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[國際新聞] RIM layoffs could hit as many as 6,000 employees
RIM layoffs could hit as many as 6,000 employees
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/technology/layoffs+could+many+employees/6689699/story.html#ixzz1wB0WQQJQ
Research in Motion Ltd. is preparing for a major restructuring beginning in the next couple of weeks that will see it eliminate at least 2,000 jobs worldwide, the Globe and Mail reported on Saturday, citing unnamed sources.
The newspaper, citing several people close to the company, reported that the next round in layoffs is said to be planned for about June 1 - a day before the BlackBerry smartphone maker's first quarter ends - but some expect the announcement even earlier.
One source close to the Waterloo, Ont.-based company told Reuters the impending layoffs could hit as many as 6,000 people and affect RIM's legal, marketing, sales, operations, and human resources divisions.
"The strategic question is: Are you accelerating into a better future or shrinking to a niche operation?" said the source, who declined to be identified, due to the sensitive nature of the job cuts.
A RIM spokesperson contacted by Reuters declined to comment on the report.
But she noted comments that new chief executive Thorsten Heins and chief financial officer Brian Bidulka made on RIM's last earnings call about plans to streamline operations and save $1 billion in the fiscal year.
The spokesperson said RIM now has about 16,500 staff globally. This is down from a peak of almost 20,000.
RIM reported a fourth-quarter loss in March, when the new CEO announced the initial steps in a strategic overhaul. Heins took over from longtime co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie in January.
Once the dominant player in the wireless email sector, RIM has lost market share because of fierce competition from Apple Inc.'s iPhone and phones running on Google Inc.'s Android software.
RIM has already been through one round of restructuring. In July it announced plans to cut about 11 per cent of its work force, or 2,000 jobs.
A string of high-level employees have departed RIM recently, including global head of sales Patrick Spence, who was set to take a senior job at audio company Sonos.
Several sources close to the company told Reuters that RIM had been letting more junior staff go for several months in what has come to be known internally as 'Goodbye Thursdays,' because the cuts typically occurred on that day of the week.
The job cuts have failed to boost the company's stock. On Thursday, RIM shares hit a multi-year low of $10.87 on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The stock changed hands for more than $150 in 2008. |
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發表於 2012-5-28 06:57
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