Corel to cut 22 percent of workforce

Lisa M Bowman CNet

Published: 07 Nov 2002 11:29 GMT

Corel is slashing its work force by 22 percent in an effort to weather the dismal economy. The software publisher said it will lay off 220 employees, a move that will cost the company between $5.8m (£3.7m) and $6.3m in restructuring charges during the fourth quarter. Corel expects the cuts will ultimately save it $12m per year.

"Today's actions are necessary for us to realise the company's ongoing strategy to build long-term value for our shareholders and continually improve the experiences of our customers," Corel chief executive officer Derek Burney said in a statement.

Although the company has climbed back from the brink of extinction -- recently usurping Microsoft's software on the low-end machines of computer giants such as Dell, Gateway and Hewlett-Packard -- analysts say Corel has been unable to translate the wins into a significant turnaround.

Analysts say that buyers of the inexpensive machines that come bundled with Corel's WordPerfect software aren't the type of customers who are likely to pay for upgrades.

The cuts come just six weeks after the company appointed a new interim chief financial officer to administer a new cost-cutting plan.

When announcing the job cuts Wednesday, Corel's Burney predicted that revenue will grow next year and called the company's approach "conservative."

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