The Chinese-Indian IT Threat

On the front page of the Israeli TheMarker is Shay Agasi on the developing IT in China and India and its influence on IT focused countries like Israel. Shay Agasi (38), an Israeli who’s leading the SAP group and was voted one of the 100 most influential people in IT by TIME magazine, has a few thoughts and predictions on the IT changes resulting from the new economies in India and China, with “Shay Agasi : the millions of new engineers in India and China threaten the Israeli Hi-tech” (published on 21dec) :

In an exclusive interview for TheMarker the most senior Israeli in IT says : Israel should focus on alternative energy technologies.

The discussion over the threat from India and China continues to heat up. Shay Agasi [...] : “Israel must pull itself together. The Chinese and Indian wave will coming. We won’t even feel it, and one day we’ll just cease to exist” [...] Israel is making a grave mistake when it refuses to prepare for the IT changes coming from the east : “Israel should allow an import of Chinese and Indian engineers into the local IT industry. Those engineers will stay in Israel for a few years and then later on in the future will allow Israeli companies to break through into China and India.”

“The first generation of IT was about survival. The second Israeli IT was about security related development of the first generation. The third generation was about individual entrepreneurs - Gil Shweid, Shlomo Kramer and Amnon Lendan, all going in different directions. In the 4th generation we need to find our relative advantage. If we continue to base ourselves on small niches we won’t be able to differentiate ourselves from India and China. Israel needs a new direction - to focus on specific fields.”

“Israel must use its small size - and make swift changes, so that - for example - it can decide to stop using oil in 10 years and try to create an oil-less technology driven society.”