According to Marianne Kolbasuk McGee of Information Week, West Coast-based American companies are more likely to choose Canadian cities, namely Vancouver, for outsourcing work. McGee reported that Canada is becoming an attractive option many American software developers are eyeing for their future outsourcing strategies. Her findings are based on a new survey of the 200-plus US-based independent software developers that discovered that 94% say they're outsourcing project work, either domestically, offshore, or near-shore.
McGee goes on to state that Canadian cities, including Vancouver and Toronto, win out over India for future outsourcing strategies by American independent software vendors and West Coast-based American companies were more likely to choose Canadian cities, namely Vancouver, over India for outsourcing work.
Cost savings are no longer the key consideration fueling outsourcing - closer proximity, similar time zones, similarities in language, culture, security, and perceived quality of work are making Canada a popular option. Microsoft's decision to expand their own development staff in Canada may also have something to do with this new trend.
Article in the Vancouver Sun this weekend stated that this is entirely due to a cap on working visas for the US.
