I think this would be a good deal. It makes IBM to emerge as a clear market leader. In these tough times Consolidation in the IT space is required in form of Mergers and Acquisitions.
Re: Good Deal...
by Babun Ghosh on Mar 19, 2009 11:24 AM
Do you understand that this will mean 1. IBM will charge more for the servers and maintenance than they already do. 2. You'll have to buy AIX rather than Sun OS even though the latter is definitely faster than AIX. 3. Thousands of peoples will be laid off in both US and India. The Sunnyvale office has a good number of Indian citizens employed.
Re: Re: Good Deal...
by In Search on Mar 19, 2009 11:39 AM
Not really because Sun has anticipated such a scenario in 2006 (if they go out of the business). That's why Sun has created a very special program under the Open Source called OpenSolaris to improve the Solaris usage and features. You can try the OpenSolaris 2008.11, it simply rocks!
Yes, head count might take some hit and there will be integration challenges too...in many areas! But I can see few good things too, example next generation file system like ZFS being ported to Linux, KDE 4.2.x integrated into OpenSolaris' next release etc. Sounds good, isn't it?
Re: Re: Re: Good Deal...
by kafir chronicles on Mar 19, 2009 11:51 AM
Sun has suffered over the years due to their awful management and decision making. There has always been a clear divide between the tech staff and the management. I hope the acquisition never happens, but Sun is in dire need of cash. Sun has been innovators from the days of its inception...
Re: Re: Re: Good Deal...
by Babun Ghosh on Mar 19, 2009 12:01 PM
Actually I meant Solaris is better and easier to work with than AIX. I do agree with you.
IBM wants to buy all possible companies now. Its the best time for merger and acquisitions. Satyam, Sun all the big names. Already half of Bang works for IBM in some time 3/4ths will.
The best way to innovate is to buy the innovators. On Demand Business. hehe
Re: Another one in the list for IBM
by In Search on Mar 19, 2009 11:31 AM
You don't have any depth in your talk.
First, Sun != Satyam. Next, looks like you don't know anything about what IBM does. IBM is the largest R&D organization in the world with most number of patents since 16 consecutive years!
IBM earned 4,186 U.S. patents in 2008, becoming the first company ever to earn more than 4,000 U.S. patents in a single year. IBM's 2008 patent total is nearly triple HP's and exceeds the combined 2008 patents of Microsoft, HP, Oracle, Apple, EMC, Accenture and Google.
So, think thrice before you talk any crap about such great companies.
Re: Re: Another one in the list for IBM
by Atanu Chatterjee on Mar 19, 2009 12:26 PM
Many of those innovations of IBM came inorganic way. I buy a company and therefore i own the patents the company has. IBM is going too aggressively towards inorganic growth unlike some of the other majors u mentioned like MS, ACN, Google, Apple. Just wondering whether all the decisions would eventually turn out to be good.
Re: Re: Re: Another one in the list for IBM
by Ravi Kumar P on Mar 19, 2009 01:20 PM
Actually, you are not entirely right. A whole lot of IBM's patents come from their research centres in various research labs all over the world, India included, which have been around for a very long time.
Quite a few of the patent contributors are Indians too. So, it would be overstating it to say that these patents are not IBM's, considering that they have been developed by IBMers.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Another one in the list for IBM
by In Search on Mar 19, 2009 01:27 PM
Yes Ravi, hundreds of patents do come from IBM's India Research Lab (IRL).
Re: Re: Re: Another one in the list for IBM
by In Search on Mar 19, 2009 01:14 PM
What inorganic way you mean? I was talking about the patents developed in the eight major worldwide R&D labs which no company has on this planet to match. I know what am saying because I do come from Almaden. And there are many partnerships for the IBM. Example, Cell Processor, Super Computers etc. Patents count coming from the take over companies of IBM is not at all high w.r.t. every year count. Hope you are getting what I mean.
Obviously their decisions are turning damn good, history is the proof - founded in 1889. I don't know what news you get in India, here in the United States IBM is the forefront of many great things, even during the recession. Please read this article called:
"In times of recession, at least there's IBM" - Jan, 2009.
A strong fourth quarter capped an outstanding year, IBM CEO Samuel Palmisano said. In 2008, IBM performed well in an extremely difficult economic environment. Clearly our strategic transformation--migrating to the more profitable segments of the industry, investing in growth regions of the world, and driving productivity through global integration--is continuing to pay dividends.
This deal could be a red signal for open source platforms specifically the Java platforms because IBM have not exactly supported Open Source tech. as much as Sun has especially Java and now Solaris too.
We should have had some other alternatives to giants like IBM which would promote open source platforms like Java and be profitable in selling products based on the same.
Sun had a good technology and Java support team unfortunately their management sucked I saw some real jerks in their CA office such people negate all the good done by others.
Re: Red signal
by Mr Walker on Mar 19, 2009 10:58 AM
Companies like Sun and IBM too should drop those in high income positions who do not perform and are too much of a burden to the organization.
Such egomaniacs are better thrown out rather than sinking the ship with them. Unfortunately it seems after all the global shocks companies are still not realizing the real problems existing in their ranks.
Its not just about cost cutting its about individuals who have so much ego and attitude problems that they are not just an expense burden but a force that pulls the company downwards.
