What Ails the French Software / IT Industry?
This post continues from my previous post France : Why the Software / IT Industry is languishing.
Most major French Software vendors are focused on providing local IT Services. Few are recognized internationally for leadership in the IT Services or Product spaces.
Chirac’s walk-out is symbolic of a deeper problem that France has. Only a handful of globally recognizable software and IT firms are from France. Let me start counting: You can almost count internationally successful French software / IT companies on your fingertips — Atos Origin, Business Objects, Cap Gemini then how many more?
Compare this with American Software / IT firms. The comparison shows the stark difference between two countries that are considered a part of the Developed world and have strong infrastructure and a fairly long history past history of economic prosperity.
Now consider this situation with the fact that one of the leading partners of localized software for Adobe, WinSoft S.A., is based in France. Infact WinSoft gained fame by starting with one of the earliest multilingual word pressors WinText that was used in from China to Japan and from Israel to the Arab world. Clearly, the country has business and engineering talent that can serve various world markets but is untapped due to protectionist policies, labour / tax laws that make French businesses uncompetitive globally.
Update: The ever responsive and genial Kamel Gaddas, VP Engineering and Co-Founder of WinSoft sent me this correction after reading this blog post: "A short comment about "China" reference: we did not distribute Wintext in China, but in Hong Kong (that is now part of China)."
Post 2 of 3. To continue…
Tags: 146, 196POSTED IN: Adobe, Atos, Business, Cap, Competitiveness, France Business, Gemini, IT, Localization, Objects, Origin, Software, US, WinSoft
4 opinions for What Ails the French Software / IT Industry?
TheBizofCoding
Mar 28, 2006 at 4:43 am
This post continues from my previous 2 posts:What Ails the French Software / IT Industry?France: Why the Software / IT Industry is languishing? The Software / IT revolution is not machine intensive. It is lead by Knowledge Workers. Cutting edge…
China Law Blog
Mar 28, 2006 at 8:35 am
Could the overall employee malaise in France have something to do with this?
China Law
ujwal
Mar 28, 2006 at 11:16 am
Dan,
Thanks for the China Law Blog link. I think France and China are very different mainly because France has been a democracy for a long time while China has been vangaurd for Communism. 1) Therefore, as well explained in your blog — China may have a “Waiguoren” V/s “Zhongguoren” issue but I would not consider Xenophobia an affliction for a major part of the French population. Instead of Xenophobia I guess there is a socially programmed (and perhaps elite driven) superiority complex (everything French is better or unique) drilled into peoples mind from a young age. This is perhaps a result of the govering and social elite being out of touch with reality yet having the power to control the masses for their personal benefits. Taking my argument a step further…I sensed that the ruling elite might want to extend their power for a longer time and so might work overtime to contain the spread of English…which would cause new ideas, non French businesses etc. to gain roots and spread in the French society.
2) The democarcy difference is deeper. Remember the SARS problem originated in China and spread because a communist government did not let information spread to the rest of the world? When the disease spread, scientists found out on their own. If for any reason SARS had started in France — I am sure that the world would have been informed in a responsible manner.
Sigh! I loved France and its people. I wish that the country comes out of its shell faster and before its too late.
I noticed from your Blog that you have lived in France. I found some really good friends there, who tried to reach out and also sensed the current limitations of the French society. Did you sense xenophobia as a major issue? I’d like to hear.
TheBizofCoding
Mar 28, 2006 at 12:19 pm
Last week when Google Finance was launched I had loudly wondered about its value in a world already filled by Yahoo Finance, MSN Money and so forth…One feature that my friend Easton at KMM had pointed he liked (and I…
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