According to more reports about the layoffs [1, 2, 3, 4, 5], they might be just days away (the announcement at least) and signs are being given away by a Microsoft president.

Microsoft hints at cutbacks

Senior Microsoft executive Robbie Bach has hinted that there may be cutbacks as the Seattle software giant looks to tighten its belt during the recession.

The Street says, "Microsoft Investors, You Have Been Warned."

The warning from Intel, which said Wednesday that revenue in its fourth quarter will now fall 23% from a year ago to $8.2 billion -- a mere half-billion below what Wall Street analysts had expected -- wasn't a complete surprise.

There are still doubts regarding some other new reports about the layoffs -- reports whose sources are few but suggest that cutbacks are likely to come pretty soon, just days before the big report. This report seems likely to disappoint by missing already-lowered expectations.

A little less related to this is the observation that Microsoft's campaign against illegitimate distributors of Windows is continuing and gathering steam.

Microsoft Prosecuting Counterfeiters

[..]

Most of the counterfeit schemes involve Windows XP operating systems and software, including the false “Blue Edition.” The 63 legal actions against counterfeiters are taking place around the world, especially in the United States, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.

These are signs of urgent need for more revenue and this aggression is good news to Free software because its adoption will be a side effect. For Microsoft, patent litigation and lawsuits against the sellers who made its software ubiquitous seem like the way forward. ⬆