WRAL techWire’s Bulldog tech and life science roundup: Tech groups boycott IBM, Manpower, Infosys over foreign job recruiting; McConnell joins Keona board; Siemens cutting 3,800 jobs; Bank of North Carolina picks SAS; NetApp raising $500 million; Raleigh contractor to build NC Research Campus data center.

The headlines:

  • Worker Groups Boycott IBM, Manpower, Infosys

Citing alleged recruiting practices that they say favor foreign workers applying for information technology jobs, three groups representing IT workers have launched a boycott.

According to ComputerWorld, the groups say they are taking action against IBM, Infosys and Manpower.

The groups are: Bright Future Jobs, the Programmers Guild and WashTech.

IBM and Manpower did not comment. Infosys denied the allegations.

For full details, read the IDG News report at Computerworld.

  • John McConnell Joins Keona Health Board

CHAPEL HILL – Veteran life science and technology executive John McConnell has joined the board of directors at health IT startup Kona Health.

“We are delighted to welcome John to the board,” said CEO and Chairman Oakkar Oakkar. “His depth of experience in growing startups in our space is unparalleled. We believe John’s experience will be very valuable to Keona Health through its early growth phase and beyond.”

Keona works with clients to triage patient requests through a website or patient portal.

  • Siemens’ Unify Videoconference Group Slashing Jobs

A slump in the videoconferencing hardware market has triggered Unifiy – a joint venture between Siemens and the Gores Group – to cut half its workforce, according to PCWorld. Unify was formerly called Siemens Enterprise Communications.

Some 3,800 of 7,700 jobs will be cut with half of the jobs being eliminated in Europe, PCWorld said.

A shift in customer demand from hardware to software and “cloud” based systems is cutting videoconference hardware demand, PCWorld said, citing a recent report from IDC.

More details are available online,

  • Bank of NC Picks SAS

CARY – The Bank of North Carolina has signed on to a second deal for use of SAS Analytics, the companies said Monday.

Bank of North Carolina plans to use SAS to “cut costs by lowering the need for training and additional staff while improving user efficiency,” SAS says. 

For more details, read the SAS press release.

  • NetApp to Raise $500 Million in Notes

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Storage and software technology firm NetApp is raising $500 million in senior notes, the company said Monday.

The notes will pay an interest rate of 3.375 percent and come due in 2021.

Funds will be used for a variety of purposes, including “potential acquisitions and strategic transactions,” the company said.

NetApp operates a huge five-building campus in RTP.

More details are available online.

  • Raleigh Contractor to Build Data Center at NC Research Campus 

KANNAPOLIS – Clancy & Theys Construction of Raleigh will build the 50,000 square foot data center that IT services and data hosting firm Data Chambers plans to build at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis.

“The company has long been known for its spirit and practice of collaboration and understand the level of fortitude we require from all our facilities” says Nicholas Kottyan, DataChambers CEO. “It also will incorporate the latest LEED standards developed by the U.S. Green Building Council for energy efficient operation, and Clancy & Theys have a proven track record in that regard.”