Tech

Microsoft is preparing to lay off thousands of employees, according to report

Key Points
  • Microsoft is ready to lay off thousands of employees according to a report.
  • The layoffs are reportedly in an effort to focus on cloud services.
  • It will affect employees around the world.
Microsoft is preparing to lay off thousands of employees, according to report
VIDEO0:3900:39
Microsoft is preparing to lay off thousands of employees, according to report

Microsoft is reportedly planning to lay off thousands of employees around the world, according to a report by TechCrunch.

The company will make the cuts as part of a restructuring to focus on cloud services, TechCrunch said, noting that Microsoft may be specifically focusing on how it sells its Azure products. The layoffs may come as soon as this week and could affect redundant employees in the company's worldwide commercial business, Bloomberg said recently.

Microsoft's Azure business has been doing well, however. The company noted that Azure revenue nearly doubled in the company's fiscal third quarter, with 93 percent sales growth. Azure will continue to face competition from products such as Amazon Web Services.

Last July, Microsoft announced plans to cut an additional 2,850 jobs over the year, largely related to its exiting the smartphone business. The company said in January that it planned to cut 700 jobs, part of the previously announced restructuring.

The Puget Sound Business Journal said last week that Microsoft will announce its new plans on July 5.

"Microsoft is implementing changes to better serve our customers and partners," Microsoft told CNBC, without providing additional information.

Read the full report from TechCrunch.

WATCH: Microsoft's Surface Pro is here and it's really expensive

Microsoft's Surface Pro is here and it's really expensive
VIDEO1:3401:34
Microsoft's Surface Pro is here and it's really expensive