Research In Motion will reportedly lay off at least 2,000 workers as the company struggles to regain its footing in a smartphone market dominated by just two vendors. RIM added two new executives earlier this month, chief marketing officer Frank Boulben and chief operating officer Kristian Tear, but the Waterloo, Ontario-based smartphone maker is now preparing to make more drastic moves in an effort to cut costs, The Globe and Mail reported. The restructuring may begin in the next two weeks according to the report, and more than 10% of RIM’s global workforce of approximately 16,500 will be affected. RIM’s smartphone business has declined rapidly in the past few years as Apple and Samsung have risen to dominate the industry. In the first quarter this year, Apple is estimated to have accounted for 80% of global smartphone profits among major vendors while Samsung took in the remaining 20%. RIM plans to respond in the fourth quarter with the launch of its first BlackBerry 10-powered smartphone, code-named the BlackBerry London.

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Sony on Thursday confirmed earlier rumors suggesting plans to release 10,000 workers during the course of fiscal 2012. The figure includes employees expected to leave Sony as part of various business sales, however. The move, which is part of a larger effort to restructure and cut costs, will result in a 6% workforce reduction. The Japan-based consumer electronics giant has been in decline for years, and the company said earlier this week that it will report a worst-ever $6.4 billion loss when it posts its full-year earnings for the fiscal year ended March 31st. Sony plans to right the ship by strengthening its position in the digital imaging, gaming and mobile markets, turning around its TV business, addressing emerging markets more aggressively, “creating new businesses and accelerating innovation,” and selling off a number of divisions as it streamlines operations. As a result of its efforts, the company hopes to achieve a 5% operating margin on $105 billion in revenue and a 10% return on equity in fiscal 2014. Sony’s full press release follows below.

Sony Transformation to Revitalize Electronics Business,
Generate Growth and Drive New Value Creation
“One Sony” for Change

Tokyo – April 12, 2012 – Sony Corporation (“Sony” or “the Company”) today announced a series of strategic initiatives to be introduced under the new management team established on April 1, 2012. By implementing a rapid decision-making approach that draws on the strengths of the entire Sony Group as “One Sony”, Sony aims to revitalize and grow the electronics business to generate new value, while further strengthening the stable business foundations of the Entertainment and Financial Service businesses.

Key initiatives to transform the electronics business are:
1. Strengthening core businesses (Digital Imaging, Game, Mobile)
2. Turning around the television business
3. Expanding business in emerging markets
4. Creating new businesses and accelerating innovation
5. Realigning the business portfolio and optimizing resources

By implementing the above measures, Sony will target sales of 6 trillion yen and operating income margin of 5% in its electronics business, and sales of 8.5 trillion yen, operating income margin of more than 5%, and return on equity (“ROE”) of 10% for the Sony Group overall, in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2015 (“FY14″).

Details of these five core initiatives to revitalize the electronics business and drive new growth are as follows.

1. Strengthening core businesses (Digital Imaging, Game, Mobile)

Sony is positioning digital imaging, game and mobile as the three main focus areas of its electronics business and plans to concentrate investment and technology development resources in these areas. By growing these three businesses, Sony aims to generate approximately 70% of total sales and 85% of operating income for the entire electronics business from these categories by FY14.

Digital Imaging – Sony is reinforcing its development of image sensors, signal processing technologies, lenses and other key digital imaging technologies in which it excels, and plans to leverage these technologies in both its consumer products (such as compact digital still cameras, digital video cameras and interchangeable lens digital cameras) and broadcast and professional products (such as professional use cameras and security cameras) in order to further strengthen and differentiate Sony’ overall product line. The Company also plans to extend the use of these key technologies across a wide range of business applications, from security to medical, to further expand the scope of its digital imaging business. Sony will target total sales of 1.5 trillion yen and double-digit operating income margin from the consumer, professional and image sensor businesses by FY14.

Game – In the game business, Sony continues to deliver exhilarating entertainment experiences through PlayStation®3, PlayStation®Vita, and its unique combination of hardware, software, PlayStation®Network (“PSN”), and range of accessories and peripherals. These will form the foundations on which Sony will target further sales and profit expansion in the game business. The Company also aims to increase sales by enriching its catalog of downloadable game titles and subscription services available through the PSN platform, and also by expanding the lineup of PlayStation®Suite compatible devices and content. Sony will target game business sales of one trillion yen and operating income margin of 8% by FY14.

