JAKARTA - Microsoft began dismissing 689 employees who were in the Seattle, United States (US) regional office yesterday. The termination of employment (PHK) will last until the end of March.
The company has previously stated that it will lay off 10,000 of its employees globally from January to March 31.
According to a filing published by the Washington state Department of Manpower Security, the final round of layoffs affected employees at Microsoft's offices in Redmond, Bellevue and Issaquah.
The Verge journalist Tom Warren said the most affected departments included Visual Studios for Mac, Entertainment & Devices, Azure Edge + Platform, and more.
Several employees in the Xbox, Surface, and HoloLens departments were fired earlier last month. Layoffs at Hololens specifically sparked concern because that means Microsoft canceled its Mixed Reality project.
Microsoft's Mixed Reality is a technology that combines elements of virtual reality and augmented reality to create immersive and interactive digital experiences in the real world. In Mixed Reality technology, users can interact with objects and virtual environments that are integrated with the surrounding physical environment.
Microsoft uses devices like HoloLens and Windows Mixed Reality to enable Mixed Reality technology. HoloLens is an augmented reality device that combines digital elements with the physical world in real time, so users can see the 3D holograms that appear in front of them. While Windows Mixed Reality is a platform that allows users to experience virtual and augmented reality in the same environment.
Microsoft's Mixed Reality has the potential to be used in various applications such as games, education, design, business, and others. This technology can also help users in designing products, visualizing concepts, and increasing efficiency in the production process.
However, Microsoft's COO, Windows and Device CVP, Robin Seiler, indicates the company is still committed to supporting HoloLens 2 and its Mixed Reality program, as quoted from On MSFT, Wednesday, March 8.
Similar to previous layoffs, those who are dismissed will receive a two-month severance pay, six-month stock awards, six-month health protection, career transition services, and a 60-day notice before layoffs.
The dismissal of employees this time has not reached the 10,000 mark previously planned by Microsoft. The company has so far only laid off nearly 2,200 workers in the Seattle region, equivalent to about 22 percent of the company's global cuts.
It is possible that the layoffs will happen again, and it is not known exactly when. Microsoft is not alone, another company that has done the same, including Google, Meta, Spotify, Amazon, and Twitter.
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