IT headcount expected to rise in Q4
More CIOs are planning to expand their IT departments in the coming quarter than were three months ago. But compared to other professions, projected IT hiring in Q4 lags behind fields such as legal, sales, and marketing, according to new data from Robert Half Technology.
In the staffing firm's latest IT Hiring Index and Skills Report, 9 percent of CIOs said they plan to expand their IT departments in Q4, and 6 percent anticipate cutbacks. The net 3 percent increase in anticipated IT hiring is up two percentage points from last quarter's survey. For Q4, the remaining 83 percent of CIOs polled said they'll maintain current staffing levels.
By industry, CIOs in the transportation sector anticipate the most hiring, with a net 15 percent planning to expand their IT departments. Read more...
Motorola Mobility posts strong Q4 but warns about Q1
In its first earnings report since becoming a standalone company, Motorola Mobility said it was profitable in the fourth quarter of 2010 and shipped more than twice as many smartphones during the quarter as it did in all of 2009.
However, the company said it expects a net loss of $26 million to $62 million for the current quarter, indicating that competition in the smartphone market continues to be heated.
That loss may come specifically from new competition from the iPhone. Motorola, which has strong sales through the Droid franchise at Verizon, said it is already suffering from competition from the Verizon iPhone, even though that phone doesn't go on sale until February. Read more...