Now that the DOJ is threatening the merger we thought was a done deal, I can't decide if it's a good or bad thing. On one hand, I keep thinking that if the merger with Time Warner goes true, we'll have have huge layoffs under the guise of consolidation. On another hand, if done right, the merger could really help AT&T get to its former glory days. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens...
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It's bad for employees. The short and long term revenue plan is based on that merger happening, since the value in it is in digital advertising which requires two key parts -- 1) TV customers to collect data on (DTV & Uverse) and media to sell advertising (networks). By the DOJ pushing AT&T to sell off DTV or parts of TW, that breaks up the model to make the advertising successful. If the merger doesn't happen, the company is SO FAR behind in the revenue plan, that there will be huge budget gaps everywhere.... and to close those gaps, most likely more layoffs since you only make more money 2 ways - increase revenue or decrease expenses. Since AT&T has been losing wireless as well as TV customers through churn, AND has been lowering prices in step with the broader market, their margins are thinning.
I understand the frustration many of you have with T but your analysis of the company's strategy from some of you shows your lack of understanding in technology trends. If you just compare T to VZ,S and T Mo it's not even close. Fios is dead with no with no viable OTT option. S and T Mo just buy customers with cheap phone plans.
T strategy:
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5G & IOT
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DTV Now
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Business Cloud & Software Solutions
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Content creation - Analytical Advertising
That's it y'all get into one of those business units or your future @ T will limited.
The cell phone business is dead? You sir are an idiot.
No merger is worst for Randall because that would make 3 big failures under his leadership that undermine what he envision for T's future. The T-mobile failed acquisition cost the company a lot, he failed to buy the company that held the spectrum he needed for his 20/20 scheme getting outbid by Verizon and if he fails at the TW deal then the DTV purchase, his plans for and his future in the company get real shaky.
Imprecise or not, AT&T CEO solution to many of these problems requires the kind of foresight and knack for adaptation at which HE Excels, his multi- year plan and the demise of U-verse product along with the UNION Workforce, I can see the savings as the company wont be paying pensions, medical coverage by getting rid of the Union due to not having a product to support, this is GENIUS.
It is a master plan, unfortunately we have people commenting on this site totally misinformed. He will continue pushing Direct Now, and kiss many of you jobs good bye. IT Is economics
I don’t understand why AT&T bought DirecTV and released DirecTV NOW. We had our own existing OTT service with U-verse (yes it’s also referred to as “IPTV”). Instead of investing in a fiber rich U-verse network we burn money buying existing outdated infrastructure. This leadership is NOT forward looking.
Instead of focusing on growing organically we went for the Big Merger with DTV which was already loosing subscribers due to the cord cutting trend. How foolish . We should have instead just have build our own OTT Platform like DTV NOW and did not need to spend 65B . Dish TV would have been a much cheaper deal. We would have got their Sling TV and their huge Spectrum holdings . DTV had nothing to offer, but just will continue to bleed AT&T . How could the management not see the writing on the wall. All the current layoff is the result of these bad decisions. Instead of focusing on the competition with T-Mo, we were busy trying to integrate DTV. What a Mess!!
If everyone is scared of who's going to be made redundant when a merger DOES happen, wouldn't you be happy if you found out it's not going through?
If the merger goes through you have a small chance of having your job saved and less layoffs. Donald Trump hates CNN so when he started talking about FCC regulations Stephenson and Time Warner Media started worrying then. Wheels are already set in motion with AT&T regardless of which direction the company goes. The cellphone business is dead we don’t even offer great promotions. The centers for sales aren’t getting any calls.
The merger is just another smoke screen to divert attention from the bad company leadership.
I would hope with another failed merger , Stevenson would have to be out the door finally.
AT&T doesn't have a chance of getting to its former glory days for a few reasons. The biggest is the poor leadership at the top. The merger wasn't going to fix that.