IBM Says It Will Add 15,000 Jobs
IBM, which has made a series of small layoffs since last September, said it plans to add 15,000 jobs worldwide this year - a move that would increase its workforce by 5%. About 4,500 of the new jobs will be based in the U.S, an IBM spokeswoman said. The company also plans to spend $200 million to train up to 100,000 workers in hot IT skills, such as Linux and Web services.
Dell Warns About Defect in Server
Dell Inc. warned that its PowerEdge 1650 server can overheat, emit smoke and shut down because of a defective component. Dell said it will replace the motherboards on all 1650s sold between last January and early May. The 1650, a rack-mounted server for use in data centers, was dropped in mid-2003 after Dell introduced a system called the 1750.
Siebel Buys Maker Of Call Center Apps
Siebel Systems Inc. has agreed to buy Ineto Services Inc., a developer of hosted call center applications, for up to $5 million in cash. This would be Siebel's second acquisition of a hosted CRM software vendor in three months; the company bought UpShot Corp. in November. Siebel also reported a $41.5 million profit on revenue of $366.7 million for last year's fourth quarter.
Sun Nabs Content Switch Vendor
Sun Microsystems Inc. said it will acquire Nauticus Networks Inc., a vendor of content switches designed for use with Web-based applications. Financial terms weren't disclosed. Sun said it plans to integrate Nauticus' technology with its line of blade servers.