A Round of Layoffs at Palm
(Updated, with confirmation statement)
PalmInfocenter has received a couple of unconfirmed reports that Palm Inc. has had a round of layoffs this week. One report from a reliable source claims as many as 200 people were let go from the US team on Thursday. Most of the cuts are claimed to be in the sales and marketing departments. Sources also postulate that Palm will be closing some offices in Europe and Asia as well.
The news comes during a rather rough week for Palm's stock and the US stock market in general. Shares in Palm closed at a new all time low over continued uncertainly about the general economy and Palm's long planned turnaround. The last major round of layoffs came around this time last year when around 250 people were cut. Palm's last reported head count in August was around 1,050 employees.
The company just recently reported its fifth consecutive quarterly loss back in September. At the time Palm CEO Ed Colligan stressed that the company was "still solidly in the midst of its transformation with some significant hurdles yet to come." Palm is due to report the results of the current quarter on December 18th.
Update:
PalmInfocenter has confirmed the layoffs with a Palm spokesperson today. The Palm rep remarked in a statement:
As a result of significant challenges facing our company and industry, Palm is restructuring its worldwide operations to better position the company for achieving profitability and long-term growth. The global economic downturn continues to dampen demand for consumer goods around the world, and the impact on the economic environment is worsened by our maturing Centro line and the length of time it is taking to ramp our new Windows Mobile products. The restructuring will result in company reductions in the U.S. and internationally, and our goal is to consolidate resources behind fewer programs to focus our efforts more effectively.
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More to come (go) today?
- http://tinyurl.com/unkownveracity
This particular poster has posted some slightly-insider-knowledge posts before like this:
- http://tinyurl.com/insiderespp
so I would at the very least SLIGHTLY trust his rumor-du-jour about TODAY'S layoffs...
Ed Colligan
Better start the Hype Machine, Palm
January is CES. You don't have til then to get some buzz going.
RE: Better start the Hype Machine, Palm
== "...Well, the only milestones that we've set out is to finish up
== the platform towards the end of this year and then deliver
== products in the first half of '09 and that's - those are the
== big milestones. I expect, you know, relative to the developer
== community and so forth, you might start to see some buzz but
== I can't predict any of that..."
- http://tinyurl.com/palmoldtrans
SO I guess we wait for that developer (...) to start leaking things, huh?
RE: Better start the Hype Machine, Palm
-
PalmPilot Pro (1997) -> III (1998) -> Vx (1999) -> m500 (2001) -> m515 (2002) -> Tx (2007)
One layoff I want
RE: One layoff I want
This couldn't have anything to do with Palm spending all their time valiantly trying to fix Windoze Mobile for Microsoft, underwhelmingly supporting the Treo for years, falling asleep at the wheel with PalmOS's replacement, and dumping a load of Centro playthings on the market for next to nothing. Power users have been told to go away for years, many have reluctantly gone to the iPhone and Blackberry and HTC Mogol designs because they have this nasty affinity for progression and not regression.
Palm is probably going through what the american automakers have seen. The rank and file have innovative and creative ideas, as well as honest views of the problems and how to fix them. But management tells them to shut up and "just do your job," which is to keep producing only gas guzzlers or new colors of Centros. Meanwhile, the bigwigs fly around on private jets and bathe in their own brilliance.
Paying my annual PDA update tax to Palm since 1997.
RE: One layoff I want
RE: One layoff I want
Palm was ahead of AIG, too
They provide for comments on their blog, and I was extremely critical of them frittering away their time on freakin' manicures and pedicures when they could be working on, oh, say, the next Palm OS? Surprise, surprise, they refused to post that comment.
Now the pigeons are coming home to roost. Last conversation I had with tech support at Palm (in May of this year) closed with my commenting, "better polish of your resume, pal."
I still love Garnet; and I'm mostly happy with my Treo 755p. Already have one in a drawer against the day with this one dies an untimely death. Might end up being like those folks I know still nursing Palm V and Vx's along, if Palm fails to pull out of the so-called 'years in the desert' (so-called by Mike & Dieter at Treocentral).
Harold
RE: Palm was ahead of AIG, too
Hope Palm can pull off a real "hail Mary" and bring out a relatively bug-free Nova very, very soon. I can't believe that I've been fantasizing about buying another WinceMob device again and trying to find a way to stomach it in the very likely event that Palm screws their final pooch.
Paying my annual PDA update tax to Palm since 1997.
RE: Palm was ahead of AIG, too
Spoken with true insight. Palm's mgmt issues probably come from all the leaders spending time in University business schools across the nation training our next generation. Only slightly less sad than the experts who run our government.
Pat Horne
RE: Palm was ahead of AIG, too
It's all a revolving door between Business and Government. Door whirls so fast they can't seem to remember the difference between what constituency they are accountable to when they change offices.
Paying my annual PDA update tax to Palm since 1997.
RE: Palm was ahead of AIG, too
From your signature I would assume that Palm's new motto is No New Taxes!
The last known classic PDA user.
Confirmed with PR-Fluff
http://treocentral.com/content/Stories/2205-1.htm
One notable excerpt:
"The global economic downturn continues to dampen demand for consumer goods around the world, and the impact on the economic environment is worsened by our maturing Centro line and the length of time it is taking to ramp our new Windows Mobile products. The restructuring will result in company reductions in the U.S. and internationally, and our goal is to consolidate resources behind fewer programs to focus our efforts more effectively"
A likely translation from Palm-speak:
"We're really worried what $199 BB Stroms & $199 iPhones are going to do to our remaining Treo sales. Centro sales to the teenyboppers have absolutely fallen off a cliff but we're hoping a fresh round of new colors and some new Palm-branded cases will resuscitate the line. We also didn't count on AT&T shooting down the Treo Pro and Verizon taking a pass on both the 800w and the CDMA Treo Pro.
