Microsoft to cut more jobs

Bad news is hovering over employees of Microsoft as the company is planning to announce a round of layoffs, a cost cutting move.

The layoffs are in addition to the roughly 18,000 employees that Microsoft said it planned to let go a year ago, people familiar about the plans told New York Times on the condition of anonymity.

The layoffs are expected to affect people especially in Microsoft's hardware group, including the struggling smartphone business.

NYT reported that Satya Nadella, who became Microsoft's chief executive early last year, last month, sent a company wide email intended to rally employees for the coming year. Nadella also warned that Microsoft would need to "make some tough choices in areas where things are not working and solve hard problems in ways that drive customer value."

Also, Microsoft, last month, had stated that it was selling its online display advertising business to AOL.

The company is also stumbling in smartphones area since it acquired Nokia's handset business. NYT report read that Microsoft had failed to turn the Windows Phone operating system into a vibrant alternative to the two leading mobile platforms, iOS from Apple and Android from Google.

However, Microsoft will not exit the smartphone business over importance of mobile devices in the technology business. It is under-preparation to launch a new version of its Windows operating system for smartphones, PCs and other devices.

(Image: Reuters)