"Build world-class software right here in Bangkok."
RICHARD GREEN
CEO, NoMagic

NoMagic is one of the big three players in the field of Universal Modelling Language (UML), right up there with Rational (recently acquired by IBM) and Borland. However, with virtually all sales in the US, few people realise that the Magicdraw UML software is written in development centres right here in Bangkok and in Eastern Europe.

"Nobody likes to fix somebody else's problems, they want to create. When you're fixing somebody else's mistakes, you never get the satisfaction," said Richard Green, CEO of NoMagic.

Before setting up shop in Thailand, NoMagic had looked at India and China as well as Singapore. NoMagic's CTO Paul Duncanson said he was convinced that Thailand can beat India when it comes to quality if not quantity _ and he says Thailand is still way ahead of China.

"China does not even have a floating currency," he said, "and how can the Internet solve all of China's problems when it costs US,000 a month to wire-up an office there?"

Thailand's infrastructure is very good compared to both these countries as they lack many things that we take for granted, such as reliable electricity and roads, he noted.

Duncanson said that what he was not seeing is professionals queuing up to Thailand. "The visa situation makes it very difficult for foreigners to come and work here," he said, "with too many restrictions on foreign ownership."

However, as an American he noted that the US system was worse, with over two million illegal immigrants arriving each year while it takes well over a month to issue business visas to bona fide professionals.

Thailand's education system is, however, too rigid and needs to do more in cross-pollination of disciplines.

"A web designer needs skills in psychology and perception, not just man-machine interfaces," Duncanson explained.

He also complained about the situation where Internet links to his European development centre take the long way round via the US rather than the direct route, and about the notorious Bangkok traffic, but by and large he said Thailand was easily in his top 10 percent of places to work in the world.

Both executives heaped praise on the Board of Investment (BOI) and its assistance in getting NoMagic Asia up and running.

Bangkok Post
http://www.bangkokpost.com/Database/04Jan2006_data01.php