Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[T-Mobile to eliminate 1,900 US call center jobs, says more 'restructuring' ahead]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/22/t-mobile-to-eliminate-1-900-us-call-center-jobs-says-more-rest/http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/22/t-mobile-to-eliminate-1-900-us-call-center-jobs-says-more-rest/http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/22/t-mobile-to-eliminate-1-900-us-call-center-jobs-says-more-rest/#comments ImageT-Mobile USA CEO Philipp Humm sent word to his employees today that the company will be shuttering seven call centers, cutting a total of 3,300 jobs in the process. Affected employees will have the option of relocating to any of the 17 remaining call centers throughout the country, where 1,400 new positions will be available, essentially bringing the net job loss to 1,900. The call centers affected include Allentown, Pennsylvania; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Frisco, Texas; Brownsville, Texas; Lenexa, Kansas; Thornton, Colorado; and Redmond, Oregon -- so if you're based in one of those locations and want to stick with T-Mob, now would probably be the time to communicate your intentions. Other employees, including technicians and "front line" workers, will be able to stay put, though Humm did allude to further reductions, adding that "we will also be restructuring other parts of the company." You'll find the CEO's message in its entirety just past the break.

Continue reading T-Mobile to eliminate 1,900 US call center jobs, says more 'restructuring' ahead

T-Mobile to eliminate 1,900 US call center jobs, says more 'restructuring' ahead originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>call centercall centersCallCenterCallCenterscsrcustomer serviceCustomerServiceemployeeemployeesfirefiredjobjobslayofflayoffsmobilepostcrossPhilipp HummPhilippHummrestructuringt-mobT-Mobilet-mobile usaT-mobileUsaTMobileThu, 22 Mar 2012 16:45:00 EST<![CDATA[HP cuts 275 webOS jobs in transition to open source]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/28/hp-cuts-275-webos-jobs-in-transition-to-open-source/http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/28/hp-cuts-275-webos-jobs-in-transition-to-open-source/http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/28/hp-cuts-275-webos-jobs-in-transition-to-open-source/#comments HP cuts 275 webOS jobs in transition to open sourceIn news that should come as little surprise to anyone who's followed the decline of the ill-fated brand, HP is reportedly laying off 275 webOS employees as it transitions the division from producing hardware to open source software. The cuts have apparently been in the works since the company announced the move to open source back in December, and follow on the heels of former Palm chief, Jon Rubinstein's departure last month. A statement from the outfit cited the need for "a more nimble team" to "sustain HP's commitment to the software over the long term," and stated HP's intentions "to redeploy employees affected by these changes to other roles at the company." While reports have surfaced saying the cuts are primarily in engineering, we're told positions in multiple departments are at stake.

HP cuts 275 webOS jobs in transition to open source originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>downsizedownsizinghewlett-packardhpjob cutsJobCutslayofflayoffsminipostopen sourceOpenSourcewebosTue, 28 Feb 2012 20:27:00 EST<![CDATA[LightSquared to cut staff by 45 percent as troubles grow]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/21/lightsquared-to-cut-staff-by-45-percent-as-troubles-grow/http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/21/lightsquared-to-cut-staff-by-45-percent-as-troubles-grow/http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/21/lightsquared-to-cut-staff-by-45-percent-as-troubles-grow/#comments
Yet another bit of bad news to add to the pile for LightSquared -- the company announced this week that it will be cutting back on its employment numbers by 45 percent. The cost cutting move comes a day after word got out that it had defaulted on a hefty $56.25 million payment. According to reports, the Virginia-based company, which currently employs some 330 people, is apparently not looking into bankruptcy, in spite of its mounting troubles.

LightSquared to cut staff by 45 percent as troubles grow originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>layofflayoffslightsquaredmobilepostcrossspectrumvirginiawirelessTue, 21 Feb 2012 17:42:00 EST<![CDATA[Nokia ends European, Mexican production: it's all Asia now (Updated)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/08/nokia-ends-european-mexico-production/http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/08/nokia-ends-european-mexico-production/http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/08/nokia-ends-european-mexico-production/#comments Nokia's wielding another axe to its operations, cleaving away a further 4,000 employees from its operations in Finland, Hungary and Mexico. It follows a shedding of roughly 10,000 employees and a troubled withdrawal from Romania as the company pushes more operations towards Asia in an attempt to compete with its competitors. Whilst no more phones will be assembled in Europe, the company isn't closing the facilities outright, they'll be retained for "high value activities" (presumably R&D and other big-ticket projects). Whatever comes of Steven Elop's reign of the world's number one handset maker, it's clear to see that he's got a plan and he's sticking to it.

Update: Nokia got in touch to clarify that the factory in Manaus, Brazil is unaffected by these cuts. The three factories mentioned (in Salo, Reynosa and Komarom) will furthermore be used for the software-portion of production, including installing carrier-and-region-specific features in the Americas, Europe and Eurasia. Hardware assembly will now take place at the company's existing facilities in Beijing (China) and Masan (South Korea).

Nokia ends European, Mexican production: it's all Asia now (Updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AndroidAppleAsiaBusinessCutCutsElopFinlandGoogleHungaryJames EtheridgeJamesEtheridgeJob CutsJobCutsJobsLay OffLay OffsLayOffLayoffsLGMexicoMicrosoftmobilepostcrossNokiaRomaniaSamsungSteven ElopStevenElopWindows PhoneWindowsPhoneZTEWed, 08 Feb 2012 10:37:00 EST<![CDATA[With federal loans blocked, Fisker halts work on Project Nina, lays off 66 workers]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/07/with-federal-loans-blocked-fisker-halts-work-on-project-nina-l/http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/07/with-federal-loans-blocked-fisker-halts-work-on-project-nina-l/http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/07/with-federal-loans-blocked-fisker-halts-work-on-project-nina-l/#comments Fisker Automotive's bumpy 2011 appears to have given way to an even rockier 2012. A little more than a month after recalling 239 of its Karma plug-ins, Fisker has now stopped working on its second electric vehicle, following the US government's decision to suspend its federal loans. The manufacturer confirmed the news in an email yesterday, adding that a total of 66 workers in Delaware and California have been laid off, as a result. In 2009, the Department of Energy provided Fisker with $528.7 million in federal loans, but according to spokesman Roger Ormisher, access to those funds have been blocked since May. The money was supposed to be used to launch the Karma and Fisker's second, US-manufactured EV, known as the Nina. The Karma began rolling out to market in July, but did so well behind schedule, spurring the DOE to suspend its loan.

