Can't resist from posting these links

Today there came following news related to big giant companies and I couldn't resist my self to post them here.

1) Microsoft posted 11% drop in profits. Planned to lay-off 5000 people (1400 already gone). They have decline to project the earnings estimate for rest of the fiscal year. (Those who know about finance, not sharing the earnings estimate is not a good sign for business)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/technology/companies/23soft.html?_r=1

2) Intel to cut at least 5000 jobs. Intel has decided to shut down several of its plants and cut down 5000 jobs. They have already laid off 20000 people in last three years.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/technology/companies/22chip.html?ref=business

3) Strong Profit, but Erricsson plans to cut down 5000 jobs
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/technology/companies/22ericcson.html?ref=business

And then comes Steve Job's Apple Inc.

Apple reported strong first quarter profit amid a deepening recession and low demand for technology products. There quarterly profit jumped to $1.61 billion dollar (yeah, you read it correctly).
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/technology/companies/22apple.html?ref=business

Now it will be an interesting case study to see, what kind of product portfolio Software or for that matter Technological companies should maintain? Should they concentrate on Hardware (Intel, Erricsson) or Software (Microsoft) or combination of both (Apple)?

Most of us will now say, A combination of both. But then what went wrong with SUN Microsystems? They had the similar plan, it never worked out. The higher management plays the important role in how you shape your business, organization, product portfolio. If you decide to live in your own world, you can't succeed.

Apple is becoming stronger and profitable for its investor. This is all due to the foundation laid by the Steve job's vision and policy implementation. People made of fun of him when he said, lets own everything which we can design, build & sell. Rather than following the herds, he believed in himself and created a new path.

As my graduation day is coming closer, these things might affect my near term future from the employment perspective. But I am really not too worried cause now these news are not unexpected. When I enrolled to my undergraduate course in 2001, IT industry was experiencing the core technological issues and people thought IT industry was just a Spurt on overall economy and has got no future. The industry raised from that level.

And it will rise again. Sooner the time will come to ride on new Wave, I just have to make sure that my timing will be right.