September 14, 2011
IT World and
Computerworld (IDG)
What Today’s Software Developers Need to Know
By Daniel Dern
Craig Schwartz, Senior Engagement Manager at Freeborders, a global IT services provider, sees three core skills being in demand: mobile development, global delivery and agile development experience. “With the growth in mobile computing, the ability to create Web applications designed to work on mobile devices, Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) for the mobile market and applications that run directly on mobile devices (Android and iOS) will be a necessary skill for developers as this market grows.”
August 17, 2011
IT Tech News Daily
5 Things That Keep CIOs Up At Night
By Cynthia Bunting
What keeps you up at night? If you’re like a lot of IT managers, keeping up with constantly changing technology is the easy part. How you deal with the rest of the company can be the real challenge. Paul Liu, CIO of Freeborders, offers five points that keep CIOs up at night and some suggested solutions.
August 10, 2011
CIO Update and Internet.com Japan
Can Cloud Really Replace Offshore Outsourcing?
By Pam Baker
Whether or not any given enterprise decides to go with the cloud, offshore outsourcing or some blend of the two depends entirely on the enterprise’s specific needs and the tasks at hand. “The impact of the cloud on the outsourcing industry depends on the definition of outsourcing,” explained Paul Liu, CIO at the global IT services provider Freeborders. “If outsourcing is defined as resources doing application development and maintenance, then cloud computing is not really a game changer. “The real paradigm shift is in infrastructure as a service, which is shifting a company’s systems, storage, and databases to the cloud. But new architectures will need to be created that takes into account the challenges of security, compliance, and accessibility requirements.” In the end, said Liu, “we will see a continuous movement of services to the cloud as traditional IT environments come to the end of their lifecycle.”
June 28, 2011
eSecurity Planet
Data Breaches Running Rampant
By Pam Baker
In an effort to thwart some of the attacks, “several major banks have implemented security protocols that require multiple identification points and sensitive information is stored in different secure systems,” said Paul Liu, CIO of Freeborders, a global consulting, technology and outsourcing services firm.
June 27, 2011
Globalization Today
Freeborders Introduces Light Enterprise Architecture Framework (LEAF) Consulting Service for Better IT and Business Alignment
To help companies better align business and IT, Freeborders introduced the Light Enterprise Architecture Framework (LEAF) consulting service. LEAF enables the business and IT to develop a common understanding of how technology can effectively support the business by using capabilities mapping. As a result, companies are able to deliver a consistent customer experience across all channels and more effectively facilitate regulatory efforts. LEAF decreases IT costs by identifying where and why change can and should be made.
“A complex web of legacy silos, disparate systems, redundant functionality and excess capacity often prevents companies from achieving the agility and flexibility needed to respond to market demands,” said Graham Bolton, Executive Vice President, Financial Services Consulting at Freeborders.”LEAF provides a solution by establishing a common framework and language that aligns the business requirements with IT capabilities to achieve tangible business results.”
June 23, 2011
Outsource Magazine (UK)
Seeing Through the Cloud
Freeborders’ Paul Liu provides insights on cloud computing.
“There are scalability and speed: “companies have the ability to expand or contract services as needed [and] the deployment time is faster as opposed to building the capabilities in-house” enthuses Freeborders’ CIO Paul Liu. (…) Freeborders’ Paul Liu concurs, believing that “we will see a continuous movement of services to the cloud as traditional IT environments come to the end of their lifecycle…The heavy mobile adoption relies on the cloud for services. Larger bandwidth and proliferation of 3G and 4G services will increase cloud adoption.”
April 7, 2011
Global Services Media, Freeborders Expands SAP ECC 6.0 Upgrade Services Offering
Freeborders introduced an expansion of its SAP ECC 6.0 upgrade consulting and services. The certified SAP® services partner now offers companies that are considering an upgrade to SAP ERP Central Component (ECC) 6.0 an initial upgrade analysis to assess the expected return of investment (ROI) of an upgrade as well as the overall impact on the business.
February 24 and February 3, 2011
Outsource UK, How Outsourcers Manage Human Capital (Part 1)
Jim Reesing, Executive Vice President at Freeborders, provides insights on how to how to best manage talent across regions. Please read also part 2 of the story.
February 23, 2011
ChinaByte, Why I Outsourced Application Development to China
Interval International’s CIO tells how the company set up an offshoring center in China with the help of Freeborders.
January 17, 2011
Outsource Magazine UK – Movers & Shakers: LeAnn Toth, Freeborders
Freeborders has announced that LeAnn Toth has joined the firm as Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, effective immediately.
January 13, 2011
CIO Update – Are You a Transformational CIO?
By Pam Baker
“Today, the IT infrastructure is the backbone and accelerator of a company’s business transformation,” explained Jean Cholka, CEO of the global IT services provider Freeborders. “Thereby, having the right leader in the IT organization in place is critical to a company’s success.”
