So rather than get irate about the "influx" of foreign tech pros, consider the big picture. As it stands, an approved extension of the H-1B program would let U.S. employers hire only 20,000 additional foreigners with master's and doctoral degrees. Employers must still pay these workers the prevailing wage for their fields and show that qualified U.S. workers aren't being passed over.
But issuing more H-1B visas is only a stopgap measure. Sooner or later, the United States will have to grant permanent-resident status to more foreign-born technologists, or it will have to educate and train many more of its native people. The latter issue deserves its own separate discussion. Stay tuned.
Rob Preston is editor in chief of Network Computing. Write to him at [email protected].
Editor's Note (01/10/05) We've received a number of letters from readers voicing their opinions on Rob Preston's column. Below are several that we wanted to share. Look for others in an upcoming issue of our print magazine.
To realize the benefits of cloud-native software, an application must actually be cloud-native—designed to run in the cloud, interacting with disaggregated cloud services, fully manageable as code—to deliver the expected benefits.
By combining resources and expertise, the AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium will offer a blueprint for how industries can adapt to an AI-dominated future.
IT leaders should heed the guidance of cybersecurity insurance providers who think businesses should prioritize security education, incident preparedness, regular internal audits, and ongoing vulnerability scanning and patching.
