Microsoft has confirmed plans to axe 18,000 jobs worldwide as part of efforts to simplify the company's operations and cut costs.
The announcement was made in an email to staff entitled 'Starting to Evolve Our Organization and Culture' by new chief executive Satya Nadella.
The purchase of Nokia's mobile division, which is being integrated into Microsoft, was to account for the majority of the losses.
Microsoft, which employs 127,104 people globally, has 3,500 staff in the UK but no announcement was made on exactly where the cuts would be made.
Mr Nadella told staff: "The first step to building the right organization for our ambitions is to realign our workforce.
"With this in mind, we will begin to reduce the size of our overall workforce by up to 18,000 jobs in the next year.
"Of that total, our work toward synergies and strategic alignment on Nokia Devices and Services is expected to account for about 12,500 jobs, comprising both professional and factory workers.
"We are moving now to start reducing the first 13,000 positions, and the vast majority of employees whose jobs will be eliminated will be notified over the next six months.
"It’s important to note that while we are eliminating roles in some areas, we are adding roles in certain other strategic areas.
"My promise to you is that we will go through this process in the most thoughtful and transparent way possible.
"We will offer severance to all employees impacted by these changes, as well as job transition help in many locations, and everyone can expect to be treated with the respect they deserve for their contributions to this company."
Looks like Microsoft will be doing some stream lining as well.
http://news.sky.com/story/1302778/microsoft-to-cut-18000-jobs-in-cost-plan
