Storage, Security Staff Acquisition & Development

Veritas Layoffs 2016: Storage Company Makes Staff Cuts

Veritas Technologies is having more layoffs, and the staff cuts could last through the summer, according to The Register Guard, a newspaper serving Eugene, Oregon. The layoffs will include Veritas closing its Springfield, Oregon, office -- which has roughly 200 employees -- though some employees apparently will be given the option to relocate or work remotely.

Both Veritas and former owner Symantec were caught flat footed amid the shift to cloud and mobile services. Veritas was a dominant storage company during the client-server area. Ditto for Symantec in the security market. But the advent of cloud-centric storage and security have squeezed the traditional Veritas and Symantec revenue streams.

Symantec acquired Veritas in 2005 but sold off the business at a steep discount in 2016. Both companies said they'd become more nimble after the breakup. Instead, the reality of layoffs has arrived for both organizations. After posting weak quarterly results last week, Symantec confirmed plans to cut about 10 percent of its staff while also beginning the search for a new CEO.

Veritas Layoffs: Leaking the News

Veritas is undergoing layoffs as well. In terms of the Springfield, Oregon, operation:

"Some employees will continue to work for Veritas remotely, others may be transferred to a Veritas site in Florida, and the rest will be laid off, two workers said...The employees, who requested anonymity, said they learned about the layoffs and closure from company officials..." according to The Register Guard.

ChannelE2E has not independently confirmed the layoffs. We've reached out to Veritas to see if the layoffs were limited to Springfield and will update this article if/when we receive a reply. Respinding to The Register Guard's inquiry, a spokesperson for Veritas said the company continually reviews all aspects of the business and makes adjustments based on opportunity and growth -- basically, a non-answer to the question of layoffs.

Tech Layoffs In Oregon, Silicon Valley

Oregon has been ground zero for a range of recent technology industry layoffs. Extended details about Intel layoffs, for instance, have surfaced in The Oregonian amid the chip giant's job cuts in that state.

While the overall tech industry remains healthy, layoff chatter has picked up in recent months. Many Silicon Valley tech job cuts have involved classic client-server companies that are shifting from hardware and software toward subscription businesses. Other layoffs have involved startups in emerging markets like the Internet of Things.

Joe Panettieri

Joe Panettieri is co-founder & editorial director of MSSP Alert and ChannelE2E, the two leading news & analysis sites for managed service providers in the cybersecurity market.