Sun confirms 1,500 job cuts this week

From InfoWorld: Sun Microsystems is laying off about 1,500 employees this week in a follow-up to a restructuring plan announced a few months ago, the company confirmed Monday.

The cuts include a portion of Sun's customer-facing staff, including direct sales and professional services employees, according to a research note from Wedge Partners, a financial analyst company. Such a move would make Sun more reliant on channel partners to sell its products.

Wedge Partners said the cuts may affect 25 to 50 percent of Sun's customer-facing staff. Sun said the actual proportion is significantly lower, although it wouldn't provide an exact figure.

Sun announced in November that it planned to lay off 15 percent to 18 percent of its workforce, or up to 6,000 employees, in an effort to reduce costs by $700 million to $800 million annually.

In January it confirmed that it had laid off 1,300 workers as part of that plan, and the cuts this week appear to be a continuation of the same effort, said Ryan Hunter, an analyst with Wedge Partners.

Sun said the layoffs affect staff at all levels, including vice presidents and directors.

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