For discussion, March 5, 2009:

"Engineering the Irish Software Tiger"
Computer, June 2008, pp. 66-71

1.  In a nutshell, how does the story of Ireland differ from other
countries of similar size?

2.  According to the article, Why does Ireland need a new approach
to remain competitive in IT? 

3.  What can we learn from Figure 1 and the statistics at the beginning
of the article?  Put these numbers in perspective.

4.  What is Lero?  What kind of work do they do?  What obstacles have they 
needed to overcome?

5.  In your opinion, which benefits and challenges for the IT industry
in Ireland outlined in the chapter are most significant?

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"Where does Russia fit into the Global Software Industry?"
Communications of the AcM, Feb. 2006, pp. 31-34

6.  According to the author, how is creating software approached differently
in various parts of the world:  Europe versus Japan and the U.S.?

7.  What are Russia's strong points in technology?

8.  What main advice does the author offer Russia?  Do you find the overall
assessment reasonable and in-line with what you have read about other
countries?  Which country should Russia try to follow as a model for
success?