New Delhi: In its effort to reshape itself as a devices and services company, Microsoft said it will lay off dozens of contract and freelance writers from its MSN news and entertainment portal.
The company confirmed the news but declined to specify the number or comment further. Reports suggest that the people affected by the cuts number 100.
The pruning of MSN writers, who contribute end edit columns, blogs and features to the site, comes following Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announcing a radical reorganization of the company.
Microsoft's online services unit, chiefly consisting of the Bing search engine and MSN portal, suffered the shakeup since it has never been profitable and has lost almost $3 billion in the last two years alone. Some investors have pressed for a sale of the unit.
The shift also means MSN will likely rely more on external sources such as NBC, Associated Press and Thomson Reuters.
