Software development in the U.S. will be extinct by mid-2006, with gradual job losses much like the U.S. textile industry experienced in the last quarter of the 20th century. Better development tools, cheaper labor and quality methodologies are making it more attractive to develop software overseas. The only software development that will be left in the U.S. will be for niche applications, new products and highly sensitive strategic applications. - JON PIOT

On the other hand, tech talent is going cheap these days, so there's an argument for stocking up now. But go slowly. That's what Jon Piot did when he started adding back staff at Impact Innovations, a Dallas-based IT services firm. Impact had laid off roughly 10% of its work force in 2000 and 2001, when it was closing only two in 10 business proposals. Last year, that number spiked to one in four, and COO Piot started bulking up. At first, he hired one full-time employee for every three contract workers, but let the contractors know they had a shot at permanent gigs, giving them more incentive to shine. Since last summer, Impact has added 50 full-timers, positioning it well for an upturn. "Our employees feel safe," says Piot, "and our contractors come and go as we hit the peaks and valleys of business demand." - JON PIOT

"Any IT manager who comes into an environment that has heterogeneous processes should be prepared to aggressively address that issue," says John Baschab, author of "The Executive's Guide to Information Technology." "Otherwise, the IT manager will die the death of a thousand cuts." - John Baschab

There are a lot of ways to skin a cat, but it is not really easy. There is no solution that is right for every situation. Everything requires a lot of thought and planning," says John Baschab - John Baschab

"With a big vendor, there's more highly available labor," says John Baschab, author of "The Executive's Guide to Information Technology." "With a small vendor, if your contact isn't around that day, you might be in trouble." - John Baschab

John Baschab, co-author of the book "The Executive's Guide to Information Technology," says that a robust contract is crucial and should especially include a clause about liability. He says, "Vendors generally try to contractually limit their liabilities to the total of their fees or to the limits of their insurance coverage." - John Baschab

Instant messaging is here to stay and whether you know it or not many of your employees may already be using it. It is fast, cheap and worth a test drive if you haven’t tried it before. You will likely be hooked and then faced with the decision of whether to implement it throughout the whole company. - John Baschab

"You are usually talking about assets that are pretty hard to track," - John Baschab

Preparing for conversations like these, however, is not always a strong point for technology professionals, according to Impact Innovations Group vice president John Baschab. - John Baschab