Microsoft has cut 161 jobs in the US in an effort to
realigning its Microsoft Consulting Services business, following
the lead of other IT suppliers and consultancies in seeking more
strategic work in place of routine services and development
tasks.
"Rather than the initial deployment, the focus will now be on
higher level end-to-end solutions," spokeswoman Stacy Drake said.
Microsoft will rely on its partners for implementation services,
she added.
As part of the realignment, Microsoft will be hiring to boost
the Microsoft Consulting Services group's expertise in the areas on
which it will focus, Drake said.
No decisions about what positions will be created have been
made. The consulting group, which focuses on helping customers
align technology decisions with strategic priorities, is part of a
broader services organisation that also includes a product support
division.
IBM spent $3.5bn (£2.1bn) last year on PwC Consulting to add
more strategic expertise to its consulting organisation, while
Hewlett-Packard cited building its services division as a key
rationale for its acquisition of Compaq.
Stacy Cowley writes for IDG News Service