Software giant Microsoft Corp may lay off scores of employees in the coming months as it restructures its sales and marketing operations to focus on artificial intelligence and cloud computing. “Microsoft is implementing changes to better serve our customers and partners,” a company spokesperson told AFP on Monday.
In an email to its staff on Monday, the tech firm said employees will be realigned as it splits commercial sales into two – one targeting the biggest customers and the other focusing on small and medium clients. The changes will mean thousands of job cuts in areas such as field sales, an unidentified official told Bloomberg.
The news of layoffs could come as soon as this week, according to The Chicago Tribune.
However, the email – sent by Worldwide Commercial Business Chief Judson Althoff, Global Sales and Marketing Group Leader Jean-Philippe Courtois and Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of Marketing and Consumer Business Chris Capossela – did not mention any job cuts.
Microsoft had 121,567 employees till March 31.
The Washington-based firm had introduced jobs cuts in the past couple of years. In 2016, 4,700 employees had lost their jobs, while in 2015, the tech giant had laid off 7,800 staff. However, the company fired the highest number of employees in 2014, when around 18,000 people were terminated after it acquired Nokia but failed to make gains in the smartphone market.
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