BlackBerry plans more layoffs, says report

From CNET News.com: BlackBerry is eyeing another round of layoffs as part of its ongoing restructuring, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Citing "people familiar with the matter," the Journal said on the Wednesday that the job cuts would affect middle management across the sales and support divisions. The new layoffs would come on top of the 5,000 cuts planned during the company's last fiscal year.

One person already hit by a job loss is Richard Piasentin, BlackBerry's sales VP in the U.S. The Journal's sources say that Piasentin was fired in June. A BlackBerry spokesman confirmed his departure to the Journal but declined to comment about any layoffs.

Responding to a request for comment, a BlackBerry spokesperson told CNET that the company does not comment on rumors or speculation.

A couple of board members are also bailing out on BlackBerry. At its shareholders meeting on Tuesday, the company announced that John Wetmore and former chairman John Richardson won't pursue re-election to the board.

BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins continues to face unhappy investors who keep questioning the company's strategy admist its poor performance. For its fiscal first quarter, BlackBerry turned in a loss while Wall Street had anticipated a small profit. The company also expects another loss for the current quarter.

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