Hi All,

 Whatever the outcome I say plan for the worst and hope for the best so now is a time to think about the future of stock and how to stay three moves ahead of your opponent, the game goes on. Stay sharp and listen to your gut then do lots of investigating and think about tomorrow if you are serious about stock photography being your full time income.

Its been like this going way back and isn't about to stop, its a wild ride and some days I wonder what it would be like to just get a check and go home at the end of the day. These are definitely strange days but definitely not boring. This was written on the wall a couple of years ago if you are reading between the lines it was obvious the day they assimilate Istock,. Check out all their other collections that at one time were huge all on their own now just a portion under the Getty umbrella. Do not stand around and wait for changes to hit you smack between the eyes, that is always going to be to late.

Best,
Jonathan

Your wisdom and experience is always much appreciated, Jonathan.  After listening to you and other well-established stock photographers who joined the microstock ranks, I started making plans and finding different avenues for revenue two years ago.  And it's working.  Diversification is key.  Parking images on one site is a recipe for the ultimate disaster. 

Hi All,

 Whatever the outcome I say plan for the worst and hope for the best so now is a time to think about the future of stock and how to stay three moves ahead of your opponent, the game goes on. Stay sharp and listen to your gut then do lots of investigating and think about tomorrow if you are serious about stock photography being your full time income.
 Its been like this going way back and isn't about to stop, its a wild ride and some days I wonder what it would be like to just get a check and go home at the end of the day. These are definitely strange days but definitely not boring. This was written on the wall a couple of years ago if you are reading between the lines it was obvious the day they assimilate Istock,. Check out all their other collections that at one time were huge all on their own now just a portion under the Getty umbrella. Do not stand around and wait for changes to hit you smack between the eyes, that is always going to be to late.

Best,
Jonathan

Nice post. This made the most sense out of anything I've read in this thread. I'm probably interpreting (or misinterpreting) it with my own views in mind, but I still like it.

I have searched in vain to find more than rumors about rumors about rumors.   The analysis of some seems rather far reaching.  I see JJ is leaving, but his statement does not seem to be cause for alarm, in fact quite the contrary.  I am not saying there is no problem, but must the sky always be falling each time something changes?  Along with all of you, it has always seemed like poor policy on the part of iStock to  remain quiet so long during times of change, they have to see how the rumors explode and unsettle those trying to pay attention.  Sorry for my outburst, I need to take another monthly sabbatical from the forums.

Try searching a bit harder: http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/2140045/jobs-shed-getty-images-absorbs-istockphoto

"We are completing the process of full functional integration across the two brands," says Getty Images' co-founder and CEO Jonathan Klein.... while confirming 30 redundancies at iStock (not at Getty) and then needlessly mentioning that they are not going to shut up shop at Calgary (which might suggest it is something he has been thinking about doing - there's a new rumour for you).

Fact 1: 30 staff, estimated at between 15% and 30% of the entire staff being fired
Fact 2: Senior management figures KT and JJRD among those fired
Fact 3: Sackings declared by Getty chief to be part of an "integration process" with Getty
Fact 4: "Integration" involves downsizing iStock, not Getty, making it plain iStock is being "integrated" into Getty, not the other way round.
Fact 5: Earlier part of integration process involved pushing low-grade Getty collections into iS at high price points and pushing most of iStock's collection into other Getty subsidiaries, TS and PP
Fact 6: Istock was stripped first of its CEO then of its COO and now of whatever JJRD is. The CEO job is considered too insignificant to merit a full-time in-house boss, instead it is made part of the duties of a Gettyimages employee.
Fact 7: (I almost missed this one) according to Klein's statement, iStock is no longer thought of as a company, it is regarded as a Getty "brand" (see his quote above).

From being a self-contained, self-governing, stand-alone unit, as Bruce Livingstone was promised it would remain when he sold it, it has become one of "the Gettyimages collections" and Calgary has become a Getty branch office rather than the headquarters of a company.

But you're right. The sky has not fallen in. People will continue to buy and sell image licences at iStockphoto and the name will remain a proud part of the Gettyimages group, alongside the other famous collections. Tony Stone, the Bettmann Archive etc.

However, while the marketing, quality control and accounting functions may remain in Calgary, the financial control, strategic planning and budgeting will be done in Seattle, where due consideration will need to be given to the competing demands of other active collections, such as TS, Photos.com and, of course, the main Gettyimages collection. That is what "integration" is about.