"Our loan guarantees have strict conditions in place to protect taxpayers," Department spokesman Damien LaVera explained in an email to Bloomberg. "The department only allows the loan to be disbursed as the company meets certain milestones and demonstrates results." Thus far, Fisker has drawn on only $193 million of federal funds and is looking to renegotiate the terms of the loan, in the hopes of accessing the remaining $336 million. The DOE, however, is still under intense scrutiny because of September's Solyndra debacle, so it's difficult to say what a renegotiated deal would look like. The manufacturer, for its part, says it's taking no risks, telling GigaOM that it "continues to pursue alternative funding sources." In the meantime, it'll continue to focus on the Karma for 2012, and hopes to revive Project Nina at a later date.

With federal loans blocked, Fisker halts work on Project Nina, lays off 66 workers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>autobusinesscaliforniacarcarsdealdelawaredelaydepartment of energyDepartmentOfEnergyDOEelectric vehicleElectricVehicleEVfiskerfisker automotivefisker karmafisker ninaFiskerAutomotiveFiskerKarmaFiskerNinagovernmenthybridindustrykarmalayoffloanmoneyplug inPlugInproductionproject ninaProjectNinatransportTue, 07 Feb 2012 07:26:00 EST<![CDATA[TomTom looks to shed ten-percent of workforce in restructuring effort]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/09/tomtom-looks-to-shed-ten-percent-of-workforce-in-restructuring-e/http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/09/tomtom-looks-to-shed-ten-percent-of-workforce-in-restructuring-e/http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/09/tomtom-looks-to-shed-ten-percent-of-workforce-in-restructuring-e/#comments We have some sad news to report out of Holland today. TomTom has announced that it will release nearly ten-percent of its employees as the company works to reorganize and move away from the personal navigation device market. The struggling firm previously stated that it would trim €50 million from its annual operations budget, and many of TomTom's employees will now face the ramifications of this effort. Moving forward, the company will focus primarily on in-dash navigation equipment that's pre-installed by automotive manufacturers, along with fleet management for delivery companies. Hopefully we'll see some better times ahead for the Dutch firm. Frankly, we don't know what we'd do without the likes of Mr. T, Han Solo and Burt and Ernie leading the way.

TomTom looks to shed ten-percent of workforce in restructuring effort originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gpshollandin-dashlayofflayoffsmobilepostcrossnavigationnetherlandspersonal navigation devicePersonalNavigationDevicepndreorganizationrestructuringtomtomFri, 09 Dec 2011 08:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Adobe to lay off 750 workers, restructure around digital media, marketing]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/08/adobe-to-lay-off-750-workers-restructure-around-digital-media/http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/08/adobe-to-lay-off-750-workers-restructure-around-digital-media/http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/08/adobe-to-lay-off-750-workers-restructure-around-digital-media/#commentsThe company made famous by the ubiquitous Flash Player and multimedia software like the Adobe Creative Suite has announced its plans to eliminate 750 full-time positions in attempts to reposition itself as a leader in digital media and marketing. In two separate press releases, Adobe gave a glimpse into the restructuring, which it will cover in-depth at a financial analysts meeting in New York tomorrow. The company expects the plan to result in pre-tax charges somewhere in the ballpark of $87 million and $94 million, a large chunk of which will come from expenses "related to employee severance agreements."

According to one of the two press releases, the master of Flash plans to continue offering the Creative Suite as well as expanding "tablet-based touch apps" and cloud-based software. It's also promised to invest further in HTML 5 through tools like Dreamweaver, the recently announced Edge and PhoneGap, which it acquired with the purchase of Nitobi. Despite the shakeup, Adobe expects to meet its previous Q4 projections of between $1.075 billion and $1.125 billion. A bunch of corporate what-nots await you in the dual press releases after the break.

Continue reading Adobe to lay off 750 workers, restructure around digital media, marketing

Adobe to lay off 750 workers, restructure around digital media, marketing originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Nov 2011 23:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adobedigital mediaDigitalMediaearningslayofflayoffsmarketingq4restructuringrevenueTue, 08 Nov 2011 23:14:00 EST<![CDATA[Layoffs underway at HP's webOS division, hundreds of employees may be in jeopardy]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/20/layoffs-underway-at-hps-webos-division-hundreds-of-employees-m/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/20/layoffs-underway-at-hps-webos-division-hundreds-of-employees-m/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/20/layoffs-underway-at-hps-webos-division-hundreds-of-employees-m/#comments HP's webOS-powered devices are riding off into the sunset and so too, apparently, are hundreds of jobs. Sources close to the company tell All Things Digital that upwards of 525 employees at HP's Palm division are slated to lose their jobs in the near future, as part of a layoff process that began this week. In a statement, an HP spokesperson explained the decision thusly:

"As communicated on August 18, HP will discontinue the development of webOs devices within the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2011, which ends Oct 31 2011. As part of this decision, the webOS GBU is undergoing a reduction in workforce. Today's actions are part of this initiative. During this time, we stand by our commitment to our webOS customers and will work to ensure that support and service for customers are not adversely affected."

The company went on to say that it's still "exploring ways to leverage webOS software," but declined to specify the exact number of hardware-related jobs that would be cut.

Layoffs underway at HP's webOS division, hundreds of employees may be in jeopardy originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessemployeeengineerhardwarehewlett-packardhphp palmhp touchpadhp webosHpPalmHpTouchpadHpWebosindustrylayoffminipostmoneypalmtouchpadwebosTue, 20 Sep 2011 10:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Panasonic will layoff 17,000 workers globally (updated)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/28/panasonic-to-layoff-40-000-workers/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/28/panasonic-to-layoff-40-000-workers/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/28/panasonic-to-layoff-40-000-workers/#commentsNo matter how you slice it, 17,000 is a big number, especially when its seventeen thousand humans looking for jobs. The layoffs represent a four-percent reduction of Panasonic's 380,000 global workforce due to restructuring efforts, according to Nikkei. They are expected to begin this year and will mainly impact employees outside of Japan.

Update: Post updated to reflect the actual number of job cuts, not the 40,000 originally quoted by Nikkei or the 35,000 quoted by the AFP. The cuts will come over two years. The news comes as Panasonic reported a ¥40.7 billion ($499 million) loss for quarter, largely on account of a ¥61 billion ($748 million) restructuring cost. Panny says that its bottom line was also affected by a strong Yen, stiff competition in television sales, and the recent earthquake and tsunami.

