Thursday, July 17, 2014 marked a changing day in the world of technology. The chief executive officer of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, by announcing that almost 14% of the Microsoft workforce will be laid off. Almost 18,000 employees will be let go through next July, including almost half of the Nokia workforce.
Microsoft claims the layoffs are being done in hopes of reshaping their culture in comparison to other industries, such as Google and Apple, reports the Toronto Sun.
The Nokia area makes up almost half of the 28,000 employees brought into Microsoft's realm in April. Microsoft acquired Nokia for almost $7.3 billion in April, reports The Australian. It was part of their plan to be more competitive with other companies. Now, the focus has shifted into making Nokia phones run strictly on the Windows operating system.
CEO Nadella released a public statement on Thursday, reports Mashable, and stated that his focus for the company will shift from "devices and services" to a focus on the customer and business productivity. "To win in the higher price tiers, we will focus on breakthrough innovation that expresses and enlivens Microsoft’s digital work and digital life experiences,” he stated in the memo.