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RIM cutting jobs 'in batches', eyes $1bn savings

The BlackBerry maker is shedding jobs in batches, according to those who have lost jobs already, as the company looks to save more than $1 billion by the end of the fiscal year.
Written by Zack Whittaker, Contributor

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion is reportedly cutting jobs in 'batches' in a bid to save as much as $1 billion by the end of the current fiscal year, the Wall Street Journal reports.

No more than a year after the Ontario-based company cut 2,000 jobs, it looks to shed another 2,000 jobs from non-essential departments in the coming weeks and months.

The beleaguered firm is laying off batches of 10 people at a time across various sections of the company --- including quality control, operations, and parts departments --- according to those affected who spoke to the Journal.

The company's first-quarter results are out on June 28, where RIM is expected to announce an operating loss following a fourth-quarter saw a loss of $125 million and a 25 percent drop in revenue.

A RIM spokesperson said the company had "reduced some positions as part of this program and may continue to do so as the company methodically works through a review of the business."

All hands on deck for BlackBerry 10. If you're not in it to win it, you're out. Anyone not focusing on BlackBerry 10 --- the next-generation operating system that RIM is hedging its bets on --- faces the chop, according to sources close to the company.

However, RIM runs the risk of alienating other parts of its business by cutting anyone out who is not in the BlackBerry 10 loop should the company choose to seek a buyer.

BlackBerry 10 is expected to launch in or around October.

Image credit: CNET Asia.

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