Thread regarding Open Text Corp. layoffs

OT is dying

Any “business intelligence” company with market cap between 1-10B USD that is not growing is dead. OT fits this category. It’s impossible to grow against the behemoths MSFT, IBM, SAP with a motley set of acquisitions/products/services and an equally motley Board composition. OT is doomed to die a slow death. Its only exit paths are bankruptcy, acquisition by a behemoth or complete reinvention.

Bankruptcy will happen if one of the other two strategies don’t happen. Acquisition by a behemoth is more likely because the ELT and the Board are incentivized to receive their exit parachutes. Reinvention is impossible because a) there is no reinvention leader with greater than 50% Board votes inside OT, and b) the Board as-is won’t “buy” reinvention.

If acquisition by a behemoth is the selected and Board approved path, then what the ELT is doing now, cutting costs and consolidating COEs that make sense to an acquirer, makes all the sense in the world. Evidence that this is “the” path that the ELT and the Board wish for is Berenchea’s screaming AI email to all@OT a few days ago.

The choice of each employee - find your own parachute consistent with an acquisition by behemoth. OT’s reinvention is impossible, so reinvent yourself,

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| 2021 views | | 9 replies (last December 6) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+1jskzknrd

9 replies (most recent on top)

Would not be surprised if George Santos joins our board. He is looking for a job.

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Post ID: @100r+1jskzknrd

Came across this post in a google search. It's interesting to see how the pessimism has proven accurate time and time again.

OT is dying.

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Post ID: @ypq+1jskzknrd

Just watched this video regarding Titanium Xhttps://youtu.be/mOzeYrOLPNc?si=UZXOksiy74ROIwPI

Sounds like it does everything, but won’t believe the hype till there are some real customer testimonials. Until then, it’s all talk and spin like some of the “innovative” products in the Sears catalog 125 years ago that solved everything. If Billy Mays were still alive, OpenText would probably employ him to pitch OT AI products.

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Post ID: @ck+1jskzknrd

We got a “what is Titanium X?” email today. Apparently no one actually knows what it is and the email tried to explain it.

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Post ID: @bt+1jskzknrd

Remember the 'don't bite the hand that feeds you' line?
s/b changed to 'bite the hand the starves you to death'.

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Post ID: @as+1jskzknrd

When I was brought on, my Sr Director made something very clear in our first meeting: OT is not a software development company. It is an investment firm. Neither Leadership or the BoD has any interest in software development. There is no interest being a leader in the market. No interest in cultivating talent to get the best out of our product. The ONLY interest is to buy buy buy, and cut cut cut. Rinse and repeat. Our focus as a team will never be on anymore more than cost cutting.

I was shocked at how candid he was. Of course realizing he was only doing so because he was fed up himself, since he quit soon after.

The only thing that has changed since is that OT has gotten worse. They don't even pretend to care anymore. The nonsense announcements we have been getting about his vision are just that. They make zero sense. AI is the way NOW? With zero guidance and no plan. Just statements and demands from: no more asking for headcount that AI can do. Add at least 3 goals on how you are going to incorporate AI in your work this year.

Oh and, CoE is the way! Anyone with a functioning brain knows that this is ridiculous nonsense to justify the norm of cut cut cut.

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Post ID: @ah+1jskzknrd

OpenText is working with Product Development and Marketing to have a male voice announce “You’ve got AI” when opening and OpenText products to convince customers OT is an AI powerhouse… the reality is that they are more like AOL or Yahoo vs Google or Microsoft.

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Post ID: @ac+1jskzknrd

been true since 2017 at least. So much wasted activity that never makes business or deals close. They needed OT2 - good in theory - to be a success in 2018, but couldn't get it done. Industry has lapped them twice - worst part is many there in leadership have no idea what their competitors and customers are doing.

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Post ID: @a5+1jskzknrd

Mark B talks about AI and innovation but he has turned OpenText into Computer Associates.

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Post ID: @a1+1jskzknrd

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