for Jesper
"You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot
help the wage-earner by pulling down the wage-payer. You cannot further
the Brotherhood of Man by encouraging class hatred. You cannot help
the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot keep out of trouble by
spending more than you earn. You cannot build character and courage
by taking away a man's initiative. You cannot help men permanently by
doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.
- Abraham Lincoln
Ivan Hallworth -
Jesper,
Sun is still a great company and so is Oracle.
To teach and to be working in IT like you do and be an owner is a most noble profession.
Please remember, no one is forced to work at either of these two companies, nor other IT
companies.
Sun and Oracle pay staff very well with generous benefits. Other companies do too. Yes, they are all very highly performance driven in this competitive environment and in economic tough times. They don't get so much credit for all the opportunity, work and employment that they have created long term in the past and still do and the good that they have done and continue to do. Its not so easy for companies to survive long term, let alone prosper.
I admire Scott McNealy in one great respect that during the fall out post Y2K he did his darndest to resist mass layoffs, and to an extent succeeded, and it must have been tough to do this against the board who were possibly encouraging this at the time. He was a tough but clean and fair competitor when I sold against him at Fujitsu on worldwide finance accounts. Sun had seen very little direct sales competition in its prized accounts until then. Within enterprise SPARC it had a monopoly. He had been leading Sun successfully for some considerable time even then.
Sun and Fujtisu's problem has never been technology, both are terrific innovators and leaders in this respect.
The Sun and Fujitsu problem to my mind is simply sales, sales ambition and sales courage, sales creation and sales execution. Without professional and effective sales, growth can't be sustained, and in time because the overheads of running these complex businesses is so high it leads to pressures to cut costs.
Oracle should be able to fix all this. Painful no doubt and doubtless necessary.
Sales, plus too much middle-tier and less than enlightened middle management sometimes.
There are first rate people in both organisations, they need to be found and topgraded and encouraged.
In terms of the overall Sun and Fujitsu lineup both are still excellent and of course Sun worked closely with Fujitsu on high end SPARC servers. In many regards Fujitsu made it possible for Sun. Both companies quietly and confidently have a long and successful history of mutual cooperation and great benefit.
Hopefully this will continue with Oracle.
Sun's whole solution lineup and the 'Share' campaign leitmotif is truly inspired.
Just like NetApp's AND is the new OR campaign, something many of us quietly discouvered earlier.
The industry and customers need really for this to succeed, otherwise it becomes an enterprise world were the only first-rate competitors become a duopoly; IBM Power 7 + and Intel.
Innovation and progress perhaps then would be stifled.
It will be difficult because of the current respective market shares and growth rates and again we are back to fundamental sales and better buying considerations.
We must all make and do very much better IT deals, locally and internationally.
It can be done though. Even in these chastened times. Where there is the quiet ambition and will to get on with it and get it done.
Existing and any future layoffs at Sun and at Oracle are most unfortunate. This was the starting point for the earlier piece.
You have to believe profoundly in unlimited and sustainable abundance.
One man's prosperity does not create another's poverty.
All poverty is self-perpetuated over the long term.
You can take as much as you like without depriving anybody else, and should do so without guilt. Even awsome, monumental wealth like Bill Gates' and Larry Ellison's has not deprived even one person of even one spoonful of soup, and has made many others rich and provided gainful employment to thousands who lack the courage or initiative to employ themselves.
Looks at the Gates' Foundation like a modern Carnegie Trust. Greatest Gospel of Good Fortune in Africa! Cambridge University in England where its made it possible for over 900 of tomorrow's best leaders from overseas to get first rate learning and opportunity.
This will continue for likely centuries more. A modern day Carnegie Gospel of Wealth.
With this in mind, give charitably as you choose, and help as much as you can and choose, but not out of guilt, and not seeking quid pro quo.
Many of the Sun displaced will go on to prosper if they wish, working for other firms, or starting their own new businesses, they are on the whole a smart bunch! Opportunity abounds and we are despite appearances in a new golden age.
As for the America's Cup, Jesper, you are right in this particular context it is in not such great taste perhaps for me to mention it. It exists though and is fact.
Please kindly be assured that I did not mean it in the way you may perhaps may have assumed having left Sun 23rd January 2008 myself, I am perhaps well aware of the implications and have given this careful and I hope thoughtful consideration.
Sixty million if that is the figure is a lot and would keep 1000 or more jobs for a year its true.
Maybe not all of this is from Oracle, its a joint team.
All progress depends to a certain extent on unreasonable people and approach.
Like landing on the moon, or creating computers, software and other helpful tools, most scientific and engineering really is indefensible if you think about it, though equally it often brings increasing and bounteous good benefits to all in its wake. That, at least, is what we all hope.
The America's Cup and the learning from it is a force for good.
Certainly this year sees a lot of innovation and an interesting match.
It too brings gainful employment for many.
Who know what benefits research and use of fixed wing sails may bringa about, or not!
Leaders and people in IT need perhaps to concentrate on the good, help the less fortunate, and
build each other up instead of all the wreckless attack and trying to pull down to justify one's
own position.
We need enlightened self interest and not bad self interest.
Everyone is claiming to be entitled and at the same time a victim.
Expectations unrealistic. Whatever happened to a modest enough is enough and to care and share?
There is much wrong that needs to be fixed. Just look at whats happening right now, questions raised in the UK House of Commons by the consituency MPs where IBMs head office is over IBM employee pension rights whilst at the same time corporate profits and shareholder rewards are skyrocketing. This trouble from the very company that invented paid holidays, care and benefits for people and employees. Look at he current mess over this same issue at Fujitsu and HP. Does nothing for the common good and their reputations and is a failure of enlightened leadership. We call on them to fix this properly and fairly!
Yes Sun too. Probably this is going on across the industry. There is a way, a more balanced way through better inspired and enlightened leadership and lets hope this happens and quick.
Oracle Sun resolution is easy in my view, I know exactly what I'd do if I were involved in running it, but I'm not.
More balance needs to be restored and leaders need to see things more closely through employee's and customer's eyes.
Employees do need to be put first and to be treated fairly by leaders. Without this, how on earth can you properly and long term help customers and shareholders gain increasing sustainable prosperity and be in the best competitive position?
I am ever optimistic and hopeful in spite of it all!
Engineers in IT and customers deserve so very much better from our leadership and there is
such talent and capability all around this wonderful industry. We need to make and do very
much better mutually beneficial deals.
IT future, perhaps a bit surprisingly is about people and better people relationships and mutual
understanding.
Looking forward and intrigue to hear Apple's and Oracle's news on the 27th.
Apparently both leaders are firm friends.
Ever Onward!
With Faith and Ever Hopeful!
Warmly Yours,
Ivan Hallworth
PS: to whoever asked about there job. Its not up to me. Please Relax. Hope for the Best, plan for the worst and take what comes. Either way please just do something!
Be Well
and Warmest Best Wishes to you and to you Jesper. You are Winners.
...
Biting the hand that feeds IT
