2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumIBM Announces Email Reform, Partnership with GoDaddy.com
SAN FRANCISCO - 24 Sep 2015: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced a revolutionary new email policy that allows employees to utilize their own email servers for sensitive corporate communications. The change, disclosed in a formerly confidential company-wide email, is considered a major political victory for internet privacy advocate Hillary Clinton, who has made email reform the centerpiece of her presidential campaign.
Clinton supporters were quick to cheer the new rules. This is a huge relief. For years, Ive had to run my companies email through a server Ive kept hidden in my bedroom closet. Im pretty good about Windows updates, so its totally safe, perfectly normal, said a long time Clinton supporter and IBM employee who requested anonymity.
The memo credits the high level of security afforded by todays internet technology for the relaxed email rules. While not mentioning Clinton's open email initiative by name, the presidential contender has long argued that internet safety has made burdensome email regulations obsolete.
In order to help employees adjust to the new policy, IBM has partnered with GoDaddy.com to provide discounted internet domain and email hosting support to anyone who signs up to store IBM email on their servers.
Tech industry analysts point out that IBM is just following a government sponsored trend of relaxed workplace rules. It makes perfect sense for IBM to offer their employees the same benefits enjoyed by US Government employees, according to CNET industry analyst Richard Headthunker. Headthunker believes other companies will quickly follow suit in order to attract and retain high demand tech workers in a competitive labor market.
Formerly Not for Outside Distribution
Dear valued employee,
In these competitive times, email and internet usage has never been more secure.
After carefully reviewing the success of Hillary Clinton and her innovative use of private email, we have decided to let all employees conduct company business on any server of their own choosing. There will be no oversight; however, at such time as deemed necessary, we may ask you to turn over any communications that relate to our company's business. Don't worry, we'll let you decide what you should give us and well give you as much time as you need to prepare it all.
In addition, if you decide not to run a basement server from your Time Warner internet account, we've arranged for a 15% discount on Go Daddy and Name Cheap servers to help you manage your own domain and subdomain.
For example, now you can have a cool internet domain address like:
"ibm.slimjim.com"
I hope you'll join me in celebrating our new benefits! As always we value your opinion. Fee free to get in touch at my new email address below.
Regards,
Ginni Rometty, CEO, IBM
ginni@yourjobtoindia.com
p.s. We kindly ask that you run some sort of anti-virus thingy and please do not send email related to our most advanced computer designs to any Chinese intelligence agencies.
cantbeserious
(13,039 posts)eom
Agony
(2,605 posts)for this and too many other reasons
Juicy_Bellows
(2,427 posts)Thanks Lionel!
Kick!