Microsoft set to axe 18,000 jobs

[MrNeil]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28348223

Is this the start of the end ?
or a bit of a clear out of the unnecessary ?
Maybe just the norm for a large company ?

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Most of them are at Nokia.

Last year MS made over $20 billion in profits.

Edit!!

Nokia was also a big employer in Finland too.

[legitfromtheman]

Most of them are at Nokia.

Nokia was also a big employer in Finland too.

Yes, i believe it was the single largest private employer. I think it has caused a bit of a panic...

[badass]

Last year MS made over $20 billion in profits.

What does that have to do with anything?

[Shahman]

Thats bad news just before christmas

[quentium]

What does that have to do with anything?

I think his point was that Microsoft are in a fine financial position.

[badass]

I think his point was that Microsoft are in a fine financial position.

I suspect as much, however my question remains, what has that got to do with anything?

Or should they just have a large number of staff with skills they don't need on the payroll twiddling their thumbs because they aren't yet in financial trouble.
In fact, perhaps they should employ more. They could add another 18,000 employees and replace email with "personal writing and delivery assistants" that hand write what you wish to email and hand deliver it to recipients.

[ik9000]

They could add another 18,000 employees and replace email with "personal writing and delivery assistants" that hand write what you wish to email and hand deliver it to recipients.

Yes, using horse and cart! think how many horse breeders would benefit. And road sweepers. And in a roundabout way flower growers... This is job creation on a communist scale!

[yamangman]

And like communism, I suspect it's still the poor plebs at Microsoft that are the ones really getting shafted.

Yes, using horse and cart! think how many horse breeders would benefit. And road sweepers. And in a roundabout way flower growers... This is job creation on a communist scale!

[peterb]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28348223

Is this the start of the end ?
or a bit of a clear out of the unnecessary ?
Maybe just the norm for a large company ?

The quotes from the new chief exec are revealing - a move from traditional software to cloud and services. In that respect they are following Apple and Google, and that will inevitably have an impact on the company structure. The flattening of the management chain should enable it to be more reactive to market conditions.

As was said earlier, many of the jobs will be from Nokia, so I guess some of it is removing duplicate job roles.