Panasonic will layoff 17,000 workers globally (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 03:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>earningsemploymentjapanjobjob cutsJobCutsjobslayofflayoffspanasonicprofitsQ1q1 2011Q12011quarterly earningsquarterly resultsQuarterlyEarningsQuarterlyResultsrestructruingresultsThu, 28 Apr 2011 03:36:00 EST<![CDATA[Skype happy to offer jobs to any Finns who might be in need]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/16/skype-happy-to-offer-jobs-to-any-finns-who-might-be-in-need/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/16/skype-happy-to-offer-jobs-to-any-finns-who-might-be-in-need/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/16/skype-happy-to-offer-jobs-to-any-finns-who-might-be-in-need/#commentsSkype happy to offer jobs to any Finns who might be in needOver 1,000 disgruntled Nokistas walked off the job last week and, while presumably all of them showed up punctually on Monday morning, it remains to be seen how many will get proverbial pink slips as Elop starts making cuts. When that time comes Skype is happy to say that they'd like to hire as many as possible. CEO Tony Bates has no qualms about making the best of this situation, saying the following to Reuters:
There is going to be tremendous talent out there... "Our primary engineering focus just so happens to be somewhere between Finland, Estonia and Stockholm, so you can imagine that's a great opportunity and we're hiring.
Hear that, shunned Nokia elite? Now turn that frown upside down.

Skype happy to offer jobs to any Finns who might be in need originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>finlandjob lossJobLosslayoffnokiapink slipPinkSlipscandanaviaskypetony batesTonyBatesWed, 16 Feb 2011 11:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Nokia workers mourn death of Symbian, thousands walk out]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/11/nokia-workers-mourn-death-of-symbian-thousands-walk-out/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/11/nokia-workers-mourn-death-of-symbian-thousands-walk-out/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/11/nokia-workers-mourn-death-of-symbian-thousands-walk-out/#commentsNokia workers mourn death of Symbian, thousands walk out We know how you feel about the apparent death of Symbian, and you had to figure that those most affected by it wouldn't be feeling too good either. Those people are, of course, the 1,500-odd workers at Nokia's Tampere office who have crafted the OS through the years, over a thousand of whom apparently walked away from their jobs today as a sort of non-violent protest -- or maybe just to get a preview of what their Friday afternoons will look like once Elop starts dropping the axe. It should be noted that they used their flexible work schedules to enable this, so this is one orderly bit of social dissonance that shouldn't result in any accelerations of whatever layoffs are to come.

Nokia workers mourn death of Symbian, thousands walk out originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>layoffnokiastephen elopStephenElopsymbiantampereFri, 11 Feb 2011 11:53:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft layoffs: the axeman cometh? (update)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/microsoft-layoffs-the-axeman-cometh/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/microsoft-layoffs-the-axeman-cometh/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/microsoft-layoffs-the-axeman-cometh/#comments Nothing like rumors of corporate layoffs to throw 89,000 Microsoft employees into unproductive turmoil. This time the rumors are being mongered by the Wall Street Journal and TechFlash, both of whom have been told to expect "far smaller" cuts than the 5,000 heads lost during the global financial downturn. And while it's easy to come to the conclusion that this round of layoffs is the result of the Kin debacle, keep in mind that Microsoft is entering a new fiscal year -- the perfect time (from a budgetary perspective) to trim down and refocus on new strategies. Still, if this does affect the Kin team, then let's just hope that the skilled engineers toiling inside the project's pink trenches are spared when the reductions begin as soon as today, according to TechFlash. While J Allard may be gone, one executive alone doesn't create a culture and governance model that builds multi-million dollar silos of duplication and then turns a blind eye to inter-team stonewalling. We say aim high when it comes time to swing that axe Microsoft.

Update: TechFlash is now reporting that, yes, Redmond has wielded its handled blade. At this point it's suggested to run only in the hundreds across the globe, and "the low hundreds in the Seattle region," across several groups. Sounds indeed more like a pruning of its over 88,000-strong workforce and less like Kin fallout.

Microsoft layoffs: the axeman cometh? (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>job cutsJobCutsjobslayofflayoffsmicrosoftrumorWed, 07 Jul 2010 18:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony Ericsson closing four facilities, laying off 2,000 employees worldwide]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/18/sony-ericsson-closing-four-facilities-laying-off-2-000-employee/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/18/sony-ericsson-closing-four-facilities-laying-off-2-000-employee/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/18/sony-ericsson-closing-four-facilities-laying-off-2-000-employee/#comments Sony Ericsson has yet to make this public, but we've learned that the flagging handset maker has caved once more to the pressures of the modern phone market place. If you'll recall, 450 employees were nixed from the company's payrolls in September of last year, and now the entire Research Triangle Park facility is being shuttered. In an internal announcement made this morning, SE is fixing to close four total sites: RTP in North Carolina, a smaller Miami facility and operations in Kista (Sweden) and Chennai. All told, 2,000 employees will be trimmed, with severance packages being offered to those who qualify. As of now, the departing individuals have yet to be chosen, with employees in RTP given the opportunity to apply for jobs elsewhere (likely in Atlanta or California). We're told that the cuts will happen "in stages," with project teams being assembled as we speak to work out the logistics. Frankly, we aren't as shocked as we are saddened to hear the news -- SE has refused to keep pace with the other handset makers, and its decision to wait until next year to ship an Android device is indicative of the choices that have kept it in the shadows these past few years. Here's hoping this restructuring effort actually gets things headed in the right direction.

Update: And it's official. SE will also be shutting down small offices in Seattle and San Diego, with its North American headquarters shifting from RTP to Atlanta and its research and development operation transitioning from RTP to Redwood Shores, California.

Filed under: , ,

Sony Ericsson closing four facilities, laying off 2,000 employees worldwide originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breaking newsBreakingNewscellphoneEricssonfiredfiringlay offlay offsLayOfflayoffsmobilencnorth carolinaNorthCarolinartpsesmartphonesoftwareSonySony EricssonSonyEricssonWed, 18 Nov 2009 08:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony Ericsson closing four facilities, laying off 2,000 employees worldwide]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/18/sony-ericsson-closing-four-facilities-laying-off-2-000-employee/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/18/sony-ericsson-closing-four-facilities-laying-off-2-000-employee/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/18/sony-ericsson-closing-four-facilities-laying-off-2-000-employee/#comments Sony Ericsson has yet to make this public, but we've learned that the flagging handset maker has caved once more to the pressures of the modern phone market place. If you'll recall, 450 employees were nixed from the company's payrolls in September of last year, and now the entire Research Triangle Park facility is being shuttered. In an internal announcement made this morning, SE is fixing to close four total sites: RTP in North Carolina, a smaller Miami facility and operations in Kista (Sweden) and Chennai. All told, 2,000 employees will be trimmed, with severance packages being offered to those who qualify. As of now, the departing individuals have yet to be chosen, with employees in RTP given the opportunity to apply for jobs elsewhere (likely in Atlanta or California). We're told that the cuts will happen "in stages," with project teams being assembled as we speak to work out the logistics. Frankly, we aren't as shocked as we are saddened to hear the news -- SE has refused to keep pace with the other handset makers, and its decision to wait until next year to ship an Android device is indicative of the choices that have kept it in the shadows these past few years. Here's hoping this restructuring effort actually gets things headed in the right direction.

