Monday, January 05, 2009

Sign of the times

The "Zunepocalypse" exacts a price:

Microsoft will embark on a significant cost-cutting initiative in 2009, which might begin as early as this month, to offset a global slowdown in sales.

However, sources tell me the cuts will largely be handled through attrition and the non-renewal of contract employees, rather than through a rumored, sweeping layoff.

Rumors of a broad workforce reduction at the world's largest software maker have been swirling since a blog post last week purported to show that Microsoft was preparing to lay off as many as 15,000 employees, or 17 percent of its workforce.

A Microsoft source tells me that the speculation is "grossly exaggerated," but added that "any company not paying careful attention to headcount in a climate like this is nuts."


Why don't they try laying off bloated code in Windows or Office?

Or better yet, make an actual version of Windows that comes within shouting-distance of what they promise before it is released?

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