Thread regarding Sungard Availability Services layoffs

What also seems to be even more remarkable about this phenomenon is Andy Stern and the VPs completely deny that there's anything wrong. As US, UK, and Canadian teams are wholesale gutted, new "super" VPs are being hired under the illusion that they will single handedly rally the staff and turn things around. VPs are denying the layoffs are a result of financial issues and saying that we are just adjusting to outsourcing norms in the industry. This is total BS. The layoffs are about raising cash on hand. We're not getting the cash from the customers so we need to get it from the US staff. The people that are being fired are the loyal, talented and hard working staff. It seems like the harder you work the better chances you have of being let go. I'm also leaving as soon as a new job comes though. I've never worked for a bigger bunch of morons.

Agree with all the criticisms below. Sungard AS is a remarkable phenomenon where you get to see attrition, layoffs, and off-shore staff that don’t understand US businesses. No updated documentation, no real training processes since mass layoffs. Getting rid of entire departments has paralyzed the delivery of basic services to customers. Unhappy customers means exodus of customers. It’s just a matter of going through the steady death of this company while my colleagues and I are on the job hunt.

"A big portion of sales will be targeted."

Well, speaking from sales, that won't surprise me. It'll be a storm, so I'm told, or that's the mood in my area. The scary thing is, there's nothing to sell. Well, all right, we have unstable products to show the customer, that's about it. It's also hard to ramp up on our cloud offerings because there's hardly any documentation or training on what we do have. The portal has outdated stuff, and practically zero documentation. But who cares anyway? I can tell you, so many are jumping ship, including me.

Supposedly, the layoffs begin this week (of October 9). That's the buzz here in HQ, and morale is really low. A big portion of sales will be targeted. Sadly, they have nothing to really sell because the products are slow in development and unstable, so non-existent. Product development itself is struggling and will also be targeted. Meantime, Sungard AS can't attract top talent because it has no money and no stock options to offer as a private company. It's onwards anyway to filling roles in India and Costa Rica, which our customers don't like dealing with. So it's all a death spiral. This place is out of control. Good luck to all.

Anonymous | Post ID: @PyZ3EAW-3ovf

Congrats on finding a new job and getting off the sinking ship. Totally agree with your comments and response to Bad Dog. I'm also very actively looking (as are most people I talk to on a daily basis) and hope I'm off the ship soon. For now, I'm sitting back and enjoying the daily comedy as you put it. Care to take any bets on how long before the ship is fully under?

From Bad Dog (@PyZ3EAW-1djv):

"Sungard great place stop whining"

Dude, your broken English tells me you're part of the illustrious new staff, in balmy third-world India, who our remaining customers cannot understand. Still, you got me wondering: I've just accepted an offer from a better company, and I'm wondering if I'll miss out on some good comedy at Sungard AS. Because, with your delusion, I'm guessing you're either being funny or just irresponsibly stupid. Wait, I got it...you're really funny, just as funny as CEO A. Stern!

But, ultimately, you are right. Sungard AS is a great place. Just look at the post below (by @PyZ3EAW-3dkr), which highlights the trends of a sinking company. Here's a few more for you:

CFO has butchered the company: offshoring/laying off each quarter

Closing data centers

Losing customers consistently and rapidly

90% of executives are leaving or has left. When executives bail, it’s an admittance of failure.

Massive debt coming due

Nobody wants to buy the company because it’s a friggin’ failure

The company can’t sell anything turnkey

Slow to innovate

Vendors are not being paid

But don't worry, you'll get a chance to whine when you're out of a job when the company reaches zero customers and shuts down.

Spot on - the company is completely imploding. Revenues are falling off of a cliff, cancelations and terminations on contracts are rising, and customer sat is horrible. Operations has no budget or staff to do what they need to fix things, and the bills are literally not being paid. Layoffs are continuing to pile on as well and morale is nominal at best.

Sungard great place stop whining

True

You are spot on Sungardas is a total disaster what a great company it once was that they drove into the ground because of their greed just a matter of time at this point who gives a s***