Let's run the numbers: how many people are actively interviewing? How many are updating their resumes? How many would take the first decent offer that came their way? I'd bet my next paycheck it's north of 40%. That's not a workforce, that's a waiting room.
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Let’s define national markets yet one more way. They are accounts that see no value in IBM solutions. Why would that be? Perhaps it’s because IBM abandoned ISV’s years ago and as such ISV’s adopted LINUX on Intel solutions. Do you see any customers beating a path toward IBM? Power solutions based on AIX or OS/400 are slightly shrinking. Remove upgrades and they are definitely shrinking. Power solutions based on linux on Power are non-existent. ISV’s never adopted them. So are customers beating a path toward IBM’s Intel solutions? Yes that’s crickets you are hearing. IBM has been, currently is, and most likely always will be a mainframe and “niche” ISV player (Oracle and SAP). Who says that? Well IBM actually says that when they state on any quarters first day, they have 80% of the revenue already baked. So where is mainframe revenue heading? You got it. Stable to slightly shrinking. Net net. White space is where careers go to die.
@c4 National Market was whitespace accounts - customers who have limited spends for IBM products and services
IBM has always had 3 go to market strategies
Mainframe
SMB (mostly power)
Intel
Now ask yourself where has IBM spent money over the last 5 years?
Yep you got it. On any SW company that compliments mainframe
SMB investment = nope. Let the partners and ISV’s duke it out.
Intel investment = double nope as IBM sold Intel off and said it was a commodity market
So if you are not in Mainframe/Enterprise solutions, what IBM offerings are in your kit bag?
Again you got it. You are running in place at best hoping for an upgrade, and most likely farming an already empty and abandoned marketplace
The SMB and Intel marketplace abandoned IBM for LINUX solutions 10 years ago and they have not looked back
The sooner IBM acknowledges this, the sooner IBM will stop wasting efforts on lost causes
@ew It looks like, the slimy Indian and his cabal, are is some serious trouble. They are reaching out to some, affected by the recent RA's to join IBM back.
Bob saw that movie Event Horizon it was cool. Are all the sales coming from the gateway to he-l?
@dw it feels like everyone I know has been on at least 1 interview
I have started sending my resumes to other companies. It is unbearable.....I have been waiting for layoffs but they are not coming, so I decided to leave on my own terms. Wish me luck ;-)
What was National market in the first place anyway?
So if you do not live in a key big city or sales hub as IBM likes to call it, your choice is to work in the Horizon market?
So let’s see. This is what used to be the National market? What’s changed to make this new name, Horizon market, more successful?
@ap
Is he on a pip?
@aq They are concerned with consolidation of their own power and personal agendas. It creates silos and factions. The average Joe person who doesn’t pick a side or swear allegiance to one just gets used like cattle. They become cannon fodder and are expendable.
The new evaluation system (70% CORE Really???), no raises for many people and the lack of respect for top performers has caused me to retire earlier than I anticipated. I am just lucky I can. Sick of the poor leadership that disrespects the contribution of the people there and thus limits IBM growth. They just don't get it. Leadership always think the solution is to fire, people or disincentivize them from staying.
What do you expect with Rob Thomas leadership?
@a8
I’ve seen the same. The Horizon market is very poorly structured and the account teams are really struggling as a result.
Is the Horizon market largely composed of what was called “whitespace” accounts and why would IBM assign talented people to those accounts while assigning green less experienced to enterprise accounts? This has always been sc--wed up
I’m in US Horizon Market sales. I don’t know a single person who is happy. Executive leadership really blew it. What a terrible group of people they are.
@a3 Albany here and I would say it feels like the opposite. From what I’ve seen and hear, it seems like almost everyone is quietly trying to get out. Aside from a small group of favorites, most people just seem absolutely miserable.
In Albany it seems nobody tries to leave and they wait to be fired and laid off