Thread regarding IBM layoffs

Arvind Krishna stands out as a visionary CEO because he understands where enterprise technology is actually going—and has the conviction to move early and decisively. While others chased consumer hype, he repositioned IBM around hybrid cloud, AI, and quantum computing, aligning the company with the backbone of future business infrastructure. His leadership reflects a rare mix of technical expertise and strategic discipline, focusing on high-value innovation rather than vanity metrics. By prioritizing long-term relevance over short-term noise, Krishna has quietly transformed IBM into a company built for the next era of computing.

@bg NOPE. It was Lou Gerstner who intentionally vaporized the IBM Basic Beliefs that every IBMer cherised for 70 years when he came in 4-1-93. 57 of those years under IBM founder Thomas J Watson Sr 42 years and his some Thomas J Watson Jr for 15. 1. Respect for the Individual. The Watsons TRULY LOVED their employees because Watson Sr had a tough upbringing in upstate NY and even began his career selling organs and sewing machines door to door in a horse drawn carriage. He then did well at NCR only to be humiliated and fired. Respect meant ANY IBMer could request a mtg with ANY IBM EXEC with no retribution thru their Open Door and Speak Up Pgms. Gerstner was a pompous and arrogant man coming from McKinsey where they are taught they are the smartest peopl on the planet. I can see the first time somebody brought up RESPECT to Lou and he went irate. 2. Excellence in everything we do. Always the best. None of today's IBM's nonsense of "progress over perfection". BS. 3. Best Customer Service in the world. IBM was pretty much all hardware back then and the CEs customer engineers now SSR system support reps were the best of the best and highly trained and adored by customers. IBM today is like the boiler room on a steam ship. Do not hope or think it will get better.

@b5 I see it differently (25 years there) 12 before the G Man Gerstner and 13 after.

This from 2018...Imagine now India is 3 to 4x the size of US population. Chasing cheap labor offshore while IBM fades to black. Sad. India displaces the US as home of IBM's largest workforce. https://www.consultancy.in/news/432/india-displaces-the-us-as-home-of-ibms-largest-workforce

Tens of thousands of great IBM US folks sacrificed for Arvind's homeland with a caste system.

@av I have been with IBM for just under 15 years. What drew me to this company was its heritage, values and culture. I actually cried when I arrived at HQ on my first day. However, I am crestfallen by what I see with RAs, endless acquisitions and partnerships, and extremely low morale. This breaks my heart. I hope this is all temporary and we will rise to the occasion of greatness like before.

It helps to understand what was going on at the time. As IBM shrank over the decades, Somers and Palisades were no longer required. Just like RA'd employees were declared as "surplus", so was the real estate. IBM sold each of those sites to real estate speculators who hoped to make a ki-ling.

The problem was...those speculators couldn't do it. It's extremely difficult and extremely expensive to redevelop "formerly single-use" properties, which Somers and Palisades definitely are. The counties have their hands out (Westchester and Rockland), putting all sorts of restrictions and expectations on what can be done in those places. In the meantime the physical plants at both sites were left idle, the infrastructure was left to rot, and there are now major environmental issues to clean up before any sort of rebuilding can begin.

People often talk about abandoned car factories near Detroit, or old steel mills falling apart. These places are no different. IBM is not the company that it once was, and so these places are now bygone relics.

Made me cry. Joined in the early 80s. IBM should R.I.P.

there's probably 100 RAs worth of cr-p in these places. such a waste of money.