Commands to leave a function of reduction in business
THE LATEST NEWS about Novell brought to the discussion some Mac enthusiasts who perceive Apple as invincible (see BetaNews for details). This type of enthusiasm was short lived however. Apple is preparing for layoffs according to new reports [correction: this article is very old], so Microsoft's pains are not so unique now that countries like the UK are looking the other way (adoption of Free software and ODF).
LEAD: Apple Computer Inc. is expected to lay off 400 to 500 employees this week as part of an effort to control expenses, industry executives said. Apple's growth has slowed, partly because of an industry slump and partly because its product line lacks competitive inexpensive personal computers.
Users of Microsoft's 3D simulation platform have been rocked by news that the company has laid off off or reassigned most of the of the platform's developers. However, Microsoft is refusing to comment on the future of the software.
Microsoft may have just accomplished what the WashTech labor union tried to do for years -- motivating its workers to band together and fight for their common interests. At least, that's the aim of a new site called MSRateCuts.org, which objects to the pay cuts expected to result from Microsoft's decision to reduce the rate it pays the agencies that provide many of its temporary workers.
Temp giant Volt informs workers it will make Microsoft pay cuts
[...]
Volt Workforce Solutions, believed to be the largest provider of Microsoft temporary workers, informed them tonight that it will be cutting their pay by 10 percent as a result of the Redmond company's decision to reduce the amount it pays employment firms. Volt joins most but not all of the other firms in deciding to pass some or all of the impact of the cuts on to their workers.
Microsoft Corp. was the top U.S.-based recipient of H-1B visas in 2008, receiving approval for 1,037 visas, slightly more than in 2007.
Indian Firms, Microsoft Top H-1B List
Critics say the data show that the H-1B visa program is dampening U.S. wages and facilitating outsourcing, a critical problem as the U.S. unemployment rate continues to climb.
Microsoft says no new cost cuts, shares hit 11-year low
[..]
Microsoft Corp outlined plans to offset revenue declines as the PC market shifts to low-cost netbooks, but it failed to announce more cost cuts, sending its shares to an 11-year low.
Bellini writes that the company is not likely to take further expense reduction moves - the company basically said exactly that at the meeting yesterday - and adds that “Microsoft is braced for further deterioration of the macro environment but plans to invest in its products to realize leverage once the market turns around.”
Comments
David Gerard
2009-03-02 03:56:42
So many companies refuse to believe proprietary software is all that bad until they get their faces rubbed personally in why RMS was right ...