Argentina isn’t the first country that comes to mind when people think of IT, but Hexacta has been helping devise IT solutions for US clients since 1999. Housed in a chic loft in the heart of Palermo in Buenos Aires, Hexacta boasts an impressive list of clients such as Comcast, Microsoft and Shell.
So what makes Argentina such an attractive hub for American companies that want to call in some outside help?
Argentina’s geograph
ic location offers an array of competitive advantages when compared. Not only is Buenos Aires in the same time zone as eastern US, but the focus on technical education and the proximity of several universities allows Hexacta access to some of the most highly qualified software engineers. IT and telecom infrastructure has been expanding rapidly and all network technologies are now digital with almost 15 million lines installed which translates to 45 lines/100 people, the largest operation in South America. Furthermore, the Argentinian government has established numerous incentives to spur the development of the software industry.
With all of these advantages, companies like Hexacta able to offer highly competitive prices that make Argentina an attractive choice for US companies considering IT outsourcing.
Kevin Sun, MBA Class of 2011
Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
I learned today that Watts Humphrey died yesterday. His obituary from the SEI can be found 
In a global economy where productivity is rising in many segments and production costs are shaping innovative strategies, looking for a strategic IT partner it has become crucial to any organization’s success. Many are addressing these growing concerns by reformulating their business plans, shipping their in-house software development needs to emerging markets’ outsourcing companies.
A recent survey presented by 
I’d like to go back to the SEMAT discussion. As I mentioned in my previous post, I believe that a widely accepted and sound theoretical basis is the key to moving from commercial practice to an engineering discipline. SEMAT looks to agree on the theories underlying software development, so in this sense it’s heading in the right direction. I also like that the list of signatories includes some of the key persons in our discipline such as Barry Boehm, Victor Basili, Watts Humphrey and David Harel. SEMAT wants to achieve its goals by building a “kernel” of widely agreed elements, extensible for specific uses.
Before getting into discussions about SEMAT I need to talk about a related topic I think will clarify my point of view on the initiative.
