Is the sun setting on corporate America?

Today, Sun Microsystems notified hundreds of employees that they will be losing their jobs. (This is a second phase in a program to cut 4,000 to 5,000 employees between June of this year and June of 2007.) This layoff affected about 1900 workers here in the US, and throughout the rest of the world.

Sun lost money last quarter, but the company reported revenue of $3.8 billion which was more than the $3.6 billion Wall Street expected.

Today, as I was reading about Sun Microsystems' job cuts, there was an article on the same page about 5,000 layoffs pending at AOL. All of this downsizing activity makes me wonder if we're starting to see a trend in the technology sector.

Do you think this is just a shift in demand--and that job cuts are purely results of companies not keeping up with times? Or is this something that we, as IT professionals, should be worried about as a growing, lasting trend?

For me, the outlook is positive. As one-hit wonders Timbuk 3 once sang, the future's so bright, I gotta wear shades (but perhaps only for people and companies that have the stomach to change).

Do you have the stomach for change, or are you just holding on hoping more of yesterday? I am ready for whatever the future will bring.

This poem is my gift to corporate America:

Up, down
All-around,
I will change with the times!

[If either of the members of Timbuk 3 reads this post, contact me and we can collaborate on turning my poem into your next hit song!]