“That might qualify as a severe layoff at smaller companies, but it appears to amount to an annual pruning in the scheme of things at Microsoft, which cut more than 5,000 jobs last year as it adjusted to the recession,” Bishop reports. “The company employed 88,596 people globally at end of June — up slightly from 88,180 in the previous quarter — and it’s expected to continue growing modestly even with the latest cuts.”
Bishop reports, “A disproportionately large number of the cuts are coming in marketing groups across the company, according to people familiar with the situation.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: May all of the affected employes find meaningful employment at an innovative, well-managed company of which they can be proud, for a change.
Excerpts from a BusinessWeek interview with Apple CEO Steve Jobs, October 12, 2004:
Steve Jobs: Apple had a monopoly on the graphical user interface for almost 10 years. That’s a long time. And how are monopolies lost? Think about it. Some very good product people invent some very good products, and the company achieves a monopoly. But after that, the product people aren’t the ones that drive the company forward anymore. It’s the marketing guys or the ones who expand the business into Latin America or whatever. Because what’s the point of focusing on making the product even better when the only company you can take business from is yourself? So a different group of people start to move up. And who usually ends up running the show? The sales guy… Then one day, the monopoly expires for whatever reason. But by then the best product people have left, or they’re no longer listened to. And so the company goes through this tumultuous time, and it either survives or it doesn’t.
BusinessWeek: Is this common in the industry?
Steve Jobs: Look at Microsoft — who’s running Microsoft?
BusinessWeek: Steve Ballmer.
Steve Jobs: Right, the sales guy. Case closed.
Hoist yer mugs! May Steve Ballmer remain Microsoft CEO for as long at it takes!
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “James W.” for the heads up.]
I PREDICT–> By the end of 2010, Microsoft will have shut down at least one of their ‘Microsoft Store’ locations. See if I’m correct…
Will that be the THIRD Microsoft Death Throw? No way. There’s more to come before 2011 hits.
For Microsoft, “hundreds” is not very much in terms of percentage of total workforce. Next week, they might have a net gain of “hundreds.”
weeding out the apple spies that are making them fail!
“Microsoft axing hundreds of employees globally”
And then Ballmer ate them. Urp.
Microsoft swings axe at ‘hundreds’ of jobs globally..
custom bedroom furniture
This is so very true.
People should read this, from all companies to investors to fund managers. At Apple it’s still the product guys that run the show. That’s why they keep innovating.