Research In Motion to axe 2,000 staff in restructuring

Research In Motion are planning to axe 2,000 staff as part of their global restructuring plan, according to reports circulating this weekend.

This restructuring is said to start in the next couple of weeks and will affect staff in all corners of the globe. The Globe and Mail said “Patrick Spence, who quit this week as Research In Motion Ltd.’s global sales chief, was not the first senior executive to leave the struggling BlackBerry maker this spring and he will not be the last, as the company prepares for thousands of additional layoffs.”

Other reports said that the staff cuts may be even higher. The report was verified by AllThingsD who said that they spoke to sources close to the company who confirmed the 2,000 minimum staff cut, out of a total of 16,500.

Research In Motion have issued a statement saying it is not their policy to report on rumors and speculation.

Blackberry have been struggling in the last 18 months, recording a decline in smartphone market share. Google's Android and Apple's iOS platforms have been riding high. IDC, the well known research firm said that 9.7 million Blackberry phones were shipped in Q1 2012, down from 13.8 million units a year previous. Their market share currently stands at 6.4 percent.

The upcoming job cuts come after Patrick Spence, Global Sales Chief stepped down from his position. RIM have said “The sales function will report directly into Kristian Tear, our newly appointed COO when he starts this summer.”

Kitguru says: Losing 2,000 staff will lower RIM overheads, but there is no doubt that losing over 12 percent of a workforce will have ramifications.

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