"Tom is really taking the blame for a couple of bad acquisitions, " said mining analyst John Meyer.

BBC: Rio Tinto boss Tom Albanese resigns over $14bn write-down

With the woes of the financial sector grabbing headlines, technology companies could opt to write-off bad acquisitions now, kill ill-conceived product lines or lay off unneeded workers.

FORBES: Magazine Article

In fact, they are preferable to ill-fated acquisitions, bad business decisions and lackluster product lines.

FORBES: Should Cisco Really Be Paying Dividends?