Mobile – In the area of mobile, Sony is integrating the R&D, design engineering, and sales and marketing operations of its smartphone business (operated by Sony Mobile Communications, now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony), “Sony Tablet” and “VAIO” businesses in order to quickly develop and deliver compelling products to market. Sony also plans to aggressively leverage its many technologies in areas such as digital imaging and game, its rich content assets including pictures, music and game, its “Sony Entertainment Network” network service platform, as well as the communications technology expertise and knowhow accumulated through its experience in the mobile phone industry, to launch new mobile products and establish new business models. Additionally, by integrating operations across its entire mobile product lineup, Sony aims to achieve further efficiencies and optimization. As a result of these measures, Sony will target sales of 1.8 trillion yen in FY14 from the mobile business, and significant profitability improvement.

2. Turning around the television business

Sony is already engaged in a comprehensive television profitability improvement plan (announced November 2, 2011), which aims to return the television business to profitability in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014 (“FY13″), and intends to accelerate these measures going forward. The sale of Sony’s share in its LCD panel manufacturing joint venture with Samsung Electronics has been completed, resulting in panel-related cost reductions. Additionally, Sony is taking further measures to change the business structure, for example by improving design engineering efficiency and reducing the number of product models (targeting a 40% reduction from the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012 (“FY11″) to the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013 (“FY12″)), with the aim of reducing fixed business costs related to the television business by 60% and operating costs by 30% in FY13 compared to FY11.

Sony is additionally taking steps to enhance the image and audio quality of its “BRAVIA” range of LCD televisions that form the cornerstone of its current television lineup and to tailor its product offering to meet specific regional market needs. Going forward, Sony intends to advance the development and commercialization of next-generation display technologies such as OLED and “Crystal LED Display”, as well as enhance the integration of televisions with Sony’s mobile products, with content such as movies and music, and with other assets across the Sony Group to improve product competitiveness, drive hardware differentiation and enhance the attractiveness of Sony’s product lineup.

3. Expanding business in emerging markets

Sony will continue to leverage its strong global operations and brand strength to drive sales growth in rapidly expanding emerging markets.

Sony has already established strong foundations in emerging markets. For instance, in India and Mexico, among others, Sony has secured the largest share of the consumer AV/IT market. Sony will continue to concentrate its sales and marketing resources in these markets, and expects to strengthen sales operations, introduce products tailored to local needs and leverage the Sony Group’s entertainment assets, including pictures, music and television networks, to further enhance its market presence.

Sony generated 1.8 trillion yen through sales of electronics products in emerging markets* in FY11, and aims to increase this figure to 2.6 trillion yen in FY14. The Company will also aim for consumer AV/IT sales in emerging markets to represent 60% of total anticipated global sales of these products by FY14.

*Regions other than Japan, North America and Europe.

4. Creating new businesses and accelerating innovation

Sony will continue to aggressively promote innovation intended to deliver mid- to long-term growth, as well as the development of differentiating technologies that enhance core product value.

Specific examples of business areas in which Sony will target mid- to long-term growth are medical and 4K-related technologies.

Sony is largely a new entrant to the medical industry. In the medical peripherals business Sony has already successfully launched a range of medical printers, monitors, cameras, recorders and other medical-use products, and will target sales of 50 billion yen in this market in FY14. Sony also plans to enter the market for medical equipment components, where its strengths in various core digital imaging technologies offer significant competitive advantages in applications such as endoscopes. Furthermore, Sony plans to enter the life science industry, where the Company can leverage its expertise in technologies such as semiconductor lasers, image sensors and microfabrication. In the life science industry, Sony has acquired iCyt, a manufacturer of cellular analysis equipment, and Micronics, which manufactures medical and diagnostics equipment. Sony plans to continue to aggressively pursue other M&A opportunities to expand its medical business consistently with Sony’s own strengths, with the aim of developing the business into a key pillar of Sony’s overall business portfolio.

Sony is also drawing on its comprehensive strengths in audio and visual technologies to aggressively promote the growth of “4K” technology, which delivers more than four times the resolution of Full HD. Incorporation of Sony-developed technologies, such as image sensors, image processing compression LSIs and high-speed optical transmission modules into its professional-use and high-end consumer products will pave the way for Sony to continue to expand and enrich its 4K-compatible product lineup.