Update: And it's official. SE will also be shutting down small offices in Seattle and San Diego, with its North American headquarters shifting from RTP to Atlanta and its research and development operation transitioning from RTP to Redwood Shores, California.

Filed under:

Sony Ericsson closing four facilities, laying off 2,000 employees worldwide originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breaking newsBreakingNewscellphoneEricssonfiredfiringlay offlay offsLayOfflayoffsncnorth carolinaNorthCarolinartpsesmartphonesoftwareSonySony EricssonSonyEricssonWed, 18 Nov 2009 08:58:00 EST<![CDATA[i-mate CEO says company isn't dead yet, just dealing with 'major fraud']]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/24/i-mate-ceo-says-company-isnt-dead-yet-just-dealing-with-major/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/24/i-mate-ceo-says-company-isnt-dead-yet-just-dealing-with-major/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/24/i-mate-ceo-says-company-isnt-dead-yet-just-dealing-with-major/#comments
Well, it looks like the reports of i-mate's demise may have been slightly exaggerated. Of course, most of its employees are still laid off, its offices are still closed, and no one's answering the phones, but i-mate CEO Jim Morrison assures us that "everything about i-mate will continue." It turns out the company is just dealing with some "major fraud" that was discovered at the end of August as it was beginning to introduce a new line of devices, which led to some problems with little things like "paying employees." Those employees are also now said to be considering taking things up with the local authorities in Dubai, which Morrison admits would make things "difficult," although he insists that the company still has those new products ready to go, that it's "looking for more funding," and that "there is a lot of good stuff happening."

[Thanks, Brendan]

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i-mate CEO says company isn't dead yet, just dealing with 'major fraud' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fraudi-matejim morrisonJimMorrisonlaid offLaidOfflayofflayoffsmobileothersshamblesThu, 24 Sep 2009 10:54:00 EST<![CDATA[i-mate CEO says company isn't dead yet, just dealing with 'major fraud']]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/24/i-mate-ceo-says-company-isnt-dead-yet-just-dealing-with-major/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/24/i-mate-ceo-says-company-isnt-dead-yet-just-dealing-with-major/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/24/i-mate-ceo-says-company-isnt-dead-yet-just-dealing-with-major/#comments
Well, it looks like the reports of i-mate's demise may have been slightly exaggerated. Of course, most of its employees are still laid off, its offices are still closed, and no one's answering the phones, but i-mate CEO Jim Morrison assures us that "everything about i-mate will continue." It turns out the company is just dealing with some "major fraud" that was discovered at the end of August as it was beginning to introduce a new line of devices, which led to some problems with little things like "paying employees." Those employees are also now said to be considering taking things up with the local authorities in Dubai, which Morrison admits would make things "difficult," although he insists that the company still has those new products ready to go, that it's "looking for more funding," and that "there is a lot of good stuff happening."

[Thanks, Brendan]

Filed under:

i-mate CEO says company isn't dead yet, just dealing with 'major fraud' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fraudi-matejim morrisonJimMorrisonlaid offLaidOfflayofflayoffsshamblesThu, 24 Sep 2009 10:54:00 EST<![CDATA[Vodafone to slash hundreds of jobs in Britain]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/25/vodafone-to-slash-hundreds-of-jobs-in-britain/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/25/vodafone-to-slash-hundreds-of-jobs-in-britain/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/25/vodafone-to-slash-hundreds-of-jobs-in-britain/#commentsYet another company has succumbed to making tough choices in the face of a rough economy, as Vodafone is reportedly preparing to lay off "hundreds" of workers in Britain. The report stated that the cuts could come as soon as this week, and while there was no definite number given as to how many of its 10,000 employees would be asked to leave, we do know that the operator is aiming to "boost free cash flow by cutting one billion pounds of costs." Predictably, Voda declined to comment on the report, but it'll probably have to talk soon whether it wants to or not.

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Vodafone to slash hundreds of jobs in Britain originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 04:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>economyenglandjobjob cutsJobCutsjobslay offlay offsLayOffLayOffsmobileukvodafonevodaphoneWed, 25 Feb 2009 04:23:00 EST<![CDATA[Sprint lays off all in-store greeters and hosts?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/13/sprint-lays-off-all-in-store-greeters-and-hosts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/13/sprint-lays-off-all-in-store-greeters-and-hosts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/13/sprint-lays-off-all-in-store-greeters-and-hosts/#comments
We're hearing rumors today that Sprint has laid off greeters and hosts from its stores -- a likely scenario considering the company's ongoing financial struggles and the fact that Verizon appears to be making similar moves. By the same token, it'd seem like these cats would want to be ramping up in preparation for the Pre, not down, so this doesn't bode too well -- making room for more straight-up sales reps, perhaps?

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

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Sprint lays off all in-store greeters and hosts? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>greetergreetershosthostslayofflayoffsmobilesprintFri, 13 Feb 2009 17:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Motorola hacks a thousand from China-based R&D team]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/13/motorola-hacks-a-thousands-from-china-based-randd-team/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/13/motorola-hacks-a-thousands-from-china-based-randd-team/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/13/motorola-hacks-a-thousands-from-china-based-randd-team/#commentsDetails are starting to flow in regarding those 4,000 job cuts that Motorola announced in January, and evidently a thousand of 'em are coming from a single Chinese facility. According to the People's Daily Online, 1,000 Moto workers are being dismissed, and every last one of 'em are from the research and development team of the mobile phone department. We're told that the software platform project team suffered the most, and all told, there's just 100 staffers that remain at the plant. For whatever it's worth, Motorola has affirmed that its commitment to growth in the Chinese market remains the same -- apparently it thinks it can still succeed with far fewer heads doing the work.