So it is still iStock, Captain, it's just not iStock as we knew it.  

However, while the marketing, quality control and accounting functions may remain in Calgary, the financial control, strategic planning and budgeting will be done in Seattle, where due consideration will need to be given to the competing demands of other active collections, such as TS, Photos.com and, of course, the main Gettyimages collection. That is what "integration" is about.

great summary Baldrick

.. and in their quest to cut $$ and merge iStock with Getty I can hardly imagine them affording to keep the Calgary office open for the next few years.  I would have guessed Veer would have been open longer at this point (if that office wasn't closed already).

As things start to go wrong, the big boss doesn't think ", I screwed that up", he thinks "I always knew it was a stupid idea that couldn't work, haven't I been warning them about the risks of grandiose plans and overspending?" And when the big-big boss asks why his investment isn't delivering the expected return, the big boss says: "The trouble is, it's a pretty amateurish management we inherited there. What we need to do is bring the managerial functions under the wing of some experienced people at head office, and just have the nuts and bolts jobs done by the technicians there. We'll soon sort things out."

I've worked under exactly that kind of regime and its a nightmare.  

Add to that a layer of 'too cool for school' self backslapping cronyism and you have the perfect storm for corporate self sabotage.

I've never met the legend that is jjrd so have failed to fall under his gallic charms but found his impenetrable ramblings and his coterie of familiar faces in all the 'lypse reports as divisive and demotivating as the getty dictated changes.

This could just be the tip of the iceberg, it might go a lot deeper then we think,  could involve all sorts of things? I mean, what do we know, really? exept that we have been shortchanged for ages.

Quote from: lagereek on January 20, 2012, 02:34

This could just be the tip of the iceberg, it might go a lot deeper then we think,  could involve all sorts of things? I mean, what do we know, really? exept that we have been shortchanged for ages.

My God! You're right  ! It's worse than I ever imagined  ! It's out there trying to get us  . It's terrifying! I think it might have got under the bed now. I can't look   because it will see me. What is it?  

The Bogeyman , bigfoot, Dracula , all wrapped up in one!

Jokes apart, isnt it ironic?  yesterday at IS, I had the best day for ages. Weird!

As sad as it is with people being laid-off, especially nice ones, it is less of importance who is at the helm as long as the right measures/decisions are implemented appropriately.

Absolutely.

The problem is that there's been the same helmsman steering the boat since last summer. Is it appreciably further from the shoals now than it was then? Has confidence in completing the voyage safely improved since Rebecca took the helm?

I've noticed quite a few passengers launching the lifeboats and now members of the crew are being forced to walk the plank.

Getty works like this and has done ever since 93.  They will look after unique ports, nieched ports that can offer something that other agencies are short of or havent got.
All these business ports, handshakes and general ports, no matter how big,  they will find themselves in an uphill struggle. This is the fundamental rule of their HQ-creative department and has always been. Further more, lots of ports will be redundant, especially all the ones built on copying.

This will ofcourse only apply if IS,  is totally swallowed up by Getty, i.e. cease to exist?  Ofcourse one can argue if it would be for better or worse?  I would say it would definetely benefit the full time photographer, not having to battle with copys, spamming and tons of irrelevant material.
Anyway, who knows?

Getty works like this and has done ever since 93.  They will look after unique ports, nieched ports that can offer something that other agencies are short of or havent got.
All these business ports, handshakes and general ports, no matter how big,  they will find themselves in an uphill struggle. This is the fundamental rule of their HQ-creative department and has always been. Further more, lots of ports will be redundant, especially all the ones built on copying.

This will ofcourse only apply if IS,  is totally swallowed up by Getty, i.e. cease to exist?  Ofcourse one can argue if it would be for better or worse?  I would say it would definetely benefit the full time photographer, not having to battle with copys, spamming and tons of irrelevant material.
Anyway, who knows?

This may sound pretty selfish but I hope my portfolio unique and good enough.  Just started doing this full time so I am pretty worried.

So it is still iStock, Captain, it's just not iStock as we knew it.  

We come in peace...

Interesting ... from the tone of this post only 15 days ago, announcing an expanded minilypse programme, it appears JJRD had no idea he'd be leaving:

http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=339075&page=1

Followed by a bunch of admins cheering. Hmm.

I imagine they all received the announcement on the day Twitter-ville started buzzing about layoffs (17th).  Although they may have had the good grace to at least alert the senior members slightly ahead of their underlings.