Re: 67 This Year
I joined IBM in 1989 as a experienced hire. I think I must have been one of the last UK people taken on under the 'old' IBM rules. We had the IBM culture rolled out to us as a major benefit of working for IBM. The next intake were taken on as FTC's, with different T&Cs and pension rights.
I decided to leave after 7 years, as I could not see a future for my role (support based in the UK), and since that time have spent a total of something like 11 years working on contract for IBM, doing one long stint in a role as an on-site customer support that really, really should have been done by an IBM permie. It's a good job I decided to represent IBM as if I was an IBM employee (there was no deception, the client was quite aware of my employment status).
I'm not sure how many other contractors would have done the same (most contractors, IMHO are a cynical, self-serving bunch).
But one way or another, it will bite IBM, because the number of ex-IBM contractors that work for IBM, providing the skills that no longer exist in IBM is huge. Once these people retire, there will not be the skills in IBM's own products, and no skilled ex-IBMers left because current employees are not trained enough.
The only saving grace (for IBM) is that they appear to be determined to sell or destroy almost all of their older technologies that have served the company over the years.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
