This has nothing to do with large development firms vs. smaller ones. It almost appears from the tone of your message that you think this is a bogus question, one that shouldn't be asked. I've been involved in enough situations where small companies where left high and dry by the individual who was creating software for them to know that it wasn't fun for the small companies at all.

You seem to be contradicting yourself... one moment you say it has nothing to with big vs small, the next you give an example where dealing with a small firm has created disaster. Whatever you're trying to say, that's *exactly* the argument that larger firms will use against smaller firms once they're competing in the same space. Lets hope they don't quote you if they're competing against your firm. ;-)

Also, I would like to know what you mean by "since we know that larger players are moving down from the over-served large business IT arena into the small/middle-sized segment that has been enjoyed by smaller players for over a decade?" I don't see an "over-served IT arena" at all. I have no idea what you are talking about.

Actually I'm quoting Microsoft there. Microsoft has stated several times that the large business IT arena is saturated, causing the firms serving that arena to shift their sights to middle-sized and especially small business customers, an area which they see as having huge potential. I don't know whether that will affect you, but you probably need to be aware of it.

A scenario I never witnessed ever in my Foxpro career, is that every dotnet event I've ever attended has some form of sponsership offered by a recruiting firm if not several firms. There is a definite shortage of qualified dotnet people. I would assume, based on many reporting that there appears to be more Java jobs posted then dotnet, that the hiring environment is similar for Java.

There's very good $ in recruitment, especially in a developing, fast-changing market. ;-) and not least because of this: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/FindingGreatDevelopers.html ... any employer with half a brain is doing everything they can to keep the best staff; and many prefer to pay $$$ to recruiters to get at least a first cut of somebody who might be useful rather than another of the drones described by Joel. Of course you're correct that there are more Java and NET jobs which has been the case with Java for a decade if memory serves me correctly.