There was some very good news for BlackBerry employees on Friday. In an internal email sent to employees, CEO John Chen said that the company’s restructuring efforts have come to an end. Best of all, that means that workforce reduction efforts have also wrapped up. The memo reads in part:
We have completed the restructuring notification process, and the workforce reduction that began three years ago is now behind us… More importantly, barring any unexpected downturns in the market, we will be adding headcount in certain areas such as product development, sales and customer service, beginning in modest numbers.”
Chen also thanked employees who have remained with BlackBerry as it struggled to turn its fortunes around. In the past three years, the company has shed about 60 percent of its workforce. In the last major round of workforce reductions alone, some 4.500 jobs were eliminated.
In the memo, Chen reiterated that he expects BlackBerry to be cash flow positive by the end of the current fiscal year and to start making some strategic acquisitions in areas where it expects future growth. Its Secusmart acquisition last week is an example of its renewed focus on security.
Chen also warned employees that here was “no margin for error to complete BlackBerry’s turnaround to success.” Much will depend on upgrades of key software such as its BES platform and new BlackBerry devices such as the Passport and Classic coming this fall.
Source : Reuters