Sun burns Solaris and Linux staffers

Thanks for the code

By Ashlee Vance in Chicago • Get more from this author

Posted in IT Director, 16th February 2005 22:10 GMT

Sun Microsystems has sent some of its operating system staff packing as it finishes up a long period of layoffs.

Sources have informed The Register that a larger number of staffers in Sun's operating platforms group have been shown the door. Many of these workers had been cranking away on new versions of Solaris and the Java Desktop System - Sun's version of Linux. With that work mostly completed, the staffers became expendable to Sun. This looks like the tail-end of a long round of layoffs, which started last year and claimed more than 3,000 jobs.

A large chunk of staff in the UK were particularly hard hit, according to our sources. The layoffs generated comments such as "Sun is decommitting from Linux" and "Sun has abandoned Linux." One source, however, insisted that Sun is fully behind Linux and that these remarks came from embittered ex-staffers.

In May of last year, Sun culled hundreds of server staffers from its UK and Ireland offices. Up to 40 likely lost their jobs today, according to our sources, with more cuts in the US.

Sun could well cut more staff if its revenue totals don't start to rise. Its worker count is still relatively high given that Sun has been punished so hard in the post-bubble era. ®