Is IBM the next MaBell?
Some interesting gear, worked alongside their field engineers on some projects.. Very similar field forces, except as non-Union, their troops were left to fend for themselves for rooming, travel, so some literally lived out of their cars to shuffle around, project to project. Sad setup, so I'd help them out where I could, we traded tools, info a lot, in fact I just tossed a stack of tech manuals schematics a while ago..
Their attempts at personal computers was also sad, one project I had was ripping a floor of their PCs, monitors out, replaced with old WeCo/AT&T stuff that actually worked!
Ages ago I had a fun interview with some IBM HR guys, I asked too many pointed questions, they went away, didn't like me any more.. Two Nephews worked for IBM out here, one a machinist, the other in software, both bailed after a couple years, one to become a Linguist, the other now works for Sears as a field tech..
Like Bell Labs, IBM seems to have collapsed in on themselves...
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