Microsoft profit down 11%, 5k layoffs planned

[kd6nig]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,481456,00.html

Maybe *nix is hurting it more than people think....

[kc2orw]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,481456,00.html

Maybe *nix is hurting it more than people think....
Well it sure isn't accomplishing that because of the *nix advertising budget :mrgreen:

[ae6ip]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,481456,00.html

Maybe *nix is hurting it more than people think....

Nope. It's all about, in order, the economy, Vista and Windows Mobile 6. Maybe Windows 7 and Windows Mobile 6.5 will turn things around, but the economy is going to overshadow that.

At least it looks like I'm safe for at least a couple of months.

Don't think they'll lay any of the Danger people off until we ship the next Danger Sidekick phone.

[kc2orw]

MS has more to be concerned about Browser OS's funniest part is that is what MS tried to do circa 1999-2000.
One of these days I may end up with an Android based phone to play around with?

[ka8ncr]

Wonder how this fits into Microsoft's continued pleas for additional H1B visas...

I'm pretty certain how this will play out; 5,000 lay offs, hire 5,000 H1Bs.

[ae6ip]

Wonder how this fits into Microsoft's continued pleas for additional H1B visas...

I'm pretty certain how this will play out; 5,000 lay offs, hire 5,000 H1Bs.

Microsoft is finally learning how to work in a distributed environment and has developers in Canada, China, Japan, India, Romania, and Ukraine, that I know of, and perhaps a dozen other countries. They still want more H1Bs, but off-shoring development is becoming more real, even in software development.

Also, in software development, H1B holders aren't that much cheaper than residents, when you factor in the cost of sponsoring them. Their real advantage is that the terms of an H1B tends to make them stay with a single company longer than the average US worker.

In general, though, Gates is right about one thing: there's not enough software development talent in the US for all the work that's available. This has been true since the early 70s, and you can find Datamation covers articles from that period decrying the programmer crisis.

[ka8ncr]

In general, though, Gates is right about one thing: there's not enough software development talent in the US for all the work that's available. This has been true since the early 70s, and you can find Datamation covers articles from that period decrying the programmer crisis.

That's what I like to hear. I'm soon to have a CS degree.

[N2RJ]

Wasn't Bill Gates one of those complaining about a dire shortage of tech people, so they had to hire H-1Bs by the boatload?

I hope he lays them off first. Then again since H-1B is mostly about bringing in cheaper workers, it probably won't work that way.

[ae6ip]

Wasn't Bill Gates one of those complaining about a dire shortage of tech people, so they had to hire H-1Bs by the boatload?

Yes.


I hope he lays them off first. Then again since H-1B is mostly about bringing in cheaper workers, it probably won't work that way.

Bill's not laying anybody off. He retired from Microsoft. Steve Ballmer gets to be the first to do a mass layoff at M$. I haven't been at MSFT long enough to see the related financial data, but everywhere else I've worked, H-1B holders in software development were never enough cheaper than citizens in similar jobs to justify the cost of sponsoring them.

[kc2orw]

Wasn't Bill Gates one of those complaining about a dire shortage of tech people, so they had to hire H-1Bs by the boatload?

Yes I believe he was in congress last fall asking for more H-1B's nope it wasn't Ballmer visiting it was Mr. Bill

[n2ize]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,481456,00.html

Maybe *nix is hurting it more than people think....

Not at all. It has nothing to do with *nix. Matter of fact *nix is losing ground to Microsoft. It's just about present day economics. The private sector is cutting back across the board.

[kd6nig]

That, and I'm sure the stability of Vista encouraged many to "stay put" where they are regarding OS.

[kc2orw]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,481456,00.html

Maybe *nix is hurting it more than people think....

Not at all. It has nothing to do with *nix. Matter of fact *nix is losing ground to Microsoft. It's just about present day economics. The private sector is cutting back across the board.

Preeeeeeecisely cheapanomics is the prevalent trend M$ is good for the Champaign days of yore, unless they are ready to do a Wal-Mart and rooooooll back :mrgreen:
Interesting analogy more H-1B visas should equate to roooooolling back :lol:

[ae6ip]

Wasn't Bill Gates one of those complaining about a dire shortage of tech people, so they had to hire H-1Bs by the boatload?

Yes I believe he was in congress last fall asking for more H-1B's nope it wasn't Ballmer visiting it was Mr. Bill

Indeed he did.

But he has since retired. billg is no longer at msft.

[kc2orw]

Wasn't Bill Gates one of those complaining about a dire shortage of tech people, so they had to hire H-1Bs by the boatload?

Yes I believe he was in congress last fall asking for more H-1B's nope it wasn't Ballmer visiting it was Mr. Bill

Indeed he did.

But he has since retired. billg is no longer at msft.
Riiiiiight...
Steve meets Bill (MS Live no doubt): Now your retired Bill you don't have any say so right ;)
Bill: Right... ;)

[kd6nig]

Wasn't Bill Gates one of those complaining about a dire shortage of tech people, so they had to hire H-1Bs by the boatload?

Yes I believe he was in congress last fall asking for more H-1B's nope it wasn't Ballmer visiting it was Mr. Bill

Indeed he did.

But he has since retired. billg is no longer at msft.

Yeah, instead hes standing on stage and releasing mosquitos onto unsuspecting crowds:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,488348,00.html

[ae6ip]

Steve meets Bill (MS Live no doubt): Now your retired Bill you don't have any say so right
Bill: Right...

He has exactly the say that any large, but not majority, stock holder has in a corporation.

But it doesn't matter. He retired because he wanted out of MSFT. He's off starting another company now, and concentrating on his foundation.