Outsourcing jobs in the technical arena was once seen as a way to save companies money and, although the trend continues, many organizations could use a wake-up call when it comes to getting the most from their software talent pool, says Matthew D. Edwards. His new book, "Becoming Globally Competitive in Software: The Fundamentals for Regular People" (now available through AuthorHouse), is designed to educate people about what skills are truly necessary to be competitive in this industry.

"People want to understand why their software jobs seem to be going overseas ... This book will teach you, the software student, practitioner and/or manager, how to become competitive in the global resource pool in which we reside," Edwards explains.

In sometimes humorous, always straightforward conversation, he discusses topics such as serving the customer and learning to discern what really matters along the way by exploring what he calls "some difficult and often unpopular subjects." Among them are notions like these:

-- The professional software talent pool is truly global, and each
individual is only a grain of sand on a world beach;
-- There is more value in seeing the forest than in worshipping the tree;
-- Know when to solve a problem, when to simplify and when to be quiet;
-- Delivering a technical solution is a social problem;
-- Overpay the right people for the right reasons; and
-- Serve the customer and provide immediate value, or someone else will.

"Software jobs have been and will continue to be outsourced and off-shored, [but] there is a way to stall and reverse the tide," Edwards says. "It has everything to do with the tenacity and choices of each individual technologist."

It is the responsibility of all those who touch, breathe upon, construct, deliver and facilitate software system solutions to change the game, says Edwards.

"Today, if you want to be employed, have a career and make some money in the global software industry, you absolutely must know the fundamental skills and attitudes necessary to add value to a customer's life."

Edwards is the co-founder of Ajilus, an Iowa-based software company. He has worked in various capacities throughout the end-to-end software development and delivery life cycles, and he holds several technical certifications.