* Posts by Runningonempty

6 publicly visible posts • joined 21 Aug 2020

IBM outlines Asian growth ambitions with acquisition of Indonesian ERP consultancy

Runningonempty

Re: Interesting

Ya think ?

IBM, Kyndryl cut jobs even after cutting ties

Runningonempty

Comparing IBM to a magician and some churches

I remember a conversation had around 1985 with my then manager .

He held a torch for "efficiency" , claiming that one could ALWAYS achieve more with less . No exception .

I remember telling him that he must have been mightily happy to still have a job since he was so poor at it .

His reponse was a puzzled look .

I explained to him that , indeed , by his view , his job required him to fire 100% of his employees since ,

by his line of thinking , the logical conclusion was this :

** the maximum result is be obtained with the minimum number of employees , i.e. zero . **

I will add he was considered a "high-flyer" having NEVER past the mark of 12 months in the same job .

I can only surmise that the current higher management attended the same basic training ( read indoctrination ) as that poor soul .

We are not witnessing a very great deal of intelligence here .

IBM health benefits blackout leaves retirees footing the bill

Runningonempty

Forgot to add

...

Lesson : ALWAYS stick with the old plan . It is , by definition , superior .

.

But then , you run the risk ( with a quite high probability I am told ) that IBM will muck up the old plan by some twist of words

( remember California "quota letters" that are BOTH a contract , and NOT a contract ? ) .

Still , best odds are with the old plan .

Runningonempty

Lesson for curent IBMers

I was told a story dating back to the early 70s ( if memory serves ) .

IBM had come up with an "improvement" in the retirement plan . Employees had a choice , but , boy o boy , the new plan was grrrrreat !!!

The person who told be this was then a newbie and his manager , who had 20-30 years with IBM had explained a very simple fact to this newbie .

" IBM just spent a ton of money , time , resources , for a "new" plan . All of that was not done to give more money to employees . "

Lesson : ALWAYS stick with the old plan . It is , by definition , superior .

IBM says it's been running 'AI supercomputer' since May but chose now to tell the world

Runningonempty

Who's to say this is not a "re-brand" of Watson ? Re-branding comes to mind when I read all of the "reasons" given ... all re-hash from previous "demand generation" announcements from past decades .

Alas , plus ça change , plus c'est pareil .

What legacy is IBM really shooting for? Cheating its own salespeople out of millions? Here we go again, allegedly

Runningonempty

Running into the ground

And people wonder why the top line has been going down for some time ; since Sam essentially !

This must make great sense to the accountants .... substitute withheld commissions for profits .

This IS "working as designed" .

I expect a re-run of when IBM came a few weeks from not being able to pay salaries .