In November, Google sued the Department of Interior, arguing that the Google Apps platform was frozen out of the bidding. Today, a federal judge, Susan Braden, sided with Google by issuing a preliminary injunction preventing the department from deploying Microsoft’s Business Productivity Online Suite. Braden also found that Google had made a preliminary showing that the department had violated a 1984 regulation on competitiveness in government contracts.

Google and a reselling partner, Onix Networking, had argued in court that the Interior Department’s request for bids specifically excluded Google Apps by stating the system had to include the Microsoft product.

The case isn’t over, but it’s certainly not looking good for the Interior Department, which may be forced to reconsider Google Apps for the contract.

Ignoring for a moment the irony of a company that’s laid off 4,600 employees in the past few months professing to invest in its people, Palmisano’s remarks are quite interesting. Certainly, they’re anomalous to much of what we’ve been hearing lately. No gloom and doom from ol’ Sam, only contrarian bluster. Perhaps just enough to justify that 14 percent pay increase he accepted in 2008….

Ignoring for a moment the irony of a company that’s laid off 4,600 employees in the past few months professing to invest in its people, Palmisano’s remarks are quite interesting. Certainly, they’re anomalous to much of what we’ve been hearing lately. No gloom and doom from ol’ Sam, only contrarian bluster. Perhaps just enough to justify that 14 percent pay increase he accepted in 2008….

While confirming that these “resource actions” are indeed taking place, IBM (IBM) refused to discuss details. Instead, it offered up the standard staff reduction obfuscations as comment. “We are not going to discuss specific numbers or locations,” spokesperson Doug Shelton told The Poughkeepsie Journal. What I can tell you is that managing resources and skills is an ongoing component of our business model. IBM continuously evaluates its mix of skills and resources, and makes changes as needed. The nature of our business is that we must constantly assess employee skills and resources and at any given time, give IBM the flexibility to match the current and future needs of our clients (skills that the client needs). Managing talent in this way promotes the continued competitiveness of our operations and matches our skills and capabilities with the evolving needs of our clients.”

So much for IBM’s lifetime employment concept.

[Image credit: Someecards]

For eBay, whose shares have plummeted some 43 percent in the last year, the moves are further efforts to prop itself after the declining performance of its core marketplace division.