Fergie's Tech Blog

IBM UK mainframe workers train their South African replacements

In a The Register exclusive, Ashlee Vance writes:

If you're one of IBM UK's highly skilled mainframe specialists, then you may well be out of a job. IBM has shuffled a huge chunk of its mainframe support operations off to South Africa in a bid to cut costs. As a result, some of IBM's highest profile customers will find their critical mainframe support calls traveling south to a staff who recently spent just over 30 days in the UK learning the ropes.

On May 5, a number of South African technicians arrived at Heathrow airport and made their way to the Warwick Hilton, a source told El Reg. Over the next few weeks, the staffers went through some basic education exercises and gradually moved up to learn about more complex support functions. Specifically, the South Africans were trained to handle IBM's MVS (Multiple Virtual Systems) - aka mainframe operating system - support. The workers were taught by the very people they would soon replace.

posted by Fergie @ 7/01/2005 09:30:00 AM