Struggling BlackBerry maker hacks 2,000 jobs
by Steven Mostyn - Jul 26 2011, 07:30
Trying to staunch the bleeding. Image: Research In Motion.
Device maker Research In Motion (RIM) has this week announced plans to cut some 2,000 jobs, which equates to around 10.5 percent of its global workforce.
The restructuring comes as the Canadian handset specialist continues to struggle in the smartphone market against the likes of more popular mainstream alternatives such as Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy S.
In reporting on the immediate effects of RIM’s scything job cuts, the Hamilton Spectator said staff at the company’s Cambridge offices were escorted from the building by security guards “moments after getting their layoff notices”, whereupon many were driven home by waiting taxis.
And sweeping job cuts are not the only changes implemented by the BlackBerry device maker in order to create a more streamlined business and reverse plunging share values.
Moreover, RIM has also shuffled the roles and responsibilities of certain executives, while long-serving chief operating officer Don Morrison has announced his retirement.
It remains to be seen whether Research In Motion will return to the forefront of the smartphone market, not least because its new line of QNX-powered BlackBerry handsets won’t arrive until next year.
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