[MC_A_DOT]

Sad times, but everything happens for a reason. Hopefully something better will come along for the unfortunate employees.

[richardat]

Psychologically, it must be even worse to be laid off right after BB10 is released. There is often a let-down after a big event anyways....plus the company takes a big step forward...but then you find out YOU are canned......Poor beggars. Hope they all fare well.

In principle, I wasn't a big fan of the gov paying BB 10 mil. to keep jobs in Halifax....but at least those workers are safe.

[JAGWIRE]

This is odd news to me to hear about the lay offs. I was in blackberry 'a career site yesterday and there were over 100 job postings.

Posted using CrackBerry App on BB10

[JAGWIRE]

...
In principle, I wasn't a big fan of the gov paying BB 10 mil. to keep jobs in Halifax....but at least those workers are safe.

I heard about this yesterday at work. I was showing some Co workers my new Z10 and an I phone user came up and starting talking about it. Main point he was saying was that Apple doesn't need any bailing out and that BlackBerry us still going to tank

Posted using CrackBerry App on BB10

[Shanerredflag]

I heard about this yesterday at work. I was showing some Co workers my new Z10 and an I phone user came up and starting talking about it. Main point he was saying was that Apple doesn't need any bailing out and that BlackBerry us still going to tank

Posted using CrackBerry App on BB10

He's a sheep....did you expect to an original thought?

[nomloj]

Aw man, it's always disheartening to hear people being let go (especially those in the same field you happen to be in). Hopefully, they'll land on their feet. Perhaps they'll be asked to go back once BlackBerry is more stable. But, it's always a good idea to keep other options available.

[shlammed]

Psychologically, it must be even worse to be laid off right after BB10 is released. There is often a let-down after a big event anyways....plus the company takes a big step forward...but then you find out YOU are canned......Poor beggars. Hope they all fare well.

In principle, I wasn't a big fan of the gov paying BB 10 mil. to keep jobs in Halifax....but at least those workers are safe.

First I've heard of this. People in Halifax were let go during one of the other rounds of layoffs so not exactly sure what that gov money did.

[shlammed]

This is odd news to me to hear about the lay offs. I was in blackberry 'a career site yesterday and there were over 100 job postings.

Posted using CrackBerry App on BB10

3 years ago there would have been 3000 postings

[silversun10]

First I've heard of this. People in Halifax were let go during one of the other rounds of layoffs so not exactly sure what that gov money did.

it kept the rest of the people

[richardat]

First I've heard of this. People in Halifax were let go during one of the other rounds of layoffs so not exactly sure what that gov money did.

It hit the news just a few days ago. After the first layoffs, the province started talking to them. Now they've reached an agreement where RIM must keep 400 employees on, and spend 4 mil. a year doing it, to get get 2 mil. a year (for 5 years) the province will kick in.

[richardat]

I heard about this yesterday at work. I was showing some Co workers my new Z10 and an I phone user came up and starting talking about it. Main point he was saying was that Apple doesn't need any bailing out and that BlackBerry us still going to tank

Posted using CrackBerry App on BB10

Yes. It does look bad.Of course, it isn't really a "bailout". 10 mil. isn't going to bail out anyone; it's...a bribe to make RIM bean-counters look to other places. Having said that, by agreeing to this, BB is in effects saying: yes....we could use that facility, we just need you to pay for part of it.

As to the BB's future....well I agree with him, but tanking or prosperity, that's a matter of opinion right now, and this agreement won't make any difference to that end result.

[RubberChicken76]

Sad news. :-(

Shouldn't be a surprise though. Thorsten said "1 billion in cuts by end of the fiscal year". The fiscal year ends in a little over two weeks, BlackBerry 10 is now out and they weren't yet done as of the end of Q3.

I'd expect some more as the next two weeks roll on.

[DatMisterB]

Layoffs are never pleasant for either party but as a business, it's do or die most of the time.

[Bbnivende]

If there are job openings and layoff's then great companies should offer some ( not all obviously) retraining opportunities. Seems to me that career employees are better employees. I also think that BB should be breaking away from the model of offering minimal support for their products. Like Apple, BB relies on their own chat room and sites like this one that basically only offer support by willing volunteers.

