Offshore software development, no literally
http://www.adtmag.com/article.asp?id=10959
Three entrepreneurs in San Diego, who are in the final throes of launching a company that will offer software development off the coast of California—three miles outside Los Angeles, to be specific. The three plan to buy a used cruise ship and station it close enough for a half-hour water taxi ride to shore, but far enough to avoid H1B jurisdiction.
By stationing the ship in international waters, the company, called SeaCode, will be able to remain close to U.S. clients while picking and choosing IT talent from around the world—something that tightening H1B visa requirements have made difficult in the U.S.
Waah! .. thats one company on cruise mode !
Interesting, but not clear
It’s definitely an interesting idea, but it doesn’t really seem obvious how it will pay off. Are they planning to put people who don’t have visas up on the cruise ship? I would think that would get old for the people stuck there, especially on severe weather days. And, wouldn’t it be all the worse for them being stuck there with land in sight? For the company, the cost of maintaining a ship at sea, even if the engine isn’t functional, is substantial, and I would think insurance costs (who would insure them, anyway?) would be enormously high, unless they just didn’t bother with that at all. I’ll be interested in following this one…
The real reason
Is this coz of tighter H1B or to circumvent labor laws so they can pay slave wages? Why not simply use L1 and get more slaves?
Re: Interesting, but not clear
Chaibacca, U need a haircut 😉
If my coding skills weren’t crap, I’d be up for this job. Imagine commuting by longboard or sea kayak. Doesn’t get much better than that.
One thing that get s underreported about US H1B issues is the fact that we’re graduating fewer technical and scientific people from our universities and colleges every year. So it’s not even so much a matter of paying low wages as it is finding qualified people at entry level.
🙂
it’s better to stay on boat, rather than paying these crazy appartment rent’s in LA.
Re: Interesting, but not clear
I think the idea is that non-Americans on the ship will have visitors visas for the US so they can take a break and feel land beneath their feet once in a while. Visitor visas will be required because if they have to fly in from other parts of the world, they’ll need access to an airport.
If this takes off, the next step would probably be artificial islands!
– M.
Just shows that “Out of the Box” is always one which creates the most curiosity
Interesting info….. infact enlightening!