[Via mocoNews]

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Motorola hacks a thousand from China-based R&D team originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 10:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chinachinesefirefiringglobaljob cutsJobCutslay offlay offsLayOffLayOffsmobileMotorolardsoftwareFri, 13 Feb 2009 10:42:00 EST<![CDATA[Nokia to close Jyväskylä plant, scale down Salo facility in Finland]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/13/nokia-to-close-jyvaskyla-plant-scale-down-salo-facility-in-finl/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/13/nokia-to-close-jyvaskyla-plant-scale-down-salo-facility-in-finl/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/13/nokia-to-close-jyvaskyla-plant-scale-down-salo-facility-in-finl/#comments
As with most other cellphone makers (and companies in general), Nokia managed to lose a bit of cash, market share and dignity in the completely brutal past quarter. That said, it's still doing leaps and bounds better than most, but that glimmer isn't stopping it from shutting down its Jyväskylä site and scaling back at its Salo production facility (pictured). According to Nokia, this is all part of its ongoing plan to "increase cost-efficiency and adapt to the market situation," and with the closings, it'll concentrate mobile devices R&D in Finland at Tampere, Oulu, Salo (though to a lesser extent) and the Helsinki metropolitan area. It's expected that all of the 320 employees at Jyväskylä will be sent packing by the end of this year, while temporary layoffs will be issued on a "rotational basis" (sounds thrilling, no?) at Salo. More details are stored away in the read link, but we'd avoid the depression that's lurking unless your day has just been entirely too awesome.

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Nokia to close Jyväskylä plant, scale down Salo facility in Finland originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 05:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>economyfinlandfiredfiringlay offlay offsLayOffLayOffsmobilenokiaproductionr and dRAndDRDresearchFri, 13 Feb 2009 05:58:00 EST<![CDATA[VUDU looks to integrate with TVs, DVD players]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/27/vudu-looks-to-integrate-with-tvs-dvd-players/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/27/vudu-looks-to-integrate-with-tvs-dvd-players/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/27/vudu-looks-to-integrate-with-tvs-dvd-players/#comments
VUDU's been doing its darnedest of late to keep up with the slew of rivals looking to steal away every piece of market share they can, and a recent report over at CEPro sheds a little light onto how the company plans to both stay afloat and take off. As with most every other outfit, VUDU has also suffered through a few rounds of layoffs. Currently, the company employs about 50, which is down from a high of around 110. Co-founder Tony Miranz seems pretty optimistic about the future, though, noting that the outfit is being "bombarded with inquiries" from potential partners. Speaking of which, he also asserted that VUDU was -- at its heart -- a software company, and thus it was currently looking to integrate its top-shelf UI and movie delivery network into HDTVs, DVD / Blu-ray players and other standalone boxes. It's tough to say how such a shift would affect the firm. On one hand, you've got CinemaNow barely breathing, while Netflix has managed to execute this plan to perfection. Go on VUDU, roll the dice -- we'll be watching.

[Thanks, Ben]

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VUDU looks to integrate with TVs, DVD players originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>economyfirefiredfiringhdjobjob cutjob cutsJobCutJobCutsjobslay offlay offsLayOffLayOffsmovie set-top-boxMovieSet-top-boxvuduTue, 27 Jan 2009 15:17:00 EST<![CDATA[Recession roundup: Monday morning edition]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/26/recession-roundup-monday-morning-edition/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/26/recession-roundup-monday-morning-edition/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/26/recession-roundup-monday-morning-edition/#commentsRecession roundup: Monday morning edition
It wasn't that long ago that Monday mornings in the office were a depressing time -- another cheerful weekend gone; another long week of work ahead. But, these days, being in the office on a Monday is a good thing, because if your login still works you've survived another scary layoff Friday. Spare a thought, then, for those whose system access has been cut off, including 1,300 from Sun (the first wave of a total of 6,000 planned job cuts), 8,000 workers at Sprint who are due to receive pink slips, 6,000 from Philips, and an unannounced number of IBM workers (rumored to be 16,000) who have also found themselves to be on the wrong side of the cost-cutting ax. In one final bit of cheery news, AMD has reported a $1.4 billion loss in the fourth quarter of 2008 and, after shedding its handheld graphics unit, is now selling its manufacturing operations to Advanced Technology Investment. Oh, sorry, you were hoping for some genuinely good news? How about this: that loss is smaller than AMD's $1.8 billion loss from the same time last year. Now have a great day!

Read - Sun confirms 1,300 layoffs
Read - Sprint Nextel Plans to Cut 8,000 Jobs in Quarter
Read - Philips to Release 6000 Employees into Wild
Read - Several IBM employees report being laid off on Alliance@IBM
Read - IBM Confirms Layoffs
Read - AMD Reports $1.4 Billion Loss

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Recession roundup: Monday morning edition originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amdeconomyibmjob lossjob lossesJobLossJobLosseslayofflayoffsphilipsrecessionrecession rounduprecession watchRecessionRoundupRecessionWatchroundupsprintsprint nextelSprintNextelsunMon, 26 Jan 2009 09:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Motorola axing 77 in Windows Mobile development facility]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/26/motorola-axing-77-in-windows-mobile-development-facility/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/26/motorola-axing-77-in-windows-mobile-development-facility/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/26/motorola-axing-77-in-windows-mobile-development-facility/#commentsWe'd already heard that Motorola would be focusing on Android alone for its future smartphones, and this here report certainly gives a good bit of credence to that notion. The flagging handset maker has just announced that 77 employees at its Plantation, Florida facility would be axed effective March 27th. Now, we knew thousands in its handset division were being laid off, but this sect is different than most -- with these departures, Moto will reportedly stop conducting new Windows Mobile development at the plant. We can't say we're totally against an all-Android approach, but it's a shame these 77 couldn't have been given new job descriptions with "Google" replacing "Microsoft" in the fine print.

[Via wmpoweruser]

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Motorola axing 77 in Windows Mobile development facility originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androiddevelopmentlay offlay offsLayOffLayOffsmobilemotomotorolaPlantationwindows mobileWindowsMobilewinmoMon, 26 Jan 2009 07:21:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony to shutter Japanese TV plant as part of restructuring efforts]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/21/sony-to-shutter-japanese-tv-plant-cut-2000-more-jobs/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/21/sony-to-shutter-japanese-tv-plant-cut-2000-more-jobs/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/21/sony-to-shutter-japanese-tv-plant-cut-2000-more-jobs/#comments
Hey Sony -- we know that experiencing your first annual operating loss in 14 years calls for drastic measures, but this is bordering on downright rash. Barely a month after announcing that 16,000 employees would be axed, Sony has now revealed plans to close one of its two television plants in Japan and rid itself of 2,000 domestic full-time jobs as it attempts to "revive its electronics business." Of note, it's stated that those 2,000 -- which seem to be a part of the previously mentioned 16,000 figure -- will be shed via "early retirement and other programs." Just think what a 40-inch XEL-1 would do for business. No, seriously Sony, just think.

