Amid the gloom of widespread layoffs, Fujitsu is hiring and acquiring
(2023/03/02)
- Reference: 1677733533
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2023/03/02/fujitsu_acquires/
- Source link:
Japanese IT services giant Fujitsu announced on Wednesday that not only does it plan to hire 1,600 employees, it is also acquiring German software-for-retailers provider GK Software to grow its cloud and software-as-a-service business.
Fujitsu already owned 40 percent of GK Software and will pay $460 million to scoop the rest. The takeover is expected to complete in July of this year.
Fujitsu [1]explained [PDF] that the acquisition "will allow GK to continue to thrive in the cloud services for retail space and to better serve its customers."
[2]
Germany-based GK Software has plans to expand internationally in Japan, Asia, the Americas and Europe, and its Japanese owner has no intention of changing those plans – nor of moving its HQ from the city of Schoeneck. Fujitsu will also provide it with access to AI and high performance computing tech.
[3]
[4]
The IT services giant said the transaction will further its Uvance strategy – Fujitsu-speak for digital transformation and the assets that help it to deliver them.
The 1,600 extra staff the company plans to hire during the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years will be put to work on computing, networking, AI, data & security, and converging technologies. The behemoth [5]declared its willingness to upskill "high-potential recruits" for the roles.
[6]
In FY 2023, the company aims to recruit 800 mid-career professionals. The remaining 800 hires will take place in 2024 and will be new graduates.
While 1,600 hires is a lovely big number – and more than welcome amid layoffs in the tech sector – Fujitsu's previous plan for graduate hires called for 1,000 to come aboard in 2023. So the reality is that hiring of newbies has been reduced, and deferred.
[7]Fujitsu, Mitsubishi, pals proclaim 'Japan Metaverse Economic Zone'
[8]Japanese space agency to put massive HPC cloud to the test
[9]Fujitsu launches HPC and not-quite-quantum cloud services
[10]Fujitsu: Quantum computers no threat to encryption just yet
At the end of FY 2021, Fujitsu [11]reported having over 124,000 total employees. The number had been [12]steadily declining for a number of years.
However, the firm [13]flagged its intention to make acquisitions in January 2023, when CFO Takeshi Isobe told investors during a [14]Q&A session [PDF]: "it is difficult to make an acquisition in Japan, so we are also considering transactions outside of Japan."
"We are considering acquisitions as just one way of obtaining capabilities that are aligned with our purpose and priority business areas," added Isobe.
[15]
GK Software clearly fit the bill.
The CFO said Fujitsu was considering narrowing its focus to specific business areas. The massive organization continues to have its hands in many different piles – from [16]quantum computers to the [17]metaverse .
Earlier this week Fujitsu joined nine other Japanese entities in a collaboration to create an advertiser-friendly immersive gaming environment dubbed the "Japan Metaverse Economic Zone." ®
Get our [18]Tech Resources
[1] https://pr.fujitsu.com/jp/news/2023/03/en/1-1.pdf
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZACB1vjLhHHqcLA8PePzzwAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZACB1vjLhHHqcLA8PePzzwAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZACB1vjLhHHqcLA8PePzzwAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.fujitsu.com/global/about/resources/news/press-releases/2023/0301-01.html
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZACB1vjLhHHqcLA8PePzzwAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/28/fujitsu_teams_up_with_mistubishi/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/07/25/fujitsu_hpc_cloud_space/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2022/10/25/fujitsu_caas_release/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/24/fujitsu_quantum_encryption/
[11] https://www.fujitsu.com/global/about/csr/esgdata/social/#a04
[12] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1050905/fujitsu-number-of-employees/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/12/fujitsu_has_a_yen_for/
[14] https://www.fujitsu.com/global/imagesgig5/qa-20230131.pdf
[15] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZACB1vjLhHHqcLA8PePzzwAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/24/fujitsu_quantum_encryption/
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/28/fujitsu_teams_up_with_mistubishi/
[18] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Fujitsu already owned 40 percent of GK Software and will pay $460 million to scoop the rest. The takeover is expected to complete in July of this year.
Fujitsu [1]explained [PDF] that the acquisition "will allow GK to continue to thrive in the cloud services for retail space and to better serve its customers."
[2]
Germany-based GK Software has plans to expand internationally in Japan, Asia, the Americas and Europe, and its Japanese owner has no intention of changing those plans – nor of moving its HQ from the city of Schoeneck. Fujitsu will also provide it with access to AI and high performance computing tech.
