New Delhi, June 4: Microsoft, the tech giant, plans to lay off hundreds of employees from its Azure cloud unit. The decision to make job cuts comes amid a series of layoffs in the technology sector in 2024. The decision to reduce the workforce is expected to be part of Microsoft's ongoing effort to streamline its operations.

As per a report of Yahoo Finance, Microsoft will lay off hundreds of employees at its Azure cloud unit. The Microsoft layoffs will primarily impact the Azure cloud unit for Operators and Mission Engineering. Ola Electric Layoffs: EV Maker To Lay Off Around 400–500 Employees in Restructuring Process; Check Details.

The Azure for Operators team is expected to undergo significant reductions, with around 1,500 job losses. Microsoft has acknowledged these organisational and workforce adjustments as a part of managing their business and emphasising in strategic growth areas and support for customers and partners.

In 2021, Strategic Missions and Technologies was established, incorporating Azure for Operations and Mission Engineering. The organisation is dedicated to advancing in the fields of quantum computing and space exploration. Microsoft's Azure cloud platform is also experiencing significant growth, supported by the company's investment in artificial intelligence (AI) and its collaboration with OpenAI. This strategic partnership grants Azure access to AI technologies for further enhance its capabilities and competitiveness in the industry.

In a separate development, Microsoft has initiated a restructuring process within its mixed reality organisation. However, the company confirmed to continue to sell its augmented reality headset, the HoloLens 2 and in 2022 Microsoft had abandoned its plans for HoloLens 3. Layoffs 2024: Malaysia-Based Media Chinese To Reduce 44% of Its Workforce and Use AI To Save Costs and Monetise Digital Content.

Multiple reports also indicate that in May 2024, over 9,500 employees were laid off from 39 companies, contributing to a significant number of job losses. Additionally, a total of approximately 89,333 employees have been laid off across 306 tech companies in 2024 up until now.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 04, 2024 08:59 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).