Big Blue's former CIO tried to join AWS, ends up at energy company

IBM appears to have succeeded in its efforts to stop its former CIO join Amazon Web Services. Jeff S Smith left IBM in May 2017 after being offered a senior gig at AWS. That move rather distressed IBM, because Smith knew all about Big Blue's plans to revamp its cloud and set sail in pursuit of Amazon. IBM therefore flung a …

[frank ly]

Breaking News

World Fuel Systems have announced a surprise move into the cloud computing market.

[Sir Runcible Spoon]

Re: Breaking News

Perhaps Amazon are about to buy World Fuel Systems?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Breaking News

Data is fuel.

[NoneSuch]

Re: Breaking News

IBM's cloud isn't that fluffy.

[TonyJ]

Of course...

...there's nothing to stop him having "off the record" chats with Amazon, either. I mean, he's not employed by them (although I suspect he signed some form of NDA's for IBM but proving he was the source would be difficult).

[Doctor Huh?]

Huh?

How could Smith possibly know IBM's plans for Cloud domination when IBM doesn't seem to know its own plans (that troublesome Step 2 that is always ???, right before "Step 3. Profit"). Given IBM's Cloud successes to date, their BEST strategy is to dump their entire executive team on any competitors foolish enough to hire them.

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: Huh?

How did you get hold of IBM's secret strategy?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Huh?

Someone left it in a social media post

[Anonymous Coward]

IBM doesn't have any "Strategy" beyond meetings to discuss meetings to discuss what to do about scheduling the next meeting. The "IBM Cloud" is a joke that isn't funny. "Watson" is the AI Joke that will never be funny. And the fact that they are paying a $32 million annual bonus that isn't performance based, to a CEO who isn't DOING anything but giving fancy speeches about week performing products, is the biggest joke at IBM.

[Yes Me]

Don't forget the stock options

Even today, IBM stock options are valuable if priced low enough. When a senior person leaves IBM with unvested options, or even with stock acquired under specified conditions before leaving, IBM can claw them back - a major financial impact of breaking the non-compete clause. My guess is that that's the area where the settlement lies, since otherwise non-compete is pretty much unenforcable.