Don't Fade Away

Whenever you are working in an unstable environment, you always hear rumors that may be weighted down in credence but never really appreciate the forbearing said rumors may give. No matter how much you may dislike a job, it is still your job which provides food, shelter, cars, fine women, alcoholic beverages, pinball tables, and essentials like that. Imagine my chagrin yesterday as I arrived at work, checked my email, and discovered the company I work for will not be around too much longer.

As announced to the world (as well as to us low-level employees), SunCom Wireless has reached an agreement to be acquired by T-Mobile. Yes, the writing has been on the walls for years and was even discussed in my training class. The primary area that SunCom covers is a major area that T-Mobile does not. Both companies operate the same network technology and even have similar product offerings. SunCom had hundreds of millions in debt and hemorrhaging funds left and right. It was even announced earlier this year that the company would explore other "alternatives" to improve its financial situation.

None of this is a shock.

Soon, SunCom will be no more than a distant memory as it is swallowed up like so many other companies before. SunCom will exist only as a thorn in the side of existing T-Mobile employees as they have to learn and decipher about 200 new rate plans in the possession of SunCom customers and in the archives of the internet, filed under the little company that tried to provide unique and substantial means of business but could not compete in its industry and was subsequently gobbled up like leftovers after Thanksgiving.

Of course, the big-wigs of both companies are applauding the agreement (likely as well as those SunCom customers who keep up with this type of thing), leaving employees of the acquired company wondering exactly when in the process they will be left with little more than their personal trinkets that once littered their desks as they are shuttled out amidst the masses to start anew.

I then suppose the silver-lining to all this would be two-fold. First, my last day might come sooner than it otherwise would have, allowing my argumentative side to retreat and allow the peace of life to flourish. Second, I'll have more excess time to devote to my real passion: professional beer tester.