Microsoft to lay off hundreds at Azure cloud unit, Business Insider reports


FILE PHOTO: 3D printed clouds and figurines are seen in front of the Microsoft Azure cloud service logo in this illustration taken February 8, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

(Reuters) -Microsoft is cutting hundreds of jobs at its Azure cloud unit, Business Insider reported on Monday, adding to a flurry of layoffs seen in the technology and media industries this year.

The layoffs will impact teams including Azure for Operators and Mission Engineering, according to the report. The Azure for Operators layoffs involve as many as 1,500 job cuts, it added, citing people familiar with the situation.

"Organizational and workforce adjustments are a necessary and regular part of managing our business. We will continue to prioritize and invest in strategic growth areas for our future and in support of our customers and partners," a Microsoft spokesperson told Reuters.

The cuts come after the company shed 1,900 jobs at Activision Blizzard and Xbox in January this year. Tech firms including Amazon.com and Salesforce also laid off several hundred employees in 2024.

Microsoft's Azure cloud is witnessing sharp growth due to the company's heavy investment in AI and its access to the coveted technologies of ChatGPT maker OpenAI through their strategic partnership.

Azure for Operations and Mission Engineering are a part of an organization called Strategic Missions and Technologies formed in 2021 tasked with quantum computing and space, the Business Insider reported.

Separately, Microsoft has started restructuring its mixed reality organization but will continue to sell its augmented reality headset, the HoloLens 2, a spokesperson for the company told Reuters on Monday.

Business Insider reported in 2022 that the company scrapped plans for HoloLens 3.

(Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Maju Samuel)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

   

Next In Tech News

Apple’s next device is an AI wall tablet for home control, Siri and video calls
Swiggy's shares jump in trading debut after $1.4 billion IPO
Nintendo courts non-gamers in ‘about-turn’ strategy
Nvidia and SoftBank pilot world's first AI and 5G telecom network
Netflix says 70 million users now watch shows with advertising
DirecTV to drop Dish acquisition plan if EchoStar debt-exchange offer fails
Vietnam orders social media companies to provide user identities
Facebook and Instagram users in Europe can opt for less personalised ads
Samsung Electronics shares hit 4-year lows on Trump risks, AI chips
Instacart forecasts weak fourth-quarter on tepid consumer spend

Others Also Read