5. Realigning the business portfolio and optimizing resources

Sony is accelerating its ongoing process of business selection and focus, and is concentrating its investments in core and new business areas. In terms of investment, core areas include the expansion of Sony’s image sensor manufacturing capacity, capital investment in mobile products and aggressive strategic investment in development or M&A relating to new business areas such as medical. Other existing business areas will be evaluated according to the following four criteria, so that Sony can determine the optimum strategy for these businesses, including proactive consideration of alliances and business transfers in order to optimize its overall business portfolio:

- Loss generating, negative operating cash flow or low revenue businesses
- Limited synergies with core businesses
- Businesses where commoditization is advanced and prospects for growth are limited
- Businesses where opportunities for revitalization and growth are enhanced through collaboration with partners rather than independent operation by Sony

For example, in the small- and medium-sized display business* and chemical products business**, Sony has already transferred or is in negotiations to transfer those businesses to external parties. Furthermore, Sony is also exploring possible alliances in the area of batteries for electronic vehicles and energy storage modules.

* “INCJ, Hitachi, Sony and Toshiba Sign Definitive Agreements Regarding Integration of Small- and Medium-Sized Display Businesses” announced on November 15, 2011
** “Development Bank of Japan and Sony Sign Non-Binding Memorandum of Understanding for Sale of Chemical Products Businesses” announced on March 22, 2012

In addition to this business portfolio realignment, as Sony moves to strengthen its core businesses and shift resources to growth areas, it will also restructure its headquarters, subsidiaries and sales company organizations in order to further enhance operational efficiencies. As a result of these measures, Sony estimates that the headcount across the entire Sony Group will be reduced by approximately 10,000 in FY12. This includes employees expected to transfer outside the Sony Group as part of the sale of businesses and other realignments resulting from business portfolio optimization. Sony anticipates that many of these businesses will have future growth opportunities outside the Sony Group, and Sony will consider various measures to secure continuity of employment for employees at their new destinations. Sony is projecting restructuring costs of 75 billion yen in FY12.

Cautionary Statement

Statements made in this release with respect to Sony’s current plans, estimates, strategies and beliefs and other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements about the future performance of Sony. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those statements using words such as “believe,” “expect,” “plans,” “strategy,” “prospects,” “forecast,” “estimate,” “project,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “intend,” “seek,” “may,” “might,” “could” or “should,” and words of similar meaning in connection with a discussion of future operations, financial performance, events or conditions. From time to time, oral or written forward-looking statements may also be included in other materials released to the public. These statements are based on management’s assumptions, judgments and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it. Sony cautions you that a number of important risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements, and therefore you should not place undue reliance on them. You also should not rely on any obligation of Sony to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Sony disclaims any such obligation. Risks and uncertainties that might affect Sony include, but are not limited to (i) the global economic environment in which Sony operates and the economic conditions in Sony’s markets, particularly levels of consumer spending; (ii) foreign exchange rates, particularly between the yen and the U.S. dollar, the euro and other currencies in which Sony makes significant sales and incurs production costs, or in which Sony’s assets and liabilities are denominated; (iii) Sony’s ability to continue to design and develop and win acceptance of, as well as achieve sufficient cost reductions for, its products and services, including LCD televisions and game platforms, which are offered in highly competitive markets characterized by continual new product and service introductions, rapid development in technology and subjective and changing consumer preferences; (iv) Sony’s ability and timing to recoup large-scale investments required for technology development and production capacity; (v) Sony’s ability to implement successful business restructuring and transformation efforts under changing market conditions; (vi) Sony’s ability to implement successful hardware, software, and content integration strategies for all segments excluding the Financial Services segment, and to develop and implement successful sales and distribution strategies in light of the Internet and other technological developments; (vii) Sony’s continued ability to devote sufficient resources to research and development and, with respect to capital expenditures, to prioritize investments correctly (particularly in the electronics business); (viii) Sony’s ability to maintain product quality; (ix) the effectiveness of Sony’s strategies and their execution, including but not limited to the success of Sony’s acquisitions, joint ventures and other strategic investments (in particular the recent acquisition of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB); (x) Sony’s ability to forecast demands, manage timely procurement and control inventories; (xi) the outcome of pending legal and/or regulatory proceedings; (xii) shifts in customer demand for financial services such as life insurance and Sony’s ability to conduct successful asset liability management in the Financial Services segment; (xiii) the impact of unfavorable conditions or developments (including market fluctuations or volatility) in the Japanese equity markets on the revenue and operating income of the Financial Services segment; and (xiv) risks related to catastrophic disasters or similar events, including the Great East Japan Earthquake and its aftermath as well as the October 2011 floods in Thailand. Risks and uncertainties also include the impact of any future events with material adverse impact.