[Image courtesy of DigitalWorldTokyo]

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Sony to shutter Japanese TV plant as part of restructuring efforts originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>economyfactoryfirefiredhdjapanjobjobslay offlay offsLayOffLayOffsplantproductionSonyWed, 21 Jan 2009 22:44:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony to shutter Japanese TV plant as part of restructuring efforts]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/21/sony-to-shutter-japanese-tv-plant-cut-2000-more-jobs/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/21/sony-to-shutter-japanese-tv-plant-cut-2000-more-jobs/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/21/sony-to-shutter-japanese-tv-plant-cut-2000-more-jobs/#comments
Hey Sony -- we know that experiencing your first annual operating loss in 14 years calls for drastic measures, but this is bordering on downright rash. Barely a month after announcing that 16,000 employees would be axed, Sony has now revealed plans to close one of its two television plants in Japan and rid itself of 2,000 domestic full-time jobs as it attempts to "revive its electronics business." Of note, it's stated that those 2,000 -- which seem to be a part of the previously mentioned 16,000 figure -- will be shed via "early retirement and other programs." Just think what a 40-inch XEL-1 would do for business. No, seriously Sony, just think.

[Image courtesy of DigitalWorldTokyo]

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Sony to shutter Japanese TV plant as part of restructuring efforts originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>economyfactoryfirefiredhdtvjapanjobjobslay offlay offsLayOffLayOffsplantproductionSonyWed, 21 Jan 2009 22:44:00 EST<![CDATA[Job loss roundup: like other roundups, only less fun]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/21/job-loss-roundup-like-other-roundups-only-less-fun/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/21/job-loss-roundup-like-other-roundups-only-less-fun/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/21/job-loss-roundup-like-other-roundups-only-less-fun/#comments
Remember yesterday... when everything was awesome and hopeful? Well, with this morning's coffee came the cold hard truth once more: the economy is seriously stinking up the joint, and it only seems to be getting worse. Logitech's announced their third-quarter earnings (down 70 percent) and simultaneously said it's going to shrug off 600 of its employees, while the folks over at Intel have said they're shutting down a manufacturing facility in the Philippines which houses 1,800 employees. Sony's vaguely announced a "restructuring" which is bound to result in misery and job loss, while Sega confirmed that "about 30" people have been vaporized from the pay sheet. So... everything's cool with this blogging job, right guys? Guys!?

Read - Confirmed: Sega cuts staff
Read - Sony announces restructuring plan
Read - Intel announces RP operation shutdown
Read - Logitech third quarter profits fell 70 percent


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Job loss roundup: like other roundups, only less fun originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>inteljoblessjobslayofflayoffslogitechsegasonyWed, 21 Jan 2009 11:45:00 EST<![CDATA[AMD hacks another 1100 employees, cuts executive salaries by 20% ]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/amd-hacks-another-1100-employees-cuts-executive-salaries-by-20/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/amd-hacks-another-1100-employees-cuts-executive-salaries-by-20/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/amd-hacks-another-1100-employees-cuts-executive-salaries-by-20/#comments
Barely two months ago we found that another round of layoffs would land 500 employees at AMD without a job. Now, we're hearing that the chip maker is looking to scale down its workforce by another nine percent, which means that around 1,100 positions will be vacated in Q1 2009. Also of note, the arguably overpaid Executive Chairman Hector Ruiz and his buddy Chief Executive Dirk Meyer will each see "temporary" (what, like a day?) 20 percent cuts in base salary. Oh, and in case you needed a little more doom and gloom with your wine and cheese, the outfit is also suspending its 401(k) company match. Awesome.

[Image courtesy of DavidWSmith, thanks Spencer]

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AMD hacks another 1100 employees, cuts executive salaries by 20% originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amdcpueconomyfiredfiringlay offlay offsLayOffLayOffsprocessorFri, 16 Jan 2009 13:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Motorola to lay off 4,000 starting immediately]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/14/motorola-to-lay-off-4-000-this-year/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/14/motorola-to-lay-off-4-000-this-year/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/14/motorola-to-lay-off-4-000-this-year/#commentsIt's official: Moto's pulling out the axe. The beleaguered manufacturer is no stranger to financial struggles at this point -- nor layoffs, for that matter -- but the latest round cuts some 6 percent of employees from Moto's global operations, and 3,000 of the 4,000 will come directly from the handset division. The news comes along with a preliminary fourth quarter earnings estimate of a 7 to 8 cent per share loss (which isn't really "earnings" when you think about it), so yeah, it's business as usual out in Schaumburg: get lean and start making awesome products. Soon, Moto. Please.

[Via Boy Genius Report]

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Motorola to lay off 4,000 starting immediately originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breaking newsBreakingNewslayofflayoffsmotomotorolaWed, 14 Jan 2009 17:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Motorola to lay off 4,000 starting immediately]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/14/motorola-to-lay-off-4-000-this-year/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/14/motorola-to-lay-off-4-000-this-year/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/14/motorola-to-lay-off-4-000-this-year/#commentsIt's official: Moto's pulling out the axe. The beleaguered manufacturer is no stranger to financial struggles at this point -- nor layoffs, for that matter -- but the latest round cuts some 6 percent of employees from Moto's global operations, and 3,000 of the 4,000 will come directly from the handset division. The news comes along with a preliminary fourth quarter earnings estimate of a 7 to 8 cent per share loss (which isn't really "earnings" when you think about it), so yeah, it's business as usual out in Schaumburg: get lean and start making awesome products. Soon, Moto. Please.

[Via Boy Genius Report]

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Motorola to lay off 4,000 starting immediately originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breaking newsBreakingNewslayofflayoffsmobilemotomotorolaWed, 14 Jan 2009 17:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Lenovo, Dell and TDK layoff thousands, bum out thousands more]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/09/lenovo-dell-and-tdk-layoff-thousands-bum-out-thousands-more/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/09/lenovo-dell-and-tdk-layoff-thousands-bum-out-thousands-more/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/09/lenovo-dell-and-tdk-layoff-thousands-bum-out-thousands-more/#comments
No longer content to sit on the sideline while companies like Logitech and Creative get all the press, Lenovo, Dell and TDK are all "restructuring." And you know what that means. Lenovo: cutting 11 percent of its work force. Dell: cutting 1,900 jobs, closing its plant in Limerick. TDK: cutting 8,000 jobs and closing four plants. This might be a tad depressing, but don't lose heart, people! As Sony's Gary Shapiro pointed out at the company's keynote this morning, tech companies "don't seek bailout money, we seek opportunity." After all, the company knows a thing or two about "opportunity."

