Microsoft layoffs hit several products
In the wake of additional layoffs on Tuesday, Microsoft is scaling back--but not totally eliminating--several products. After cutting 1,400 jobs in January, Microsoft said on Tuesday that it is cutting more than 3,000 more jobs.
Among those products affected are Microsoft's ResponsePoint phone system, its .Net Micro Framework, and its MSN Direct Service.
Microsoft said it will continue to sell and support the initial version of ResponsePoint, which is aimed at small businesses.
"We will also continue to promote the product online and spotlight compatible 3rd party services and add-on products," Microsoft said in a statement. "The team is evaluating the strategy for the next version of the product and will continue to investigate the opportunity in the small business market."
Things are similar for MSN Direct, which offers traffic and other services to devices like in-car map systems.
"While the group was impacted by yesterday's job eliminations, they will continue to maintain the current MSN Direct service and invest in developing a low cost receiver for multiple devices," Microsoft said.
As for the .Net Micro Framework, Microsoft said it will make the project a community source effort.
"Microsoft will continue to support existing customers according to any agreements that we have in place with them, and will honor our lifecycle support pledge," Microsoft said. "Forums continue to be available at MSDN. After moving to the community model, new customers will be supported by the community."
The software maker said it will eliminate the royalties that had been associated with the product. As a result of the shift, Microsoft said the team was affected by job cuts and the remaining workers will shift to the broader .Net Framework team.
Microsoft also confirmed it made deep cuts at Massive, its in-game advertising unit. However, the company said a report Tuesday that three-quarters of staff were cut was an overstatement. Tuesday's cuts affected 28 percent of full-time staff. The cuts also apparently hit hard two Microsoft-produced magazines for developers, but I am still working on getting details on that front.
Also of note, of course, is the fact that after the January cuts it took some time for some of the product decisions to be clear. At the time, Microsoft said it would cut 5,000 jobs over an 18-month-period.
Meanwhile, Microsoft left the door open to further job cuts.
"As we move forward, we will continue to closely monitor the impact of the economic downturn on the company and if necessary, take further actions on our cost structure including additional job eliminations," Ballmer said in a memo to staff.
The company has also taken other actions including cutting spending on vendors, travel, and contractors, and even canceling its annual picnic.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
I believe it should be ResponsePoint
They can take some of those resources (e.g. Mobile) to a netbook-geared variant of Windows that actually runs worth a d@mn on netbook specs (I get the feeling that, in spite of breathless hype, Windows 7 will still be severely crippled on netbooks).
If you notice the ones that MIcrosoft are targeting, were never profitable to begin with. It's the exhale to the previous inhaling and buying out of various companies. Google did the same thing, it's nothing new.
Now it does have potential, but it needs to do more, hence the demand. It may even be able to meet it (barring another RROD or E71 fiasco).
BTW: IIRC the biggest profit centers for Microsoft remain Windows and Office - if you have something showing differently I'd love to see it.
Windows Mobile of course, is in a bit of a dire state right now -- so if anything, I'd expect MS to invest heavily there - not axe jobs (unless they are doing that for performance reasons).
If your intent was to appear as an uninformed ignorant person whose only purpose in posting is to make continuous negative comments about any and all things Microsoft without actually researching the facts you quote or even knowing the subject matter at hand, then you have succeeded greatly.
If that was not your intent, then some research may be in order before your next posting.
If it's doing that well, then they should consider spinning it off and doing a public offer for the company while retaining a controlling stake.
No. Access to the Net is through a browser.
You don't need Windows to access the Web.
Once it is the browser that people use most of the time, the underlying OS will be less relevant, leading to free OSs being more attractive. Android is well poised to take advantage here.
BTW, I am not a Apple fan boy. I am a Web fan boy and developer.
We've shown the product to Microsoft, and they liked it enough to licence it - not the entire thing, just for there own internal use. They have been very supportive all round. Frankly, I'm a lot more worried about someone like IBM moving in.
So, thanks for sharing your opinion, but as someone who has actually been there, my experience is totally contrary to your opinion.
Did you really meant to say that the (Dead But Still - Running Code-Base OS/2) "Windows ain't going anywhere but on your" (PCs)!
Cool!
"In the Beginning DOS - 1981"
http://www.os2bbs.com/OS2News/OS2History.html
And, "Never Say Never"!
Instead watch Android rise and rise.
The Zune is a failure, yet I continue to read about what a great success it is. The Xbox is a loss leader, yet I continue to read about how much revenue it is pulling in for Microsoft. You can go anywhere on the Web and read about how Windows Vista was a tragic failure...even Microsoft's CEO says so. But Microsoft acolytes continue to tell us how Vista changed their lives so much for the better? Do you not believe the words of your own CEO?
If these things are true, why is the stock price at an abysmal low?
Marketshare does, in fact, have some meaning. But when a company fails its stockholders so terribly for so long, and those same people who invest in the company defend it as though it were their only child, there is something terribly wrong there.
Microsoft reported an operating income of $299m on revenues of $6,564m for the 9 months ending March 31, 2009 in its "Entertainment and Devices Division". Maybe that's why you keep reading about it.
- by BogusBasin May 7, 2009 7:24 AM PDT
- monkeyfun14 = Steve Ballmer
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(28 Comments)Amen