Sony is currently modifying its business segment classification to reflect its reorganization as of April 1, 2012. Sony expects to report its operating results in line with new business segments from the first quarter of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013.

Sony will reportedly cut 10,000 jobs, or roughly 6% of its global workforce, in an effort to bring the electronics giant back to profit, Nikkei reported on Monday. The majority of the layoffs will apparently come from consolidating the company’s chemicals and small and mid-size LCD operations, and are expected to be made over the next two years.  The report claims Sony’s new CEO Kazuo Hirai will announce his restructuring plan on April 12th, and the company may also ask seven executive directors, including Hirai and former CEO Howard Stringer, to give up their bonuses for the fiscal year that ended in March. Sony has denied the report.

[Via The Wall Street Journal]

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Yahoo on Wednesday confirmed plans to lay off more than 2,000 employees as part of new cost-cutting efforts. The Internet giant currently employs approximately 14,000 full-time workers and several thousand more contractors. The workforce reductions will be spread across a number of units within Yahoo including its product division, local business unit, marketing division and research and development division. “Today’s actions are an important next step toward a bold, new Yahoo! — smaller, nimbler, more profitable and better equipped to innovate as fast as our customers and our industry require. We are intensifying our efforts on our core businesses and redeploying resources to our most urgent priorities. Our goal is to get back to our core purpose — putting our users and advertisers first — and we are moving aggressively to achieve that goal,” said Scott Thompson, CEO of Yahoo!. “Unfortunately, reaching that goal requires the tough decision to eliminate positions. We deeply value our people and all they’ve contributed to Yahoo!.” Yahoo plans further cuts in the coming months, and the company’s full statement on the layoffs follows below.

Yahoo! Statement

SUNNYVALE, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Yahoo! today confirmed that it is taking important next steps to reshape the company for the future.

“Today’s actions are an important next step toward a bold, new Yahoo! — smaller, nimbler, more profitable and better equipped to innovate as fast as our customers and our industry require. We are intensifying our efforts on our core businesses and redeploying resources to our most urgent priorities. Our goal is to get back to our core purpose — putting our users and advertisers first — and we are moving aggressively to achieve that goal,” said Scott Thompson, CEO of Yahoo!. “Unfortunately, reaching that goal requires the tough decision to eliminate positions. We deeply value our people and all they’ve contributed to Yahoo!.”

Yahoo! has a solid foundation — nearly 700 million users and thousands of advertisers that engage with Yahoo! properties regularly and trust the company with their data and their business. Through its restructuring efforts, Yahoo! intends to grow by responding more quickly to customer needs and competing more effectively in areas where it can win. Yahoo! has identified key parts of the business — a select group of core businesses, the platforms that support those core businesses, and the data that drives deep personalization for users and ROI for advertisers — where the company will intensify efforts and redeploy resources globally, all focused on increasing shareholder value. With a clear focus on profitability and growth, the company will be disciplined in its investments and radically simplify how it builds, launches and maintains many of its properties and products.

Today, the company will begin the process of informing employees about these changes. As part of that effort, approximately 2,000 people will be notified of job elimination or phased transition.

Yahoo! expects to realize approximately $375 million of annualized savings upon completion of all employee transitions. The company currently expects to recognize the majority of an estimated $125 to $145 million pretax cash charge relating to employee severance in its second quarter financial results. The company may incur additional charges in connection with this action. More information will be provided about Yahoo!’s future direction in conjunction with the release of its first quarter financial results on April 17, 2012.

T-Mobile is looking to restructure the company and in doing so, it will cut 5% of its workforce and closing seven call centers over the next three months, The Wall Street Journal reports. The carrier said the job cuts were necessary and will help fund its planned $4 billon 4G LTE network. As both Verizon and AT&T continue to add subscribers, T-Mobile shed 1.7 million customers last year alone. “The customer base is less and the call volume is lower,” said Cara Walker, a spokeswoman for the carrier. “This is an effort to optimize our operations.” The spokeswoman declined to disclose how much T-Mobile expects to save annually by cutting approximately 1,800 jobs, however, instead commenting that further cuts wouldn’t impact the remaining 17 call centers, engineers, technicians or salespeople in T-Mobile’s retail locations.

