Thanks to my new friends in Dalian and Shanghai

I’ve been back for two days and am finally getting over the jet lag from the business trip to China.

In Shanghai and Dalian, I met with 9 software companies in an effort to find more offshore partners for Overpass.  I learned a lot from the companies I visited.  They ranged in size from a few companies with thousands of developers to companies with only two developers.

Some of the software companies were located in large software parks with state of the art facilities.  A couple were located in residential-area office buildings far from the centre of Shanghai.

There is definitely a lot that China can offer the software offshoring world—in fact, they already are.  On this trip, I was also advised to look at Sichuan, Chengdu, and Nanjing as some other destinations.

I also met with some expats in the area who gave me a great deal of insight into the software development situation in these cities.

I came home with piles of notes to record and thoughts to put down before they evaporate.  It’s been busy the past few days—so this post is pretty brief.

It was a great trip and I am totally in awe of the hospitality I was shown there.  I thank everyone who showed me around, showed me their companies, and generally made me feel very welcome.

I’d also like to recommend the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) who set up the meetings for me.  If your looking to get into China, give them a call.

Now, the real work begins.