and especially China are strong contenders, but I believe lingering concerns over security, ideology and motive will eventually hurt them.
HIT Impact: little to none other than to be aware that large chunks of code in any software purchase may well have been designed, written and tested overseas. Due to our nativist tendencies and the complicated mess that is healthcare delivery in the U.S., any true innovation in HIT or healthcare delivery will only be possible and palatable if it is created here.
