Beware: NET-A-PORTER

[Jacqui Caren]

On 12/12/2011 22:58, Simon Wistow wrote:
> This isn't meant to be a debate on where it's better or cheaper to live
> (especially since Leo has asked us to rename this thread) more the fact
> that I can imagine that it *is* more expensive to have a US based dev
> team.

I blame evil, faceless beancounters. :-)

Cray shut down its UK SWD effort due to wild exchange rate fluctuations.
The beancounters used figures from a specific date and on that date the
exchange rate was simply insane - almost 2 dollars to the UKP!

Our costs projected for the next few years were based upon that unrealistic
rate and we sunddenly became very,very expensive instead of quite cheap.

Jacqui

p.s. There were other reasons - including a much larger lay-off from US staff etc.
but the exchange rate was used as the legal explanation for our dissolution.

The actual process was handled very well and I still think well of the Crayons I used
to work with. Irene Qualters (VP) came over and told us personally and apologised
for letting us down.