Re: Re: Red signal
by Babun Ghosh on Mar 19, 2009 11:28 AM
Sun has some really good developers and technical staff. But they always try to hardball you with contracts. I agree with you, without the management team that is there, Sun would have been in a better position worldwide.
Btw, if you have problems with Sun management, wait till you meet the IBM team from east coast.
Re: Red signal
by Bala Kondepudi on Mar 19, 2009 11:59 AM
IBM is the starter of Open Source by extending its support to Linux Community, Eclipse etc. But Sun has surpassed every company to its contribution to opensource space by supporting up Open JDK, OpenSolaris, Jini, Netbeans, Mozilla, OpenOffice, MySql, EAI suites etc. The list is really huge. But surely it these two companies are technology power houses and need to look how they are able to work together.
IBMers today seem to be happy for the Sun Deal. But, the IBM India we know is a failed company in terms of employee talent retention. IBM India has the highest levels of attrition. Rest of them stay due to the comfortable life in IBM (though they wont admit it on this forum). IBM has mostly support work and no developer or consultant enjoys it. There is nothing worth exciting. They promise one thing during interviews but a poor IBMer has to go under a lot of projects shuffling in a year thereby being helpless and at mercy of diff. project managers. IBM employees lose their creativity and leadership skills they have garnered frm their previous companies. So lot of attrition. They get very poor yearly compensation. But there is onli one option left out. Either leave the organisation if you are career conscious or enjoy the liberty and freedom of having no work at IBM for couple of months until your RDM catches you.
Though IBM as a company is not at fault, I feel the mgmt is. High time they get awares of employees concern. They have crowd but effecient. I really doubt. Bcoz the ones with efficiency leave within first year.
Few people have the guts to admit this. I have joined recently at middle management levels. So i know this.
Re: An IBMer- a poor chap lost in kumbh ka mela
by Venu Vedam on Mar 19, 2009 12:05 PM
>>I have joined recently at middle management levels. So i know this.
How come you figured out the culture of your company so soon? It takes years to understand the work culture of a firm.
Re: An IBMer- a poor chap lost in kumbh ka mela
by Rahul Kulkarni on Mar 19, 2009 11:42 AM
An employee can choose to live a comfortable life in an organisation, or push himself and get himself recognized by his own actions. You need to get off your cozy bottom and exhibit your talent in the organization such that the top management have to stand up and take notice. Blaming management has been guru mantra for freshers and less experienced guys. Oh and BTW... IBM is not the only company which has lot of support projects. All Indian IT cos are majorly into support. That has been India's forte. If you want to be creative and work on cutting edge technology then you better start looking abroad or get into on-site projects. BTW, since you have the guts to admit this in an non-IBM forum like Rediff, may be you have the guts to tell this to your Business Unit VP so that he is aware of this situation.
Re: Re: An IBMer- a poor chap lost in kumbh ka mela
by D T on Mar 19, 2009 12:11 PM
Rahul, thats what. 70K employees. Do you expect the management to give you opportunties or recognise everybody's contribution and talent. Not possible. Out of 500 resources, a manager can give a rating of 1(super achievers) to only 3 employees. So does that mean rest of 490 dont deserve this.
The statement, which you made, "Blaming management has been guru mantra for freshers and less experienced guys.". You have doubted the intelligence of freshers/ less exp guys. Remember one thing. You too mite have started your career initialy bfore growing. and so all of us have. But if the company is hiring them, they should not be taken for granted.!!!
Re: An IBMer- a poor chap lost in kumbh ka mela
by Atanu Chatterjee on Mar 19, 2009 12:35 PM
Thats more or less true not only about IBM but also about all other major indian s/w companies be it MNC or indian origin. However a percentage of good development projects are also there in each of these companies, which is unfortunately decreasing with time
Re: An IBMer- a poor chap lost in kumbh ka mela
by mayank kumar on Mar 19, 2009 11:32 AM
This reply of yours is certainly an eye opener for many engineers. I am saying everyone will believe it, but most of the people will try to know more truth about it for sure. Great post. Keep posting. I am in the first year of my job in storage based company and IBM is one of our clients, so i was obviously concerned. It would be great to know more from you. Thank you.
Re: Re: An IBMer- a poor chap lost in kumbh ka mela
by Ajnabi Kaun on Mar 19, 2009 11:59 AM
IBM is one company which means business and nothing but business. There is no place for idealistic thoughts like employee welfare, retentions or any such employee relations !! Give your worth to the company otherwise company will consider you as a weed and will not give a second thought before throwing you out. If you wanna survive here, be loyal as a dog and clever as cat , otherwise, you will never know, when will be last day in the company.
Re: Re: It will be good
by D T on Mar 19, 2009 10:59 AM
Sun ke saath deal ho gaya toh IBM employees ko survival of the fitest question aa jayega.. As Sun resources are immensely technically talented. Be ready for this dooms day.
Re: Re: Re: Re: It will be good
by D T on Mar 19, 2009 11:24 AM
Popat, you are right. 20% of IBM crowd is really super genuis. Not doubting that.Rest 35% genuis is not utilised by the organisation due to lack of challenging roles available. Rest crowd i really doubt.
Request all my friends not to b offended. Its a concern rather than personal attacks.
Re: It will be good
by Babun Ghosh on Mar 19, 2009 11:32 AM
Subha, are you an IBM research guy or an IBM Global Support guys? If you in support, this deal has nothing to do with you.
