layoffs

Zivity lays off a third of staff

Zivity, a start-up for adults that allows users to sign up and view and vote on suggestive photos, has laid off a third of its staff, according to TechCrunch.

The company claims that the layoffs are the direct result of uncertain economic times and its desire to stay financially stable, going forward. More than anything, Zivity told TechCrunch, its desire to fend off the need for venture funding was a key reason for its decision.

Zivity, which has landed $8 million in funding so far, is relatively unique in the space. Its service is admittedly designed for an adult audience, … Read more

AdBrite CEO: 'Layoffs are not a statement about performance'

AdBrite, the "Internet's Ad Marketplace," has laid off 40 percent of its workforce in an effort to be profitable. Two executives, its vice president of marketing, Paul Levine, and its vice president of finance, Bob Feller, were among those laid off.

"The layoffs are not a statement about performance, but about AdBrite controlling its own destiny and getting profitable immediately," AdBrite CEO Iggy Fanlo said in an interview. "And understanding the multi-decade phenomenon that we've found ourselves in economically, we felt there weren't other options."

"When an economic environment isn'… Read more

Jive takes Sequoia's advice, cuts one-third of its headcount

TechCrunch is reporting that Jive Software, an emerging collaboration leader, has cut one-third of its headcount. Sam Lawrence, Jive's chief marketing officer, has confirmed the news. Normally this wouldn't be inspiring news for Jive customers and prospects, but in this case I think it's actually a reason to be optimistic if you fall into one of these camps.

Jive is backed by Sequoia, the same firm that recently warned its portfolio companies to manage cash prudently through the downturn. Jive grew at a frenetic pace over the past year--this move is a way to return to prudent, … Read more

Indie music distributor IODA sees layoffs

IODA, the indie-music distributor, has gone through a round of layoffs, the company confirmed Wednesday.

The "reduction in workforce" took place a couple of weeks ago and affected mostly the technology and administrative units, according to Heather Staples, a spokeswoman for the company. A source affiliated with San Francisco-based IODA, which stands for Independent Online Distribution Alliance, said the company trimmed staffing by 15 percent. Staples declined to disclose how many employees were let go, but she said it was less than 15. She did say the company now has 75 employees.

"There was some belt tightening … Read more

HP: Voodoo lives on, but 'not immune' to layoffs

Amid reports of layoffs at Hewlett-Packard's Voodoo PC subsidiary, the company has decided to be slightly more clear about what exactly is going on--emphasis on "slightly."

Phil McKinney, an HP vice president and CTO of the Personal Systems Group, under which the Voodoo brand falls, weighed in on the official Voodoo blog Wednesday. The Voodoo brand is currently being integrated with the company's larger consumer PC line, which means that things at the little niche PC outfit from Calgary, Alberta, are also changing.

"Voodoo's limited size and focus on North America had limited its … Read more

Rumor: HP shutting down Voodoo?

This blog has been updated with comments from HP.

A rumor is circulating that Hewlett-Packard is closing the gaming PC outfit it bought just two years ago.

The report comes from a blog called Techgage, which cites an "insider close to the situation," who reports an e-mail announcing layoffs is circulating at the company, though the report doesn't include a specific number of jobs being cut. It also reports that Voodoo is returning parts to its supplier.

HP spokeswoman Marlene Somsak said it would be "incorrect" to say HP is shutting down Voodoo, but didn'… Read more

Nvidia cuts workforce 6.5 percent

Update at 10:45 p.m. with additional information throughout.

Responding to "business realities," Nvidia is cutting its workforce by over six percent.

Nvidia, the world's largest graphics chip supplier, on Thursday announced a workforce reduction of 6.5 percent "to allow for continued investment in strategic growth areas," the company said in a statement. "As a result, Nvidia expects to eliminate approximately 360 positions worldwide, or about 6.5 percent of the company's global workforce."

The company expects to record restructuring-related charges of approximately $7 million to $10 million in the … Read more

HP 'innovation' reeks of self-interest

Embedded in the news that Hewlett-Packard plans to cut 24,600 jobs from its roster in an effort to make its EDS acquisition work, was this interesting tidbit from its call with analysts, as ZDNet captured:

One of the things HP says it wants to offer with its portfolio of offerings--across the board in hardware, software and now services--is flexibility in meeting the customer's demand. CIOs today are dealing with...big issues (like) needing to flip that spending ratio to less on maintenance and more on innovation...And there are choices on how to do it: buy it from … Read more

Layoffs and executive shuffle at Vudu

Only 16 months ago, Vudu, the maker of a movie-playing set-top box, was generating splashy headlines in publications like The New York Times.

Now the company, which bills itself as a video store in a box, is at the center of speculation about layoffs and executive upheaval.

Last week, CE Pro reported that the company had reduced staff by nearly 20 percent, or about 16 to 18 employees out of 100.

A Vudu representative confirmed via e-mail that the company had reduced staffing but declined to discuss figures. Vudu "had to restructure a bit from each department" the … Read more

Intel rolls while Rambus and MIPS reel

Being fabless isn't so hip these days.

Rambus and MIPS Technologies are both chip companies that don't have their own chip fabrication facilities. Intel does. Perhaps not coincidentally, Rambus and MIPS are restructuring, while Intel's business is coasting on top of surging processor shipments.

Both Rambus and MIPS, which make a living off licensing intellectual property for chips, announced layoffs this week. Intel, meanwhile, is selling lots of its tiny Atom processors and seeing processor shipments surge overall.

Rambus said Thursday that it will reduce its workforce by approximately 90 positions and will take a restructuring charge … Read more