NationsBank: Jobs Safe For Barnett Tech People

NationsBank Corp. has told computer specialists at Barnett Banks Inc. that they will keep their jobs once the institutions merge.

The systems experts are the first Barnett employees to learn their fate from NationsBank, signaling technology's importance in such combinations. More than 1,000 computer engineers, software developers, and systems maintenance workers will retain their jobs. Nearly all the employees, who work in Barnett's technologies division, will remain in Jacksonville, Fla.

Barnett Technologies' remaining 3,000 people-mostly support staff and item processors-and the banking company's other 16,000 employees still do not know their futures. NationsBank, based in Charlotte, N.C., announced its $15.5 billion plan to acquire Barnett Aug. 29, and the merger should be completed next year.

NationsBank has not decided which Barnett systems it will keep, said Scott Scredon, a NationsBank spokesman. A transition team is studying the issue. NationsBank, with $240 billion of assets, has 20,000 employees in its technology division. Barnett has $44 billion of assets.

Smooth systems integrations are crucial to keeping customers when banks merge. NationsBank's desire to avoid transition problems, which it has encountered in past deals, is one reason Barnett's computer experts were retained. "From our experience with other mergers," Mr. Scredon said, "it is critical to have these associates on board because they are so important to the operations of the bank."

Banks need good programmers and engineers, said Carl Faulkner, managing director of M One Inc., a bank consulting firm in Phoenix. Computer specialists are in demand to work on the year-2000 problem in which computer systems that only read the last two digits of the year might misread 2000 as 1900.

NationsBank's swift hiring of Barnett's computer team shows that the role of software and systems is recognized, said Mr. Faulkner. "It sends a very loud message that technology is really important," he added.

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