More Sprint Training for Pre, Sprint Firings? 22
With the rate that rumors are coming in these days, there must be something in the air at Sprint. Unfortunately for some, that something is a pink slip. We have a report from PreThinking in three parts. The first being that Business Unit managers at Sprint have actually been participating in online training for the Pre for a few weeks now. We're sure that training up the Business Unit doesn't mean anything special -- but we're starting to be intrigued by the possibility and Palm and Sprint might try to make an enterprise play with the Pre despite their claims that they're aiming for the "fat middle" of the market and not enterprise.
The second note comes in practically the same breath as the above: the public should brace itself for an ad blitz from Sprint and Palm unlike anything either company has ever done. A while back we head that Sprint was going to "Instinct" the Pre, i.e. pull out all the advertising stops like they did with the Instinct. If the release date rumor of June 7th is as likely as it looks, then Sprint and Palm are going to have to pull out all the stops, as Apple is widely expected to unveil its new iPhone the very next day at their World Wide Developers Conference.
Third, well, number three is a not happy note: Sprint has been terminating employees that have publicly discussed the Pre. The employees in training have signed NDAs to not discuss what they are learning, and the apparent initial punishment is termination of employment. Listen, people: we love tips, but we love it more when people keep their jobs.
Thanks to DwightShrute and Mahootzki for the tip!
22 Comments
The firings aspect is total BS
Nah, that's not all that strange. If you sign an NDA, you typically have to abide by what is written in it. I sign agreements like this all the time as part of various contracts for software development. There are penalties for your actions.
Correct. If you talk to much, Clemenza might ask you to come take a ride.
I can understand them following up whats written into the nda and firing people, but i just think its sad that emoployees should be forced into not talking about stuff like this, its not like the world doesnt know its coming, it would be differnt if they released code and other ip but just seems a bit extreme, maybe because ive never signed an NDA but still.
(well thats a lie, there was an NDA when i was in dark age of camelot beta but that didnt appear to stop anyone talking about it online!
NDA??? So what?! I can sign an NDA and still leak tips out without them knowing it. If they were fired for violating the NDA...then they deserved it! It doesn't take a scientist to know how to remain anonymous!
That's what you think Debra Jones. I see you live on 12th St in Denver, CO. You're phone number is ....
I kid, I kid!
If I was fired for this reason, I would then find the nearest forum and leak everything I know about the phone. What would stop me from that?
The same NDA agreement that would put you in a courtroom with civil charges. Nifty line on your resume.
Don't we pretty much know everything there is to know about the phone except for the release date and price?!
As I said many times before, maybe Palm is gonna suprise us a bit more on release date.
Maybe thats one of the reasons why the "not touch" policy on Pre presentations...
No.
Sorry I can't say more. They are watching me. :-)
If they've fired people for breaking the NDA I hope they bring all their "leaks" to the public.
Sprint's NDA is very crazy. It's all about insider trading and such, which is a white collar felony. That's mainly where most of it stems from.
Correct - Look what happened to the Kid that leaked GNR's Chinese Democracy album on his website. He got busted.
If you sign the company NDA, then leak information and they find out about it, you are going to get fired. If you continue to leak information after you are fired, you will get sued.
It seems that these people were not the smartest in the world, proof being that they were fired for leaking information. But they would have to be super haX0rs to leak it on the net without getting caught and traced down by Sprint/Palm.
NDAs or similar understandings exist in most industries...and for good reason. Even the music industry has NDA agreements about upcoming releases. When you're fighting for a portion of a lucrative market, every aspect of your product's release is meticulously choreographed. Official "leaks" may be part of the plan, but employees who get a kick out of sharing insider information is not. Typically, you want to please the ones who are handing you a paycheck.
I have to agree NDA's are put in place for a reason. I am sure that whole cool factor of knowing and leaking intel looses its glimmer once you have been handed your pink slip. Its unfortunate but these parameters are put in place for a reason. Ok that being said, can they release the Damn phone already!
If you think Sprint's NDA is crazy, look at those working for Palm.
I am sure they are getting a lot of flack because they can't say anything. Who wants to bet that the employees working for their webstore and tech support have the same agreement.
Of course people will call them and ask for information, and not be told anything aside from what is on the website. Then be screamed at because they don't know anything. I bet hearing that time and time again makes for some irked off people.
Confidential information is just that. Anyone who wants to get "special insider information" by badgering someone who can't tell you needs a reality check. Most people would say that giving a scoop is not worth job loss, and lawsuits.
Consider how active Palm is in quashing rumors when that celebrity was forced to sign a NDA before they were told the release date should think about what would happen to a non-celebrity.
Fat middle, LULZ, i think apple/BB already has that, 2/3 of the market. Its over for the Pre
Funny comment, did you ever stop to thinking why many people didntbuyed buy a smathphone yet? I'm one of them and belive me I know many(like >20), because they don't make use of their funcionalits. A phone like Palm Pre could change that? I belive with a strong YES!
Toys like ibone or corporate boring phones like BlockBoring are not the awnser for that people, again, include me.
That's so funny.. why are all these Pre-bashing comment anonymous.
If you have a comment to make, stop being scared, act like a grown up and post it as yourself.
...not buying a phone till summer when the gunfight is between PRE and the next iPhone.
A number of Palm users who have tried BB (good for basic biz); tried iPhone and are mostly impressed with only the screen/app store.
But Sprint is hurting: "Sprint Nextel Corp. is in final negotiations to outsource management of its cellular network to Telefon AB L.M. Ericsson and transfer 5,000 to 7,000 U.S. employees to the equipment vendor in a cost-cutting move to help offset Sprint's dwindling subscriber numbers." http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124138842577081311.html
If you have signed an agreement you need to be quiet. But pretty much everything that has been said about the Pre has already been said in January. If they let out a top secret that is brand new they should have kept mum.
And even if you post under a different name what ever they have technology to find out who it was.
Release the darn thing. I am sure apple hasn't fired anyone over its nifty cut n paste. There are worse things to get fired over like taking billions of dollars.