[clug-talk] Market Conditions

[Peter Van den Wildenbergh]

Craig McLean wrote:
> Hello.
>
> What is the consensus view on market conditions?
>
>   
I don't know what the consensus is but I do know that there is still a 
huge shortage of 'qualified' IT people in Calgary.
Demand is high, supply is limited = higher prices.

There was even a short piece on CBC, 2 days ago about the IT shortage in 
Calgary.
And the number of Computer Science students declining in the UofC...

I personally hope that this 'crisis' is going to weed out the many 
unqualified hobbyists that call them selfs IT experts without having the 
necessary papers/expertise to back that up.
I am talking about the 18 year old 'tech-adviser' at the box moving 
stores like Staples/Future shop etc. and 'the guy' down the street that 
happens to know how to add some memory in a PC but has further no clue 
about what an IP address actually is.

In other words I think/hope that IT'ers that can really improve a 
business (read : save money by using technology) will never be out of 
business.
Actually this whole crisis is an opportunity to get 'good' IT sold, as a 
cost saver in difficult times.
FOSS in general is of course an added bonus when making up the budget...

My 2 cents

Peter