Hurt by its continuing inability to move as fast as the market it does not have 2.5 drives out yet and was very late into 3.5 drives – Scotts Valley, California-based Seagate Technology Inc has cut its worldwide non-manufacturing workforce by about 18%. Pink slips went out to 1,200 people, with US sales, marketing, personnel and engineering the hardest hit. Including the manufacturing workforce, being kept intact to be ready for any up-turn, the cut is about 3% of the total employee base. The Imprimis Technology acquisition is seen to have been beneficial to Seagate, greatly improving its capability at the top end of the market, and it is in the company’s own business where it is suffering from fierce competition, price attrition and recession.