Read: Lenovo Expects Quarterly Loss, Plans Job Cuts
Read: Dell to axe 1,900 jobs
Read: Japan's TDK to cut 8,000 jobs, close four plants
Read: Layoff Blog

Update: Shapiro is the President and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association. Our bad.

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Lenovo, Dell and TDK layoff thousands, bum out thousands more originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cost-cuttingdelllayofflayoffslenovosonytdkFri, 09 Jan 2009 08:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Logitech axes 15% of salaried workforce as it restructures]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/06/logitech-axes-15-of-salaried-workforce-as-it-restructures/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/06/logitech-axes-15-of-salaried-workforce-as-it-restructures/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/06/logitech-axes-15-of-salaried-workforce-as-it-restructures/#comments
Logitech may be bringing the heat at CES, but that doesn't mean it's not feeling the pinch. Alongside a few new pieces of kit, the outfit has also announced that it will be undergoing a serious restructuring as it moves forward. According to president and chief executive officer Gerald P. Quindlen: "During the December quarter, the retail environment deteriorated significantly, and moreover, we expect the economic environment to worsen in the coming months and we are therefore taking significant actions to align our cost structure with what is likely to be an extended downturn." Sadly, those "actions" involve sending home some 15% of its salaried workforce worldwide, and it's expecting the savings from all of this to show in Q1 of fiscal year 2010. Ouch.

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Logitech axes 15% of salaried workforce as it restructures originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businesseconomyfirefiredfiringindustrylay offlay offsLayOffLayOffslogitechrestructuringTue, 06 Jan 2009 09:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumors of drastic cost cutting at Sony abound, Sony says not so fast]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/05/rumors-of-drastic-cost-cutting-at-sony-abound-sony-says-not-so/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/05/rumors-of-drastic-cost-cutting-at-sony-abound-sony-says-not-so/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/05/rumors-of-drastic-cost-cutting-at-sony-abound-sony-says-not-so/#comments
Sony already announced some pretty significant layoffs and other cost-cutting measures last month, but it looks like the company could be set to take things even further, with the Times of London now reporting that some major factory and division closings could also be in the offing as early as next month. Any details beyond that are a bit light, it seems, but Sony is denying that any such plan exists, with a spokesperson saying simply that the company does "not plan to announce additional restructuring measures at this time." Not exactly a flat out denial, to be sure, and it certainly wouldn't be the first time that a company revised their layoff estimates this season.

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Rumors of drastic cost cutting at Sony abound, Sony says not so fast originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cost-cuttinglayofflayoffssonyMon, 05 Jan 2009 17:37:00 EST<![CDATA[Creative axes 2,700 jobs, simultaneously lowers expectations for Zii]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/04/creative-axes-2-700-jobs-simultaneously-lowers-expectations-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/04/creative-axes-2-700-jobs-simultaneously-lowers-expectations-for/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/04/creative-axes-2-700-jobs-simultaneously-lowers-expectations-for/#comments
While the hype is bubbling over surrounding Creative's Zii "stemcell computing," the outfit obviously doesn't think whatever it is will turn things around. Instead, it has chosen to cut some 2,700 jobs -- nearly half of its workforce -- as "demand for its music players tumbled." According to a report filed to Singapore's stock exchange on December 31, 2008, the company had 3,100 full time employees at the end of June 2008, which is around 47% lower than what was posted a year prior. 'Course, we suppose the cuts aren't all that surprising after posting a net loss of $19.7 million on the lowest revenues in five years, but it still makes us wonder just how confident the company is about this whole Zii dealio.

[Thanks, Grayson]

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Creative axes 2,700 jobs, simultaneously lowers expectations for Zii originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Creativeeconomyfiredjobjob cutsJobCutsjobslay offlay offsLayOffLayOffsmusicportable audioportable videoportableaudioportablevideostem cellstem cell computingStemCellStemCellComputingziiSun, 04 Jan 2009 03:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft preparing for new layoffs?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/31/microsoft-preparing-for-new-layoffs/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/31/microsoft-preparing-for-new-layoffs/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/31/microsoft-preparing-for-new-layoffs/#comments A new report from Fudzilla claims that Microsoft is getting ready to lay off 15,000 employees, or about 17% of its worldwide staff. The axe will apparently fall on January 15th, exactly one week before its second quarter earnings report, and they expect MSN division to be hit hardest, while the successful Xbox crew will probably make it out relatively unscathed. Meanwhile, an anonymous blogger who goes by the name Mini-Microsoft and claims to be an employee well-versed in the goings-on inside the company has been fielding questions from other purported Microsoft workers on recent cutback concerns. This past Monday he posted a handful of anonymous comments saying that the rumored layoffs aren't happening -- at least not in January -- although a re-organization might be in the cards. Both reports should be taken with a grain of salt, but one thing's for certain -- Windows 7 is gonna rule.

[Via Joystiq]

Read - Fudzilla report
Read - Mini-Microsoft

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Microsoft preparing for new layoffs? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 21:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>lay offlay offsLayOffLayOffsmicrosoftmsnrumorrumorsxboxWed, 31 Dec 2008 21:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Motorola hastens layoff plans, axes 400 earlier than anticipated]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/31/motorola-hastens-layoff-plans-axes-400-earlier-than-anticipated/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/31/motorola-hastens-layoff-plans-axes-400-earlier-than-anticipated/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/31/motorola-hastens-layoff-plans-axes-400-earlier-than-anticipated/#commentsThe words "job security" and "Motorola" haven't coexisted in a non-sarcastic manner for quite some time, and things just seem to be deteriorating by the day. Not even two full months after the flagging company announced that 3,000 employees would be sent packing, a new Reuters report has it that the axing process in Q4 will be accelerated. Specifically, some 1,900 (versus 1,500 as originally predicted) will be cut in an attempt to save $800 million in 2009, though there's no word on how damaging the inevitable productivity losses will be given the markedly low morale. To no one's surprise, most of the Q4 cuts will be in the mobile devices segment; we're beginning to think Sad Moto Face[TM] here will never, ever vanish.

