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HTC confirms new research and development office in Durham, North Carolina
It's been swirling for months now, but at long last HTC has finally come forward with the official word: it'll be cracking open a new operation in the heart of North Carolina's technology hub to usher in 2011. According to the company, it'll be hiring 45 individuals at the Durham, NC-based venue, as they conduct research into "multiple areas of wireless technology, with plans to grow further during 2011 and into the future." The list of current job openings there is definitely robust, and there's little doubt that a good bit of design work will be going down just a few miles from the nearest Cook-Out. The opening of the new location marks HTC's third research and development facility in the States, with the others being positioned in Seattle and San Francisco. Out goes Sony Ericsson, in flies HTC -- fitting, don't you think?
HTC job listing hints at an E Ink / 3D-filled future, new North Carolina facility
Months back, word on the street had it that HTC was looking to grab up emptied space in North Carolina's Research Triangle Park post-recession; huge outfits like Nortel bit the bullet in 2009, while Sony Ericsson shuttered its operations there and relocated to Atlanta. Naturally, the consolidation paved the way for other technology firms to slide in without overpaying for real estate. HTC has remained mum on the prospect of expansion, but it's fairly obvious what's in mind given the multiple job listings that have just emerged for a heretofore unannounced facility in RTP. Of particular importance is a plea for a Display and Camera Design Engineer -- HTC is asking that whoever applies for the role have some level of "familiarity with 3D display and imaging technologies," not to mention "familiarity with multiple display technologies (TFT-LCD, PMOLED, AMOLED, E-ink, etc.)." Of course, we've seen quite a few bullet points in our years that end up meaning nothing at all, but it definitely gets our gears turning. Could HTC be working on a reader / tablet that would at least partially rely on e-paper? Are we destined to see a 3D Android device from the outfit at Mobile World Congress 2011? Imaginations, here's the part where you run wild.
Sony Ericsson closing four facilities, laying off 2,000 employees worldwide
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.
Sony Ericsson laying off 450 employees in Research Triangle Park, NC
"Planned" and "executed" are two very different things, and while we knew Sony Ericsson was mulling the idea of hacking 2,000 jobs, the hammer has finally fallen in Research Triangle Park, NC. The company will soon be axing 450 employees at its North American headquarters as part of a large reorganization, with most everyone knowing by the week's end whether they'll stay or go. According to Aldo Ligouri, Sony Ericsson's head of global communications and public relations, the RTP cuts are "part of company-wide changes that Sony Ericsson announced in July," and in whatever context, he added that "this is our map of how we see things moving forward." Just to put things in perspective, the outfit only has about 750 workers in the North Carolina-based facility, which is primarily seen as an R&D hub. Tough news to hear, no matter how you spin it.[Image courtesy of Flickr]
Next Safety developing nicotine-delivery device to curb smoking
Nah, Next Safety's approach to curbing smoking isn't nearly as fun as puffing on Golden Dragon's Ruyan e-cigarettes, but it just might do the trick. Reportedly, this North Carolina-based startup plans to bring a "nicotine-delivery product" to market which would actually "deliver nicotine to the brain faster and safer than cigarettes," all while protecting children and nonsmokers from secondhand smoke. Interestingly, the pulmonary drug-deliverer (which works similarly to a medical inhaler) is said to provide "a stronger kick" than smoking, but actually administers a smaller amount of nicotine to the body than your average Marlboro. Currently, the firm is hoping to release it into less restricted overseas markets by the year's end, but analysts here in America are questioning its ability to pass through all the red tape required for it to hit our shelves.[Via MedGadget]Read - New nicotine-delivery device is safer than smoking, NC company saysRead - Next Safety's Pulmonary Drug Delivery System
Lenovo laying off 1,400 employees, looking overseas
Tough news on the Lenovo front, as the "world's third ranking PC manufacturer" is looking to axe 1,400 of its US-based employees -- and fast. Reportedly, the firm has decided to lay off a good chunk of its American-based work force "within the next 30 to 60 days" as it turns around and creates around 750 new positions in Brazil, China, India and Slovakia. The company stressed that its return to profitability last year was greatly assisted by the laying off of upwards of 1,000 employees, and insinuates that the latest cost-cutting measures are just attempts to "make the organization more efficient by reducing expenses." The cuts also include a whopping 20-percent of the work force at Lenovo's Research Triangle Park (RTP) location and around five-percent overall, but should net some $100 million in savings for the new fiscal year. Sadly, it just seems to get more cutthroat every year in the corporate arena, regardless of accomplishments.[Via TWW]