[3]
[4]
The IT services giant said the transaction will further its Uvance strategy – Fujitsu-speak for digital transformation and the assets that help it to deliver them.
The 1,600 extra staff the company plans to hire during the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years will be put to work on computing, networking, AI, data & security, and converging technologies. The behemoth [5]declared its willingness to upskill "high-potential recruits" for the roles.
[6]
In FY 2023, the company aims to recruit 800 mid-career professionals. The remaining 800 hires will take place in 2024 and will be new graduates.
While 1,600 hires is a lovely big number – and more than welcome amid layoffs in the tech sector – Fujitsu's previous plan for graduate hires called for 1,000 to come aboard in 2023. So the reality is that hiring of newbies has been reduced, and deferred.
[7]Fujitsu, Mitsubishi, pals proclaim 'Japan Metaverse Economic Zone'
[8]Japanese space agency to put massive HPC cloud to the test
[9]Fujitsu launches HPC and not-quite-quantum cloud services
[10]Fujitsu: Quantum computers no threat to encryption just yet
At the end of FY 2021, Fujitsu [11]reported having over 124,000 total employees. The number had been [12]steadily declining for a number of years.
However, the firm [13]flagged its intention to make acquisitions in January 2023, when CFO Takeshi Isobe told investors during a [14]Q&A session [PDF]: "it is difficult to make an acquisition in Japan, so we are also considering transactions outside of Japan."
"We are considering acquisitions as just one way of obtaining capabilities that are aligned with our purpose and priority business areas," added Isobe.
[15]
GK Software clearly fit the bill.
The CFO said Fujitsu was considering narrowing its focus to specific business areas. The massive organization continues to have its hands in many different piles – from [16]quantum computers to the [17]metaverse .
Earlier this week Fujitsu joined nine other Japanese entities in a collaboration to create an advertiser-friendly immersive gaming environment dubbed the "Japan Metaverse Economic Zone." ®
Get our [18]Tech Resources
[1] https://pr.fujitsu.com/jp/news/2023/03/en/1-1.pdf
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZACB1vjLhHHqcLA8PePzzwAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZACB1vjLhHHqcLA8PePzzwAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZACB1vjLhHHqcLA8PePzzwAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.fujitsu.com/global/about/resources/news/press-releases/2023/0301-01.html
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZACB1vjLhHHqcLA8PePzzwAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/28/fujitsu_teams_up_with_mistubishi/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/07/25/fujitsu_hpc_cloud_space/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2022/10/25/fujitsu_caas_release/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/24/fujitsu_quantum_encryption/
[11] https://www.fujitsu.com/global/about/csr/esgdata/social/#a04
[12] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1050905/fujitsu-number-of-employees/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/12/fujitsu_has_a_yen_for/
[14] https://www.fujitsu.com/global/imagesgig5/qa-20230131.pdf
[15] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZACB1vjLhHHqcLA8PePzzwAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/24/fujitsu_quantum_encryption/
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/28/fujitsu_teams_up_with_mistubishi/
[18] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: There's still a huge demand for skilled engineers
Tom66
Much the same here. COVID led to a large number of the "greybeards" taking early retirement. There's huge demand for skilled engineers at the mid and high level now. Especially hardware engineers who can do software (your SPI/I2C datasheet being a good example.)
Person spec entry?
Roger Kynaston
A willingness to purjure oneself in the face of accounting errors being built into the financial systems?
There's still a huge demand for skilled engineers
Yes, the giant bloated corporations hired way too many people during the pandemic and are now laying off tens of thousands of them.
But those are mostly siloed unskilled people, mostly right out of college, who did nothing useful and have very few actual skills other than whining about how the lunchroom is stocked.
The job market is still desperate for engineers who have concrete skills in getting stuff done in an actual production environment. We are desperate to hire someone locally who can read a datasheet and write a SPI/I2C driver for that device. I would love to hire someone who has actual C# skills and can write or maintain multithreaded .Net 8 WinForms apps and actually knows why secondary threads can't try to modify the GUI. I get about 10 inquiries a week from people who want to hire me. The market here is still desperate for good people.
I'm not trying to brag here, I'm just trying to say that the widespread layoffs are of mostly useless corporate drones and there is still a severe shortage of actually talented people. If you have skills, you should have no problem getting a job.