Microsoft has announced significant job cuts at its Azure cloud unit, with up to 1,500 layoffs affecting the Azure for Operators and Mission Engineering teams. This news comes on top of the 1,900 jobs that were shed at Activision Blizzard and Xbox in January of this year.
The technology and media industry has seen a number of layoffs in 2024, with companies like Amazon.com and Salesforce also cutting jobs. However, Microsoft’s Azure cloud has been experiencing rapid growth thanks to heavy investments in AI and access to technologies like ChatGPT maker OpenAI through a strategic partnership.
Microsoft has formed an organization called Strategic Missions and Technologies in 2021 to focus on quantum computing and space. Meanwhile, the company is restructuring its mixed reality organization but will continue to sell its augmented reality headset, the HoloLens 2.
In 2022, Business Insider reported that Microsoft had abandoned plans for the HoloLens 3. Despite these changes, Microsoft remains a key player in the technology industry with continued efforts to innovate and adapt to evolving market trends.
