IBM's rollercoaster start to 2015

Ups and downs

It's been a topsy-turvy start to the year for IBM. Both the Australian and international operations have seen personnel upheaval, denials of personnel upheaval, massive product launches, performance anxiety - all while the channel watches on.

Pictured: IBM chief executive Ginny Rometty (left)

IBM appoints new Australian boss

The year kicked off with IBM Japan executive Kerry Purcell transferring to Australia to run the country.

"IBM continues to make significant investments locally that better enable our clients to take advantage of these market shifts," he said.

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IBM dismisses report of 112,000 layoffs

IBM was forced to dismiss a report in Forbes magazine that a staggering 112,000 employees - 26 percent of its workforce - could be cut.

The company released a statement saying the assertion was "stupid".

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Queensland feud continues

After a year of inaction on the case over the Queensland Health payroll debacle, the Queensland government appointed a new legal team and upgraded the damages it was seeking in December last year.

Read the full story on iTnews.

Top two Australian channel execs depart

Second-in-charge Leo Lynch followed IBM's top channel executive Phil Cameron out the door last month.

Lynch has joined Huawei while Cameron was revealed to have joined distributor Westcon in December, in a double whammy for IBM's local partner program.

Read the full story here.

"The most powerful system ever built"

Big Blue captured the market's attention with the launch, of all things, a mainframe.

Angling that it's the tool to take businesses into the new mobile world, a statement from IBM claimed that the z13 mainframe is the "most powerful and secure system ever built".

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Top-tier partners must buy hardware through distributors

IBM's biggest partners that previously purchased hardware directly from the vendor have been told to buy through a distributor from 1 January.

It is expected the change will impact some of the country's top IBM partners, such as Advent One, The Missing Link Network Integration, Blue Connections, Meridian IT, Southern Cross Computer Systems and Data#3.

Read the full story here.

Hardware revenue hammered, 11th quarter of decline

IBM copped a 39 percent fall in hardware revenue in the quarter ending December. The company recorded its 11th consecutive decline in overall sales, as performance fell short of analysts' expectations.

"We're not interested in revenue for revenue's sake," IBM chief financial officer Martin Schroeter told Reuters. "We'll continue to divest if something doesn't fit the model."

Read the full story here.

Australian IBM partner pounces on mobile ambitions

Long-time IBM partner Certus Solutions launched an enterprise "mobile-as-a-service" offering - putting the vendor's mobile software and tools on to the cloud and charging a subscription.

IBM has pushed its mobile credentials in recent months since the July announcement of a partnership with Apple. Certus general manager Matt Smith said that the Apple deal had spurred customers to think of IBM in a different way – providing the partner community with new opportunities in mobility computing.

Read the full story here.

Executive bonuses are back, while profits slide

Annual performance bonuses have returned for IBM's top executives, despite the company recording 11 consecutive quarters of revenue decline.

IBM CEO Ginny Rometty will get a US$3.6 million annual incentive payout for 2014, according to Reuters. Chief financial officer Martin Schroeter and three other executives or advisers were also listed as getting smaller annual incentive payouts.

Read the full story here.

Pictured: IBM chief executive Ginny Rometty

Hardware and software channels combine

Hardware and software partners were brought together under the Global Business Partner Group, reported CRN US, in a move designed to push the vendor into an age of cloud, big data and analytics.

"The rumours are that the same will be happening in Australia but the specifics have not yet been made available," said Andrew Charos, northern region manager for Sydney's Advent One.

Read the full story here.