A history of Microsoft layoffs, starting with the floppy disk |
Register here for our next TechFlash Live networking event, March 23, featuring an expert panel discussing the future of online advertising.
A history of Microsoft layoffs, starting with the floppy disk
As Microsoft employees in Redmond brace for the possibility of layoffs, it's worth noting that job cuts aren't unprecedented for the company. However, in the past they've been on a much smaller scale than some people are anticipating now.
In 1996, for example, Microsoft let 120 workers go from its floppy disk assembly facility in Bothell, according to this 1996 New York Times story. The reason, as you might expect, was waning demand for the medium. "People who were doing a very good job for us simply were not busy enough," a Microsoft executive told the newspaper at the time.
In recent years, the company has cut as many as 200 positions at a time as it has changed its focus or looked to reduce costs in groups including video games, sales and interactive television. However, in many of those cases, workers were helped to find positions elsewhere in the company. Eric Lai of Computerworld has a good roundup of those cutbacks in this recent story.
Of course, the situation is very different now, as the economy causes many of Microsoft's biggest customers to cut back on their technology spending. Still no official word, but if the company is planning layoffs, we're expecting the news to come after it reports earnings Thursday afternoon. Check back then for coverage of the results and any related news.
(Flickr photo by Josh Madison.)
About Todd Bishop
Todd Bishop is co-founder and managing editor of TechFlash. He has covered Microsoft and the technology industry for more than five years, most recently as a daily newspaper reporter and blogger based in Seattle.
READ FULL BIOGRAPHYRecent Sponsor Posts
Seattle University Software Engineering
Chinwe Okeke (MSE’08) pursued her graduate degree while working as a developer and technical analyst for the Boeing Company. She picked the SU-MSE program for small class sizes and real world learning opportunities offered through the academic service-learning and capstone projects.
The MSE program at Seattle University is geared for working professionals with classes offered in the evenings. The program builds upon the computing experience of its students and offers courses in a variety of technical and management areas of software engineering, with an emphasis on teamwork and a disciplined approach to problem solving.
Marchex is one of Seattle’s largest ad technology companies with 300+ employees providing call and click based performance marketing products, and managing over $100m in ad budget for tens of thousands of advertisers. Our customers range from local businesses to the Fortune 500.
Our talented and creative product engineering group is hiring.
If you are an innovative software design engineer interested in solving difficult problems at scale, across a wide array of technologies from Lucene to Hadoop to Asterisk and SIP then we’d love to hear from you!
Apply now.
Technology Tax Planning – Did You Take The Deduction?
Technology companies require professional advisors who can assist in all aspects of the business. The BDO Technology Practice provides a full range of services tailored to help address the changing needs of domestic and international companies. In addition to core audit and tax services, BDO professionals can assist technology companies with:
· Revenue recognition
· Business combination accounting
· R&D tax credits
· Compensation and benefits
· Business valuations
Backed by 38 national offices and an international network in 110 countries, we have the domestic and global footprint to serve growing technology companies. Contact sphilpott@bdo.com (audit partner), mreeves@bdo.com (audit partner), psmith@bdo.com (tax partner), tzambito@bdovaluation.us.com (valuation), tfiscus@bdo.com, Director, 206.624.2020
Job Listings
- LEAD SDET, Mobile Device Strategy and Commercialization - 705105
- Microsoft Corporation
- Sr. SDE - 712257
- Microsoft Corporation
- Principal SDE - Software Development Engineer - External - 704722
- Microsoft Corporation
- Software Development Engineer - Display Advertising
- Business Services Company
- Principal IT / OPS Program Mgr - 711209
- Microsoft Corporation
