Sun Microsystems is to offload 40 UK engineers from its managed services business with an outsourcing contract due to begin on 1 September. The site based engineers - who provide front-line support for Sun servers at BT, Rolls Royce and major banks like Credit Suisse - learned last week that their roles had been put out to competitive tender. A consultation period between workers and managers will take place this month. We understand Sun’s customers will not be consulted over the move.

The move affects only site-based service engineers not staff from Sun's larger field services organisation. One of those affected, who asked to remain anonymous, said that staff felt "very angry and let down".

He said Sun's move was likely to affect service despite Sun's line that nothing would change for its customers: "Sun sees this as a way to cut headcount and save money but that’s really short sighted. Customers are tied into contracts for now but these contracts will eventually come up for renewal, by which time people will have moved on."

Sun declined to comment on the story. ®

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