"There is such an overvaluation of technology stocks that it is absurd. I would include our stock in that category. It is bad for the long-term worth of the economy."

--Steve Ballmer

A COUPLE OF days ago we cited Fudzilla, which has this followup. The mainstream media took note as well. From The Indian Express:

London: The world's top software firm, Microsoft, is planning a massive reduction in its workforce where up to 15,000 jobs may be axed this month, says a media report.

"Microsoft is preparing to announce the first wide scale layoffs in its 32-year history, with up to 15,000 jobs at risk, according to some predictions," 'The Times' said in a report published online.

More reports, if found, will appended here later in the day. If Microsoft is not already in debt [1, 2, 3, 4, 5], then it's approaching that point rapidly, hence the layoffs. ⬆

Update: as promised, here are some more reports from the past week (in no particular order):

• Microsoft Advised To Cut 9,100 Job
• Microsoft advised to lay off over 9k employees
• Microsoft: Layoff Speculation Mounts
• Microsoft Layoffs Coming?
• Microsoft planning big layoffs for January?
• Microsoft Planning To Lay Off 17% of Staff
• Analyst Says Microsoft Should Lay Off 10 Percent
• More speculation on Microsoft layoffs, contractor cuts
• Microsoft rumoured to be planning mass job losses
• Microsoft poised to announce job losses
• Microsoft planning 15k job cuts on January 15th?
• 'Microsoft may cut 15,000 jobs this month'
• 'Microsoft may cut 15,000 jobs this month'
• Pinkslips coming at Microsoft?
• Speculation about Microsoft cutbacks surfaces
• Rumor: Microsoft to Cut 15,000 Employees this Month

Later posts (particularly the ones from 2009) are aware of new information about the scale of layoffs. Curiously enough, not a single comment has arrived from Microsoft, which for a fact declined to comment when asked.

“Curiously enough, not a single comment has arrived from Microsoft, which for a fact declined to comment when asked.”Long-time Microsoft boosters (and at times Linux bashers) respond in a consistent fashion. Mitchell Ashley, who assembled a network of Microsoft bloggers and has vested interests in the company, is publicly opposing the layoffs by spreading an article around IDG's Web domains [1, 2].

Preston Gralla (also of IDG) sings a similar tune. Instead of mourning Microsoft's provisional loss, maybe Preston should get back to writing some anti-Linux and anti-Google Apps posts like he so typically does.

Maureen O'Gara, a Microsoft story-"planter" [1, 2], appears to be putting on her ".NETDJ" hat (again) and labeling the Fudzilla report "a rumor". She also suggests that this is the first-ever mass job cut, whereas another source wrongly called it a first-ever job cut, ignoring recent layoffs [1, 2].