Big Blue to get stimulus money to outsource!

[ITWhore]

http://www.economyincrisis.org/articles/show/2500

IBM announced that it is planning to seek a portion of the $2.5 billion that was set aside to stimulate broadband rollouts for rural America. Smart grid   systems deliver electricity from suppliers to consumers using digital technology to save energy and cost. This electricity network is being promoted by   numerous governments as a way to address energy independence and global warming.

   

However, IBM may not be the company for the job. IBM is ranked as the eighth largest user of foreign technology workers hired through H-1B visas in the U.S. Earlier this month IBM announced the implementation of a new program titled   Project Match, which moves American workers who have been laid off from domestic IBM sites to   foreign countries in which IBM has openings.

   

"IBM is not only offshoring IBM U.S. jobs but they want employees to offshore themselves through Project Match," said a spokesman for   Alliance@IBM, a workers' group that's affiliated with the Communications Workers of America but which does not have official union status at IBM.

 

[TRexx]

Please don't equate "outsourcing" with "offshoring". Last time I checked most of us are in the outsourcing business.

[JBB]

I think its likely that they'll make the claim that building (or enhancing) the grid requires people in the United States and as such, the jobs will be domestic. I think there should be a provision to legally require that employees have citizenship if the company is using money from the bailout. Maybe not all employees, just those working on anything directly financed by the bailout money.

Of course, the accounting magicians can play fast and loose with the books and make it look like anything they want it too, whether it's true or not.

[PhilFromNY]

They're also looking to get some of the money for rural internet access. Their pitch is to do it via power lines.

Overall, IBM is so plugged into the federal government I don't think they'll be a single line item of the stimulus that they won't try to get a piece of.

[JBB]

Well, hopefully people in congress have awakened and realize that this isn't the 90s anymore. It's time to get serious about the money and where it's going. Past serious.

[The Gorn]

I *think* this is the crap that was first discussed around 2000. The broadband signals are superimposed on the electric current carried by the lines. They basically are a type of signal that is exceptionally rich in harmonics and look pretty much like static.

The point is that if this is what I think it is, these signals wipe out most low amplitude radio traffic in the areas they're used in.

IE, ham radio and shortwave reception would be killed off. As well as some AM radio.

I almost think that's the intended effect. Get everyone off of communication facilities that the government can't control, lock down and record.

[The Gorn]

ARRL == American Radio Relay League, the association of amateur radio licensees. They fight for a small piece of liberty, too...

http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/

[TRexx]

Assuming IBM does get a contract to enhance  rural communications, they will probably subcontract to, or partner with, local companies to do the real work. IBM will make money managing the projects while shifting as much of the cost, risk and responsibility as possible to the other entities.

[JBB]

Maybe, that's probably one possible scenario. Another is bringing in cheap work to fill any jobs created as a result of winning the contracts. Time will tell.

[PhilFromNY]

I believe they are acting as a front for a different company that actually owns the technology to be used.