December 2, 2010
CIO – Why I Outsourced to China (Interval Case Study)
By Stephanie Overby
Marie Lee, CIO of Interval International, discusses how she set up an offshoring center in China together with Freeborders.
November 1, 2010
Outsourcing Center (Everest) – Setting up the Engagement Properly and Constantly Rotating Freeborders Personnel, Help Travel Company Compete
By Beth Ellyn Rosenthal
Case study on Interval International’s successful partnership with Freeborders to create an agile IT infrastructure. Interval International and Freeborders believe there are two success factors factors: constantly rotating the key offshore people onshore and taking the time to prepare in advance.
September 21, 2010
CIO Update – Top 10 Consumer Apps/Devices Infiltrating the Business
By Robert McGarvey
Paul Liu commented on how the use of popular consumer technologies by employees impacts a company’s IT management.
September 5, 2010
Sraman Mitra – Outsourcing Debate
Jean Cholka, President And CEO Of Freeborders
By guest author Tony Scott
Tony Scott interviewed Jean Cholka, CEO of Freeborders, for his series on the future of outsourcing. Cholka provides insights on Freeborders’ value proposition, the difference between the Chinese and Indian IT services market, labor arbitrage, winning customers in a competitive environment, and China’s international workforce.
August 13, 2010
Freeborders’ CEO Visited Wuxi
Wuxi’s deputy mayor Wei Fang received Jean Cholka, CEO at Freeborders, a global provider of outsourcing solutions and software development to financial services, hi tech, transportation and logistics companies. Freeborders’ developing center in Wuxi is one of the largest developing centers in East China. It is part of Freeborders network of offices and delivery centers in San Francisco, New York, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen.
July 2, 2010
E-Commerce Times – Pam Baker
Mobile Tech: From Channel to Rainmaker
“From a development perspective, it is more important to have mobile graphical user interface experts within the organization than setting up a separate department dedicated to mobile, as everything behind the presentation layer needs to be consistent,” said Freeborders’ Liu.
May 14, 2010
CIO.com – Grant Gross
VoIP: Why CIO’s are Choosing It Now
Because VoIP runs over data lines, IT staff doesn’t have to run separate phone wires to employees’ desks, observes Paul Liu, CIO of Freeborders, an outsourcing vendor considering VoIP. “That goes directly to the bottom line.” Meanwhile, employees can plug in their phones anywhere they have a broadband connection and their numbers will follow them.
April 19, 2010
IT Expert Voice – Pam Baker
The Disappearing Sense of Place
“We believe that virtual work environments, like using remote offices and virtual work spaces, are critical to our business success,” says Jean Cholka, CEO of Freeborders.
“As a global IT consultancy about 80% of our U.S.-based work force works remotely, at a client’s office, or at home,” explains Cholka. “Not only does a flexible work environment reduce the costs of a physical office space, it also helps employees achieve a better work-lifestyle balance.”
“For example, our work requires a close collaboration with colleagues in other time zones and frequent client visits,” she explains. “Working remotely provides the flexibility to better connect with colleagues in Europe or Asia.”
April 16, 2010
Global Services Magazine – Paul Liu
Top 3 Reasons to Use Remote Infrastructure Management
The majority of the midmarket companies have yet to discover remote infrastructure management as a strategic business growth tool. Paul Liu of Freeborders gives insight about why midsize companies should consider remote infrastructure management.
April 9, 2010
Smarter Technology – Dennis McCafferty
Google’s dispute with China over censorship reveals lessons about the state of IT in the world’s largest nation.
The China of today is much different from that of, say, President Nixon’s visit in 1972. And while the impact of IT and Western influence can be transformational, all nations progress within their own timetable. “Both the U.S. and China have a lot to learn when it comes to interacting,” says John Wagster, executive vice president and general counsel of Freeborders, a San Fransisco-based tech solutions/business consultancy that helps Internet-based companies and other enterprises expand globally. “Censorship is nothing new in China. Understanding censorship there along with its other cultural distinctions is key to doing business there. The Chinese government has spent hundreds of billions of dollars on physical and technology infrastructure for the express purpose of attracting Western business. We should be mindful that it’s much easier to instigate further change from inside the tent.”
March 22, 2010
Shenzhen Post – Rebecca
Shenzhen Becomes China’s Largest IT Service Outsourcing Bases
In recent years, IT services outsourcing industry has developed very quickly in Shenzhen, which has been listed as one of demonstration cities of the first batch of service outsourcing industry in China. Under the background of world financial crisis, undertaking and implementing the service outsourcing business from overseas has quietly become the fastest industry in development and expanding. Authorities revealed to the reporter yesterday: at present, the offshore service outsourcing business that Shenzhen enterprises undertake has exceeded 5 billion U.S. dollars for the first time.
September 11, 2009
Shenzhen Economic Daily – Hong Bin
“Industrial Ecology” Drives the Development of Service Outsourcing Industry
The representatives from Shenzhen IT-BPO Promotion Council and China Construction Bank Shenzhen branch held the ‘Finance Strategy Collaboration Signing Ceremony’ today.
