Intel to Lay Off Thousands

symbolset writes to say that "Intel is expecting to lay off 10% of their workforce in a move to become more competitive against rival AMD. From the article: 'The Santa Clara, Calif.-based chipmaker, having suffered several financially disappointing quarters, launched an internal analysis in April to find ways to increase its efficiency. [CEO Paul] Otellini is scheduled to announce the results of the analysis, including the layoff, on Tuesday after the stock market closes, sources familiar with the plans said. Intel has about 100,000 employees worldwide, so the cut could be as high as 10 percent of the company's staff.' Coverage also at The Register, internetnews.com, and more as it develops at Google News. Reuters has the number at up to 16,000."

Word is...

[whiskeyriver]

...Intel's re-hired the Blue Man Group to perform at the goodbye party.

Re:Hopefully not by email

[Guppy06]

"I think Intel has more class than some other companies."

"ZOMG! The socket 7 chip on the motherboard isn't GenuineIntel! Don't let it POST!"

That little bit of Intel "class" is why I've gone AMD-only to begin with.

Is this how companies compete now?

[Trollificus]

Back in my day, we remained competitive by building a superior product at an affordable price, up-hill both ways!

/get off my lawn

Deff

[Wellington Grey]

1 in 10? Why, they'll be decimated!

-Grey [wellingtongrey.net]

WTF?

[Doctor Memory]

the biggest losses will be in marketing

Because when a company's losing market share, it's obviously because they're doing too much marketing...

Re:Intel will beat down AMD

[The Fun Guy]

Well, maybe all those qualified engineers will go on to find jobs that are more productive, and build better things for society.

Um, here's the relevant quote from TFA:

The job cut is likely to weigh particularly heavily on marketing staff. Intel studies comparing its own staffing levels to competitors' concluded that the ratio of marketing personnel to salespeople was too large, the sources said.

Marketing staff are a necessary evil. They are super important when there's not really much difference between your product and your competitors' (Pepsi vs. Coke, GM vs. Ford, Coors vs. Aquafina, etc.), but they are less important when there is. With the buzz about the Core2Duo chips, the sales staff doesn't need as much razzle dazzle from the marketers, so they're cutting that staff.

They'll probably tell the excess marketing staffers some story about a giant space goat, and put them on a spaceship, along with the telephone sanitizers.