Downs to the Millennium Bug. The pesky menace that boosted an entire industry has now hit those same people in the pocketbook. IT consultants finished with Y2K compliance jobs are finding themselves with too much time on their hands.
Ups to American Greetings. The $100 million deal with America Online expands the Cleveland card maker’s Internet presence to AOL’s 17 million users. Now you can send your favorite IT consultant a “Happy Y2K” card.
Downs to RPM, which recently announced its 52nd consecutive year of record earnings. Why a downs? Because that same day, RPM announced a restructuring plan to close 23 facilities and slash 730 jobs — nearly 10 percent of its work force. The moves will help RPM in the long run, but it spells the likely end of the company’s streak.
Ups to CPAs. A shortage of qualified bean counters puts the entire profession in a great position. It’s better to find out now why your accountant isn’t returning your calls than it would be as April 15th rolls around.
Ups to Dell and Motorola. They joined a growing list of companies embracing the Linux computer operating system, upping the ante in a challenge to Microsoft dominance. Was that a penguin we saw tossing a rock through Microsoft’s window?