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Nokia on Thursday announced that it will cut as many as 1,000 jobs at its plant in Salo, Finland. The company’s layoffs will happen gradually through 2012, with most cuts happening by the end of June, Reuters reported. The Salo plant is the last large cell phone manufacturing plant in Western Europe, as most businesses have moved their manufacturing to Asia. Last month, Nokia shed 2,300 workers from a plant in Komarom, Hungary and 700 others in Reynosa, Mexico as it too shifted much of its manufacturing to China. This new round of layoffs comes as part of a larger effort to cut costs following the €1 billion loss the company reported last quarter.

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Approximately 3,000 people could lose their jobs following the shuttering of Verizon call centers in Texas, Michigan and Washington state. Local ABC affiliate ABC 13 reported on Thursday that up to 1,000 workers may be released as Verizon moves its call center out of the Houston, Texas region. Verizon will close call centers in Michigan and Washington as well, impacting a total of about 3,000 workers. It is unclear if the carrier intends to open new call centers to replace the shuttered facilities, or if it will look to increase head counts at other existing call centers. Verizon said in a statement that the closures are ”a very difficult but necessary business decision,” and a company spokesperson confirmed to ABC 13 that it will find new jobs within the company for workers willing to relocate, though it is unclear if Verizon plans to cover relocation expenses. The carrier also said it will pay a severance to employees who do not secure new jobs within the company.

UPDATE: A Verizon Wireless spokesperson contacted BGR to clarify a number of inaccuracies and omissions in ABC 13′s report. The company does not plan to open new call centers following these three closures, however it will continue to operate 28 call centers across the country. 2,600 workers will be affected by shuttering of the facilities in Texas, Michigan and Washington, however all employees have been invited to relocate. Verizon will pay employees who move to new centers $10,000 in after-tax dollars to relocate, and workers who do not continue with the company will be provided with separation benefits.

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LightSquared announced on Tuesday that the company plans to cut its workforce by 45% in an effort to cut costs. ”This and other cost savings measures will allow LightSquared to continue to navigate the regulatory process as it works with the appropriate government agencies to find solutions to the GPS interference issue and bring its $14 billion privately funded wireless broadband network to more than 260 million Americans,” the company said in a statement to Reuters. Last week, the FCC announced that it would block the company’s planned 4G LTE network due to issues concerning GPS interference. LightSquared currently employs 330 people and according to Reuters, the company is not currently considering bankruptcy.

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Nokia plans to eliminate 4,000 jobs as part of a major cost-cutting effort that will see much of its manufacturing shift to Asia. The cuts will be made across three Nokia plants — 2,300 workers will be shed in Komarom, Hungary, 700 will lose their jobs in Reynosa, Mexico and 1,000 more in Salo, Finland will be laid off. Each of the three plants will continue to operate at reduced capacities, and the move is part of a larger effort to cut costs following the €1 billion loss Nokia reported last quarter. ”Shifting device assembly to Asia is targeted at improving our time to market. By working more closely with our suppliers, we believe that we will be able to introduce innovations into the market more quickly and ultimately be more competitive,” Nokia EVP of Markets Niklas Savander said in a statement. “We recognize the planned changes are difficult for our employees and we are committed to supporting our personnel and their local communities during the transition.” Nokia’s full press release follows below.

Nokia plans changes to its manufacturing operations to increase efficiency in smartphone production

Nokia Corporation
Stock exchange release
February 8, 2012 at 10:00 (CET +1)

Espoo, Finland – Nokia has today announced planned changes at its factories in Komarom, Hungary, Reynosa, Mexico and Salo, Finland. The measures follow a review of smartphone manufacturing operations that Nokia announced last September and aim to increase the company’s competitiveness in the diverse global mobile device market.

These three factories are planned to focus on smartphone product customization, serving customers mainly in Europe and the Americas. Device assembly is expected to be transferred to Nokia factories in Asia, where the majority of component suppliers are based.

“With the planned changes, our factories at Komarom, Reynosa and Salo will continue to play an important role serving our smartphone customers. They give us a unique ability to both provide customization and be more responsive to customer needs,” said Niklas Savander, Nokia executive vice president, Markets.

“Shifting device assembly to Asia is targeted at improving our time to market. By working more closely with our suppliers, we believe that we will be able to introduce innovations into the market more quickly and ultimately be more competitive,” said Savander. “We recognize the planned changes are difficult for our employees and we are committed to supporting our personnel and their local communities during the transition.”