As always, our goal is not to do any serious work on Nova but instead to hoard as much cash as possible and try to stay afloat until we find a sucker to buy the company. We hope to be able to do this with a skelton crew of employees in Sunnyvale as we furiously churn out new Centro colors and work on an updated Facebook app. And, one more thing....Rubinstein has left the building"
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p
RE: Confirmed with PR-Fluff
Paying my annual PDA update tax to Palm since 1997.
RE: Confirmed with PR-Fluff
They have about a month - or much less if everyone considers that date "material' - to do so.
RE: Confirmed with PR-Fluff
Colligan can maybe hook up with one of the big 3 auto makers and help pick out new colors to paint on the crap they put out as well.
The last known classic PDA user.
I've recently upgraded from a PLAM TX to a Newton MP2000!
http://newtonpda.googlepages.com
RE: Confirmed with PR-Fluff
"Many men stumble across the truth, but most manage to pick themselves up
and continue as if nothing had happened."
- Winston Churchill
RE: Confirmed with PR-Fluff
Man, that slider is crap.
So is the keyboard.
The entire thing has a cheap 99-cent store feel to it.
I've seen in passing online people talking about the inconsistent UI. Eh. Give the BeOSers some sharp knives and let the best UI group win.
Attn: Mike Cane-Have you fondled a Storm yet? Impressions?
Might this finally be THE converged device to replace your LifeDrive + Nokia Tracfone combo?
It's looking more and more like I might have to award my (shared) mobile hardware design of the year award to the MSI Wind + EEE 1000/1002 since neither the PSP 3000 or the 2nd-gen Sony Reader PRS-700BC were all that I was hoping they would be.
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p
RE: Confirmed with PR-Fluff
Someone I have the misfortune to know just bought a Berry (not Storm) and *I* had to figure out HTF to set the Date and Time on it! What dropout from Microsoft designed that UI? Or is the UI like some sort of frikkin Secret Masonic Handshake tuned to the skewed brain frequencies of The Suit Hive Mind?
Should Palm get inline for a bailout?
I have a feeling the get Plam I will see is the Hanna Montana edition Centro with a built-in LED flashlight and a hip new color.
RE: Should Palm get inline for a bailout?
Paying my annual PDA update tax to Palm since 1997.
RE: Should Palm get inline for a bailout?
- All-Chrome Centro
- Woodgrain Eddie Bauer edition Centro with a Car charger and 1300mA battery
- Shrink the Centro to 'candybar phone' size. Replace keyboard with T9 input.
- Bedazzled Centro with collection of 100 hip-hop ringtones
- Centro watch - Dick Tracy model
- Centro pet phone - put one on your dog's collar. Train your dog to be able to bark and call you using voice dialing. Talk to your dog while you're at work. Track your dog with the pet phone's built-in GPS
- Centro intercom - put a centro in every room on the wall - use speakerphone and voice dialing to enable home intercom
- Centro bird toy - run mirror app on your centro and let your bird be amazed by it. BONUS: Bird gets to pick at the keyboard buttons. Double Bonus: Train your bird to send SMS messages
- Centro action walkie talkie set - blister pack two of them together - one Green, one Rose - sell them in REI.
- Centro standalone webcam - record video, stills and upload them to the web.
- Centro baby monitor - large white plastic centro with camera on the front allows doting parents to videoconference with baby.
More ideas here: http://tinyurl.com/1nnov8e
How sunk is Palm REALLY?
However, if they drop dead before 12/31/08 (the drop dead date of my blog), I'd gladly do a "I Dance And Spit On Your Grave" post!
Has the timeline changed, too?
== this year, and the device in the second half of 2009..."
- http://tech.yahoo.com/news/nm/20081122/tc_nm/us_palm_layoffs_1
RE: Has the timeline changed, too?
Palm OS II Devices on Track for Release in Early 2009
BY: Ed Hardy, Brighthand.com Editor
PUBLISHED: 1/14/2008
According to Stephane Maes, VP Smartphone Product Marketing, Palm expects to finish work on this operating system late in 2008, and around that same time will begin distributing the tools developers need to create applications, or check compatibility of their current ones, for this new operating system. Naturally, those who are writing the software that will be bundled with the first model will get access to the SDKs well before the general public.
Palm plans to have the first devices running this operating system out early in 2009. Maes says that wireless carriers are already expressing strong interest in Palm OS II - though he didn't call it that. According to rumor, the internal code-name for this platform is "Nova," but Palm itself hasn't revealed the official name.
RE: Has the timeline changed, too?
anyone want to bet on 12-31-09? if it wasn't so tragic, it'd be comical.
RE: Has the timeline changed, too?
== "...the device..."
All along I'd hoped for a plethora of deviceS all communicating merrily with each other without human interaction.
Dreamer!
RE: Has the timeline changed, too?
In other words, entirely too little, too late, for too much and on the wrong carrier.
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p
RE: Has the timeline changed, too?
== "(In Nov. 21 story headlined ... "Palm cutting jobs as
== competition intensifies", corrects graph 5 to reflect
== that device is expected to be released in first half of 2009)"
RE: Has the timeline changed, too?
... has CES published an Exhibitors List yet? Is Palm on it?
Well, does it really matter? Whatever Steve Jobs announces at MacWorld Expo will once again drain all the light away from CES ... like a black hole!
RE: Has the timeline changed, too?
>
> ... has CES published an Exhibitors List yet? Is Palm on it?...
http://myces.bdmetrics.com/CDT-5776781/Palm-Inc-/Details.aspx
RE: Has the timeline changed, too?
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200 folks is a lotta folks for a dinky company
Palm aiming strictly at consumer side toward the future(*)?
=======
(*) No, that "future" isn't facetious!