[Buju Banton]

If there are job openings and layoff's then great companies should offer some ( not all obviously) retraining opportunities. Seems to me that career employees are better employees. I also think that BB should be breaking away from the model of offering minimal support for their products. Like Apple, BB relies on their own chat room and sites like this one that basically only offer support by willing volunteers.

most of the job opportunities are developer based...not exactly something you can re-train a call centre agent to do quickly.

[Gnomesane]

So, unfortunately for some, BlackBerry (RIM) was not done with their down sizing. So far, all I've heard is that the internal IT departments are getting hit hard.

Several friends of mine confirmed that they got the axe and I've seen others tweet about it.

Sad day, but hopefully this is the end.

Sad news indeed, hopefully they land on their feet! Never good no matter the company.

[bk1022]

Layoffs are never pleasant for either party but as a business, it's do or die most of the time.

The problem with mass layoffs like these is that the top software talent -- who are very mobile -- slowly leaves even if they are in areas that have not been downsized. There have been endless studies that show that a small fraction of extremely skilled software programmers effectively determines the overall competency of software output -- it is highly non-linear. Furthermore, skilled programmers must learn about a software project organically and cannot be parachuted in once the existing talent leaves.

While it is true that members of the QNX are not likely to leave BB at this time, anyone working on the UI / native apps for BB10 may take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Even the best organized OS cannot overcome the eventual devolution of applications into spaghetti if left to moderate competency developers.

I understand that BB is in a bind, but mass layoffs can destroy a software company rather quickly.

[RubberChicken76]

For those who are loosing their jobs this is terrible news. For the media and the investors it will be interesting if they see this as the ship sinking or find it as a more favorable action. Will it make the new Blackberry to look more solid or to look like an act of desperation.

Investors love headcount reductions. Lower costs, higher profits. And BlackBerry has been transparent about the 5,000 target and how far along they are. Unless the investors are totally ignorant, I doubt it will make a ripple

Sucks for the heads being reduced though ...

[RubberChicken76]

most of the job opportunities are developer based...not exactly something you can re-train a call centre agent to do quickly.

Or at all in many/most cases. Years of retraining to someone who may not have the aptitude at all is not something most companies will do.

And to be fair to the call centres employees, I wouldn't still a lot of software developers I know in front of customers either ...

[DivideBYZero]

I guess you have no friends at RIM

Nor do you, they're called BlackBerry now. THANKS FOR PLAYING!

[TRlPPlN]

I don't get why people need to stir things up with these lay offs. It was bound to happen as expected. Laying off is part of the cycle. If you are saddened by it, some can sympathize but really, its a part of a reality we live in. You get laid off, you update your resume, and you live on. If you think you'll be at a company forever, then you're living in a world of fantasy period.

[Omnitech]

You get laid off, you update your resume, and you live on.

Considering how horrible the economic situation has been in most western countries the last few years, that's a pretty cavalier statement. LOTS of people still having a very difficult time finding work these days, and oftentimes the jobs they find are not good enough to even pay expenses.

That said, I recognize that Blackberry needs to hunker-down and make hard decisions to remain viable. In that respect Thorsten has done a better than expected job, vastly superior to Lazaridis/Balsillie the couple years prior to the CEO change.

[DivideBYZero]

3 years ago there would have been 3000 postings

And when they had 3000 postings they were hiring their, brothers, cousins and dumb Waterloo Uni interns all day. It wasn't a good model and there is more than enough dead wood in BBRY to cover this.

[greatwiseone]

Well, the restructuring's not completely done. That's what we are seeing today. Really sucks for those who got let go.

[GV2012]

As mentioned earlier,.this is part of the cost reduction plan. I've been involved on a company side of these things and trust me taking $1B out of costs is not easy no matter how large the company and if you'll recall the cost reduction initiatives were a large part of keeping this company afloat over the last quarter. It's not nice to go through but it is a part of the global economy we engage in.