blog It seems as if, when it comes to major Australian technology companies such as Telstra, Optus, HP and IBM, there are always ‘moves, adds and changes’ going on in these giants’ workforces. And the situation has become even more complex over the past few years, due to the integration most have between their local and global (often Indian or Malaysian) workforces. The latest news with respect to IBM (which only recently added some 150 new jobs at Ballarat) is bad. The AustralianIT reports this morning (we recommend you click here for the full, paywalled story):
“IBM Australia has embarked on a redundancy program, dubbed Project Mercury, which employees fear will see about 200 workers lose their positions.”
Given the fact that IBM Australia employs quite a few thousand staff and is hiring in other areas, it’s hard to see this as a major event for Big Blue locally. However, it’s also true that the Australian division of IBM recently suffered a relatively flat year in terms of revenue and profit growth; and that key markets such as telecommunications and government have been relatively flat in terms of spending recently, with most of Australia’s major telcos already having gone through internal transformation programs and the Federal Government’s historically fat purse feeling a bit slim at the moment.
Of course, all hope is not lost. There’s a huge tranche of IT outsourcing about to come on the market in Victoria, for example. Perhaps Big Blue can gain hope from the disasters of the Victorian State Government when it comes to technology projects and IT outsourcing … although it obviously won’t want to get into a similar situation as has so bedevilled it over the past few years at Queensland Health ;) Swings and roundabouts.
Image credit: Patrick H, Creative Commons
One of my relatives lost their position there a week or two ago.
I will give IBM kudos for helping them find consultancy work and they are also giving them a two week training course to help.
whole bunch of people where let go yesterday
Figures are a lot higher more like 1200.
1500 Au Ibm workers being made redundant on Friday 28th June 2013. And that’s a fact!!
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