As a consequence of the plans, the number of steps in manufacturing and the amount of work carried out at the sites in Komarom, Reynosa and Salo are expected to decrease substantially. The changes are anticipated to impact approximately 4,000 employees in total.

Personnel reductions are planned to be phased through the end of 2012. Nokia will offer a comprehensive locally-tailored support program, including financial support and assistance with local re-employment.

Yahoo has frozen its hiring process and may even consider layoffs according to a new report. The news was revealed by AllThingsD on Thursday, which wrote that the choices were made ahead of expected weak fourth quarter earnings. Yahoo isn’t considering mass layoffs, however; instead, AllThingsD said they are likely to be “small and selective” if they happen at all. Yahoo experienced a bit of turmoil earlier this week when co-founder, former CEO and board member Jerry Yang resigned from the company. AllThingsD said other board members may be considering leaving the company, too. Yahoo will report its fourth quarter earnings next Tuesday.

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After Nokia and Siemens failed to sell Nokia Siemens Networks, the joint venture announced on Wednesday that it will cut 17,000 jobs around the globe by 2013 as part of a restructuring move that will focus on services and mobile broadband. “Our goal is to provide the world’s most efficient mobile networks, the intelligence to maximize the value of those networks, and the services capability to make it all work seamlessly,” Nokia Siemens CEO Rajeev Suri said. “Despite the need to restructure parts of our company, our commitment to research and development remains unchanged, with investment in mobile broadband expected to increase over the coming years.” In addition to the layoffs, Nokia Siemens will cut production overhead and operating expenses by 1 billion Euros per year by 2013, Forbes said. The company explained that the savings is largely expected to come from organizational streamlining but that it will also look to save money in real estate costs, administrative expenses, information technology and more. The layoffs will be a result of site consolidation, moving activities to global centers and the “elimination of the company’s matrix organizational structure.”

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Motorola Mobility will spend $31 million as it lays off 800 employees ahead of its planned acquisition by Google, Bloomberg reported on Monday. Motorola said in a regulatory filing that it would spend $27 million in employee severance and an additional $4 million closing a number of existing facilities. “Motorola Mobility continues to focus on improving its financial performance by taking actions to manage the company’s costs,” company spokeswoman Jennifer Weyrauch-Erickson told Bloomberg. Google announced its intentions to purchase Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion on August 15th. Google CEO Larry Page said the acquisition would provide Google with patents that will help the company defend its Android partners in lawsuits with Microsoft, Apple and others.

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HP said earlier this year that it was planning to kill off its webOS hardware business, and reports suggested it was planning to sell the division to another company or that it might use the mobile operating system for smaller side projects. The Guardian reported on Friday that HP may kill off the division entirely and terminate as many as 500 employees who work with webOS. “There’s a 95% chance we all get laid off between now and November, and I for one am thinking it’s for the best,” an anonymous HP employee reportedly told The Guardian. HP has not pulled the trigger yet, however, and if its 180-degree turnaround on a decision to keep its PSG business as part of the company is any indication, we won’t know the webOS verdict until new CEO Meg Whitman hammers the final nail in its coffin or announced that it will be reborn. 

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Nokia announced on Thursday that it will “continue to align its workforce and operations” by reducing its headcount by roughly 3,500 workers. This new round of personnel reductions is in addition to earlier cuts announced this past April, and it will take effect by the end of next year. Approximately 2,200 of the laid off workers will come from the closure of Nokia’s factory in Cluj, Romania, which began operations in 2008, and another 1,300 cuts will take place within the company’s Location & Commerce unit. “We are seeing solid progress against our strategy, and with these planned changes we will emerge as a more dynamic, nimble and efficient challenger,” Nokia CEO Stephen Elop said in a statement. “We must take painful, yet necessary, steps to align our workforce and operations with our path forward.” Nokia’s full press release follows below.

Nokia continues to align its workforce and operations

Published September 29, 2011

HP will lay off as many as 525 employees from its Palm division this week AllThingsD reported on Tuesday. HP killed off its webOS mobile operating system in mid-August when it also announced it would discontinue the development of webOS devices such as the TouchPad and Palm Pre family of smartphones. “As part of this decision, the webOS GBU is undergoing a reduction in workforce,” an HP spokesperson explained. “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. HP is exploring ways to leverage webOS software.”

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