Microsoft tightens its belt, but still no layoffs announced

Microsoft is not renewing leases on a number of its Seattle area properties and is postponing construction on several planned buildings to help trim costs, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer is reporting.

The Microsoft bean counters also allegedly have looked at other services (catering, composting, the Connector wifi bus) they could chop to save money, the PI said. But right now those "perks" seem safe. (Whew -- I was really sweating over the Corporate Shuttle getting cut!)

As I noted a couple months back, Microsoft has a lot of layers of insulation/padding/fat which execs could opt to cut before having to actually lay off any of its 90,000-plus employees. With Microsoft slated to announce its second quarter FY 2009 earnings this Thursday, January 22, folks inside and outside the company are waiting to see what ultimately ends up on the "cuttable" list.