New job cuts said to be taking place in Finland

Feb 11, 2016 05:39 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft is currently laying off more people at its mobile unit in Finland, according to a new report, with a company spokesperson revealing that this new decision is not part of the initial restructuring plan that was announced after the takeover of Nokia’s Devices and Services division.

A report from Finnish newspaper Helsigin Sanomat (via Mary Jo Foley) reveals that “dozens” of employees in Finland and working on Microsoft’s mobile plans will be impacted by these layoffs.

Previously, Microsoft cut 2,300 jobs in the country and also closed the Salo manufacturing plant where Nokia was making several Lumia phone models.

“The job reductions were spread across more than one business area and country and reflect adaptations to business needs. We go through this process in the most thoughtful manner possible, with the deepest respect for affected individuals,” a company spokesperson was quoted as saying by the source.

The Windows Phone decline

It’s believed that this new layoff comes after the decline experienced by the phone business in the latest fiscal quarter, with Windows Phone revenues declining 49 percent year-over-year.

All eyes are now on Windows 10 Mobile, Microsoft’s new smartphone operating system that’s supposed to revamp the company’s mobile business and bring together PCs and smartphones.

Windows 10 Mobile is expected to see daylight later this month, but up until now, Microsoft has provided zero details on the release date of the new operating system. What the company does, however, is release new preview builds to members of the Windows Insider program, as development of the product continues at a fast pace.

The latest Windows 10 Mobile build is 10586.107 and brings improvements in terms of performance and stability to devices participating in the program, but it’s still unknown if this could be the upgrade version for Windows Phone handsets too.