After Bluewashing the Red Hat Layoffs Seem to Carry on
7 hours ago, a single month (exactly one month from today) before Christmas Eve:
Bluewashing is the word commonly used - especially inside IBM - to explain what happens to companies "absorbed" (bought, then integrated) into IBM. Bluewashing implies blurring lines (companies becoming mere(ly) brands or IBM products) and redundancies (especially in overlapping teams, e.g. executive and operational like marketing, HR, accounting and so on).
Bluewashing as a catchy term became a "thing" because it tends to happen again and again to companies bought by IBM. One such victim, who I know well enough to talk to about IBM in private, told me he had observed that the "Bluewashing" (he used this term repeatedly) takes about 18 months. Why 18? Well, he made an observation about past acquisitions and there's the explanation that this is how long it takes for most people to forget whatever assurances IBM gave when securing the acquisition/takeover.
In past years we said that the Bluewashing of Red Hat would likely result in departments (i.e. staff) that are superseded by IBM's to be gradually let go. The above seems to be getting the hint and the "last day" euphemism appears to be part of a pattern.
By the way, it is a rather peculiar message to be sending on a Sunday night. It's also not far from Christmas Day. █