Marcia McCloudAn Internet-based intellectual capital exchange has been set up
in Silicon Valley to enable businesses to source technological
expertise globally online.
Believed to be the first of its kind in the world, the service,
called HelloBrain, matches IT directors and other corporate
departments needing skills not available in-house with independent
individuals willing to provide those skills.
HelloBrain checks the credentials of companies wishing to use
the service, pays the person selling the skills and then collects
from the buyer, minus a commission based on the size and type of
the transaction. It also provides transactional security for all
transfers of skills.
"Knowledge is a key asset and the Web is reducing geographical
barriers, but people don't know how to find each other," said
Bharat Sastri, CEO of HelloBrain. com, which runs the service.
"There is no infrastructure for buying and selling knowledge over
the Web."
Since the service went live on 13 December 1999, HelloBrain has
attracted 81 technical experts wishing to sell their skills and
posted 90 projects worth over $1m, more than 40 of which have been
completed or are in the process of being validated.
HelloBrain wants to offer a mechanism for online collaboration,
delivery of technical solutions, verification, security, and the
pricing mechanism needed to make the business relationship work. It
believes its services will be useful in areas such as computer and
workstation technology, personal digital assistants and hand-held
devices, networking and communications.