[Via UnwiredView]

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Motorola hastens layoff plans, axes 400 earlier than anticipated originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>firedfiringfiringsjobjob cutsJobCutsjobslay offlay offsLayOffLayOffsmobilemotomotorolaWed, 31 Dec 2008 15:22:00 EST<![CDATA[Sharp closing down two LCD panel production lines, hacking 380 jobs]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/19/sharp-closing-down-two-lcd-panel-production-lines-hacking-380-j/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/19/sharp-closing-down-two-lcd-panel-production-lines-hacking-380-j/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/19/sharp-closing-down-two-lcd-panel-production-lines-hacking-380-j/#comments
It's not pulling a Sony or anything, but even Sharp has been unable to absorb the downturn in flat-panel demand. We already knew that the firm was looking to scale back production by as much as 10% from the middle of this month, and our deductive reasoning skills are leading us to believe that this is the cutback we've been expecting. The outfit will be closing down two LCD panel production lines in Japan in order to "move production to a newer and more cost-efficient plant as the global downturn hits demand for electronic goods." Along with the closings will come 380 job cuts -- all temporary workers -- which will presumably be sent home when the lines halt for the final time in January.

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Sharp closing down two LCD panel production lines, hacking 380 jobs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eocnomyfiredfiringfiringsflat-panelhdjobjob cutsJobCutsjobslay offlay offsLayOffLayOffslcdlcd tvLcdTvpanelsproductionsharpFri, 19 Dec 2008 13:38:00 EST<![CDATA[Alcatel-Lucent cuts 1,000 jobs]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/12/alcatel-lucent-cuts-1-000-jobs/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/12/alcatel-lucent-cuts-1-000-jobs/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/12/alcatel-lucent-cuts-1-000-jobs/#commentsIt's not an easy time to be a provider of wired and wireless network infrastructure. Actually, let's be honest -- it's not an easy time to be in most any line of work -- but the infrastructure guys are having a particularly tough time right now, and it's definitely showing in Alcatel-Lucent's latest unfortunate move. The Paris-based company is trimming a grand worth of heads out of its 75,000-plus workforce and culling some 5,000 contractors, a move that it hopes will stop a cash hemorrhage that's been persistent since Alcatel's purchase of Lucent in 2006. The embattled CEO already stepped down earlier this year in a quest for profitability in a desperately brutal economy, so it stands to reason that there'll be some belt-tightening down below until they can right the ship -- but it's always sad to see the parent company of what remains of Bell Labs struggle to keep its head above water.

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Alcatel-Lucent cuts 1,000 jobs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 03:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alcatelalcatel-lucentlayofflayoffslucentmobileFri, 12 Dec 2008 03:16:00 EST<![CDATA[Analyst predicts "significant" job cuts in January, possible price drops for Sprint]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/09/analyst-predicts-significant-job-cuts-in-january-possible-pri/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/09/analyst-predicts-significant-job-cuts-in-january-possible-pri/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/09/analyst-predicts-significant-job-cuts-in-january-possible-pri/#comments
Not even a month after Sprint began offering voluntary buyout packages to an unspecified number of employees and just weeks after John Garcia decided it best to extend his Thanksgiving holiday into forever, in flies an analyst report asserting that sweeping layoffs are just around the bend. Pali Research's Walter Piecyk also expects the carrier to reduce prices to pick up lost ground to rivals AT&T and Verizon Wireless. A company spokesman proclaimed that "nothing was off of the table" and that "every option" would be scrutinized, but as of now, no decisions have been nailed down around the 2009 budget plan. Better get on that, wouldn't you say?

[Via CellPhonesMarket]

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Analyst predicts "significant" job cuts in January, possible price drops for Sprint originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>analysteconomyexecjobjobslay offlay offsLayOffLayOffsmobilesprintsprint nextelSprintNextelTue, 09 Dec 2008 16:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony to shed 16,000 jobs, increase prices in bid to bolster profitability (Updated)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/09/sony-to-shed-8-000-jobs-increase-prices-in-bid-to-bolster-profi/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/09/sony-to-shed-8-000-jobs-increase-prices-in-bid-to-bolster-profi/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/09/sony-to-shed-8-000-jobs-increase-prices-in-bid-to-bolster-profi/#comments
The bad news from the Japanese consumer electronics industry continues. Sony just announced plans to cut about 8,000 global jobs from its beleaguered electronics business while making unspecified reductions to its seasonal and temporary workforce. The move, as Sony explains it, comes "in response to the sudden and rapid changes in the global economic environment." Ominously, it looks like Sony will also be raising prices (blame Jay) in the countries where "Sony makes significant sales" (read: US and Europe) if we're reading this statement correctly:
"Going forward, Sony intends to adjust product pricing to mitigate the impact of the appreciation of the yen."
Sony is also delaying or at least curtailing some of its investments while planning to "downsize or withdraw from unprofitable or non-core businesses." All these moves are meant to cut operational costs by some $1.1 billion in operational efficiencies before the fiscal year closes on 31 March 2010.

Update: Yup, we were right. According to Reuters, Sony will "raise prices on some electronics products in Europe from the beginning of 2009." Also, Bloomberg reports that 8,000 contract workers from the electronics division will also be shed for a total of 16,000 personnel added to the world's unemployment roster.

Sony to shed 16,000 jobs, increase prices in bid to bolster profitability (Updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 02:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>economyjapanlayofflayoffssonyTue, 09 Dec 2008 02:04:00 EST<![CDATA[AT&T cutting 12,000 jobs due to "economic pressures"]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/04/atandt-cutting-12-000-jobs-due-to-economic-pressures/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/04/atandt-cutting-12-000-jobs-due-to-economic-pressures/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/04/atandt-cutting-12-000-jobs-due-to-economic-pressures/#commentsAT&T cutting 12,000 jobs due to
AT&T may have about the best selection of choice handsets (smart or otherwise) available in the States right now, and continued iPhone exclusivity has definitely brought a windfall of new subscribers to its wireless division, but Ma Bell wasn't built on cell towers alone. There's still an extensive landline division to support, and it seems the company is leveraging the current economic doldrums to make it a little less so, joining the layoff crowd for the second time this year by shedding a further 12,000 workers (about 4 percent of its workforce), most said to be coming from passé, non-wireless sectors. So, happy holidays, folks -- hope those severance packages get you through the winter.

[Via CellPhonesMarket.com; thanks, SK]

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AT&T cutting 12,000 jobs due to "economic pressures" originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 10:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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