August 18, 2009
Information Management Special Reports – Jim Reesing
Survival of the Fittest: 5 Steps to Thrive in a Recession
This year has been a time of change for the IT industry as a whole. In an economic downturn, it is absolutely vital that IT and business departments work closely together. Companies look to their CIOs to drive efficiency and create leaner, meaner operations that are set up to survive and thrive during downturn. To so do, they rely on business-led projects that bring a fast return on investment.
August 6, 2009
WuXi Daily
GE Mentions Working With Freeborders – “Industrial Ecology” Drives the Development of Service Outsourcing Industry
While the world is still fending the deep impact of the global financial crisis, the outsourcing industry in China these days grabs a great deal of attention.
July 31, 2009
San Francisco Business Times – Patrick Hoge
IT outsourcer Freeborders looks to snap up other firms
For Freeborders Inc. this year, flat is the new up. The San Francisco information technology outsourcing firm grew quickly last year before the economy slowed down and customers — in particular a large U.S. bank and a software company — put the brakes on spending plans. “We’re doing okay. We’re holding our own in a very tough economy. It’s not an easy environment,” said CEO Jean Cholka. Revenue in 2008 was up 50 percent to between $30 million and $40 million. As a result, the company hired 81 people, bringing total headcount to 500, including about 100 in the United States, 20 of them in San Francisco, the rest in China.
June 24, 2009
Southern Metropolis Daily – Gao Linyun
The Chinese Outsourcing Market
With the financial crisis triggered by the slowdown of foreign trade, the software outsourcing industry has unexpectedly grown against the market trend.
June 16, 2009
IT Weekly – Xu Jun
Engaging with the clients, learn and build up its own outsourcing model
In order to deliver high-quality software outsourcing services to multinational corporations, the service provider should have the proper service model aligned with the clients’ model.
Statistics show that the global software outsourcing market size has reached 100 billion U.S. Dollars. It is projected to have a 30% -40% annual growth rate in the future. India has already become the first sourcing country in the world for many years. In China, many companies are still at the bottom of the outsourcing market. They could only get the third level subcontract or even fourth level subcontract. How could they change the status aspect, improve the entire level & ability in China outsourcing company market. We interviewed Freeborders CEO, Ms Jean Cholka.
March 01, 2009
CFO Magazine – Sarah Johnson
The Satyam scandal has prompted companies to be more careful about outsourcing arrangements.
Outsourcing experts urge finance executives to get more involved in a decision-making process that is often left to their technology-minded counterparts. The information-technology department is concerned mainly with a vendor’s particular skills, says Jean Cholka, CEO of China IT outsourcer Freeborders Inc. A CFO brings a more analytical, risk-management expertise to the assessment of third-party relationships. CFOs are in the best position to ask questions about a vendor’s ability to attract and retain talent, manage its costs, meet its growth targets, and stay financially viable.
February 03, 2009
CFO Magazine
Offshoring Vendors Slice 15% off Some Deals
The Satyam scandal and the economic downturn have services providers more than open to deals, outsourcing experts say. Outsourcing service providers are shaving as much as 10 percent to 15 percent off existing contracts in order to keep their customers during these uncertain times, according to A.T. Kearney, a consultancy.
January 19, 2009
IT Jungle
Freeborders Expands its AS/400 Tech Center
You probably knew that the AS/400 and its progeny were popular in India because of the first several waves of outsourcing and offshoring that hit the shores of America in the late 1990s and the early 2000s as companies tried to cut cost. But apparently there is some play now for the AS/400 in Chinese offshoring operations.
January 14, 2009
BusinessWeek
China Aims to Gain from Satyam Mess
While India has long been the preferred IT outsourcer, the Satyam crisis could give China’s services companies a chance to catch up
March 17, 2008
Lawson Software Acquires Freeborders Product Lifecycle Management Software Division
November 29, 2007
Datamonitor
Freeborders launches China-based global delivery model
October 25, 2007
Ministry of Commerce – Peoples Republic of China
Two American Companies Signed the Largest Software Outsourcing Project in China in Schenzhen
October 19, 2007
Travel Distribution News
Freeborders Inc. and Expedia have agreed to create a technology development center for Expedia in China
May 3, 2007
Just-Style.com
Freeborders Introduces Next Generation of PLM Solutions
Jan 29, 2007
IT Business Edge – Ann All
The China Question: When, Not If, Will It Rival India?
Some executives, like the CEO of software development firm Freeborders, insist Chinese developers are more creative thinkers than their Indian counterparts. And the country’s infrastructure tends to be more reliable, at least partially due to government economy-building initiatives.
June 30, 2006
Business Week
Chasing the China Outsourcing Market
March 2006
Sourcing Magazine Interview
Inside a Service Provider: Freeborders Shares Its China Growth Plans
Latest Highlights
Related Pages
