Just like after the Enterasys acquisition, layoffs are coming in order to make room for the Avaya and Brocade people coming over. They can't keep everyone; synergies must be maximized to achieve the M&A business cases and they will use this opportunity to upgrade the overall team.
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Reopening an old thread here, but what does everyone think now that Extreme did their post-Brocade layoff on Friday? When a sizeable round of layoffs happens every year, people start to get nervous about their income stability and the company chases away good talent that would have otherwise helped bring the company around.
In reply to @NysoICn-1cdka: I too agree with you. However I am not too worried about the "all this newly acquired tech" comment as Avaya was clearly and simply a customer portfolio acquisition, and Brocade has a more solid background/arch (once you trash their various nonsense software apps).
Sure there are lots of uncertainties, but I don't think EXTR is doing bad compared to the recent past. Finally it got execs and management that give a sh-- about the company.
In reply to @NysoICn-1bmja: Sounds like you must be new at Extreme and fresh off getting high in Vegas aka sales conference. EXTR isn't going to take market share from Cisco, Arista, Juniper, HPE, etc... First of all, all this newly acquired tech is just going to cause issues with the technology integration attempts. Once that blows up, customers will slowly jump ship (not K12 because they only care about price). Arista is dominating the data center and not only will keep on kicking Cisco around, but will eventually set sights on the enterprise campus. Then it will be game over for EXTR. The EXTR CTO is basically trying to mimic the Arista vision, but will never make it with all the legacy junk they'll have to support, whereas Arista got to build their OS from a clean slate. Arista code architecture is the reason they're doing so well, since they just use merchant silicon like everyone else. EXTR would have to start over to even have a chance, and that's not going to happen.
On the bright side... the New Extreme Networks, with Extreme + motorola/Symbol + Avaya + Brocade DC + Enterasys products under one vendor, is a force to be reckoned with. Way more of a threat to take away business from (overpriced) Cisco, (DC focused) Arista, and (fumbling) Juniper. The new leadership team under this CEO is doing great too. Focus on enterprise, education and government cant go wrong. Yes, mergers cause inevitable layoffs, but hopefully minimal this time around.
Even with slightly upward earnings next week, expect wallstreet to jump all over "EXTR". It's about time.
Lets not mince words here, Chuck Burger was a disaster. It is a blessing that he is gone. Picking up Avaya's Networking business and the remnants of BRCD's Data Center business are probably good for EXTR to grow the customer base. Not convinced, however, if any products are meaningful for the integrated product portfolio. Either way, revenue will go up and of course a whole bunch of people will lose jobs... some from old time extr, more from the new additions. The usual - execs will stay. The people who do meaningful work will go!
That should kill some of the sunshine and rainbows currently being spread internally. I believe the Avaya APA dictated at least 50% of Avaya personnel would get offer letters to join EXTR. We'll see if things go better this time around than how the Enterasys merger was chucked in the trash and burgered.