DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Twilio announced top executive departures at an all-hands meeting to discuss recent layoffs. Leaked messages show employees felt blindsided and let down: 'Trust is nonexistent at this point.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The company addressed the plans, and announced executive departures, during an all-hands meeting. Eyal Manor — the chief product officer to whom the company just agreed to give a $2.5 million cash bonus — is leaving the company, Twilio leaders announced in the all-hands. Lybra Clemons — the company's first chief diversity, inclusion, and belonging officer, hired in 2020 — is also leaving, Twilio announced during the all-hands. The plan to cut 17% of workers follows another significant Twilio layoff in September when the company cut 11% of workers. In September, Twilio announced layoffs of 11% of its workforce.

☆ Salesforce CEO says he took a 10-day 'digital detox' trip to French Polynesia in the wake of company layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Salesforce chief Marc Benioff told NYT he went on a 10-day digital detox amid layoffs. The January layoffs announcement have led to questions from employees, Insider previously reported. Benioff's digital detox offers an interesting glimpse into how one tech CEO navigated a time of change at the company, seeking out a temporary period of quiet, free of digital communication. In the all-hands call the day after layoffs, Benioff compared losing employees to layoffs to mourning people who died. "We were trying to explain the unexplainable," Benioff told the NYT.

☆ Twilio executives scheduled an unusual Sunday meeting right before the Super Bowl, and now employees are worried about a reorg or layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Twilio CEO Jeff Lawson scheduled a meeting with other top execs just before the Super Bowl. The meeting, and other developments, have stoked employee concern about a possible reorg and more layoffs. Twilio co-founder and CEO Jeff Lawson has an unusual meeting scheduled with other top executives of the tech company an hour or so before the Super Bowl starts on Sunday. The recently organized gathering has employees anticipating big changes, including a potential reorganization and maybe more layoffs. The employee said Twilio recently moved the results date back, although didn't know the reason.

☆ Microsoft is even cutting cloud and AI workers in its plan to lay off 10,000 employees, internal email shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft just did another wave of layoffs this week in its plan to cut 10,000 people from its workforce, and affected units include the company's cloud and artificial intelligence organization, an internal email viewed by Insider shows. In Janauary, Microsoft publicly announced a plan to lay off 10,000 employees through March. An email that was not shared with the public, but viewed by Insider, confirms cuts came to Executive Vice President Scott Guthrie's Cloud+AI organization. The company this week recirculated a guide directing managers on how to communicate with employees, according to an internal email viewed by Insider. In the guide, Microsoft calls for managers to "show empathy and compassion" and to "keep a pulse on team morale."

☆ The inside story of how Microsoft caught up with Google on AI, and the unlikely executive who made it happen
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

With OpenAI technology, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is challenging Google's online search monopoly. "Who'd have thought, even just a few months ago, that Google would be on their back foot," said Soma Somasegar, a former Microsoft executive. Google was also busy incorporating machine-learning and other AI technology into popular products such as Google Photos, Google Translate, and its search engine. Microsoft's new Bing search engine uses a newer version of GPT-3 to answer complex questions. Microsoft's positive feedback loopThe OpenAI deal laid the foundation for Microsoft to catch Google in the AI race.

☆ See Bing's breakout week in charts as Microsoft taps new ChatGPT technology to go after Google's search lead
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Microsoft unveiled an updated Bing search engine on Tuesday, powered by the tech behind ChatGPT. On Tuesday, Microsoft unveiled an updated Bing search engine powered by the technology behind ChatGPT. Google app downloads, remained steady between 300,000 to 320,000 per day in the same period, Apptopia data shows. In the end, all this is about gaining a higher share of the highly lucrative search engine market. As of February 9, Google had 93.21% of the worldwide search engine market.

☆ Oracle reorganized its AI and data initiatives amid a leadership shakeup, leaked internal memo shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Oracle moved its AI and data unit under its cloud business amid a leadership shakeup. Oracle is moving its data and artificial intelligence unit under its cloud business and making its health initiatives a major focus, an internal email shows. The reorganization means Oracle is "consolidating all of the new data and AI initiatives back into OCI," according to an internal email. Don Johnson, the former Oracle Cloud Infrastructure boss once named by Ellison as a potential contender for co-CEO, recently left his latest role leading Oracle Health and Artificial Intelligence, Insider previously reported. After about six months, he returned to run engineering for Oracle Health after the company bought Cerner in 2022.

☆ Microsoft announces its new search engine with OpenAI that promises to be 'more powerful than ChatGPT'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Aaron Mok | Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Microsoft just announced its latest search engine, the "new Bing." The new Bing will run on a new next-generation language model Microsoft calls the "Prometheus model" designed specifically for search purposes. The search engine will also include a chat extension that Microsoft said can come in handy for things like "trip planning and shopping." Users can "talk" to the search engine by asking it to recommend the cheapest TV when shopping or to create a itinerary for a five day trip with the family. The news comes just weeks after Microsoft announced that it will be investing billions of dollars into OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT-like tools into its products such as search engine Bing, Excel, and Powerpoint.

☆ What's under the hood of Microsoft's 'new Bing'? OpenAI CEO says it's powered by ChatGPT and GPT-3.5
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said ChatGPT and GPT-3.5 are helping boost Microsoft's "new Bing" search engine. The rise of OpenAI's ChatGPT bot has fueled the competition in Big Tech to boost search tools. OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman said that the artificial-intelligence company's megahit ChatGPT tool and GPT-3.5 are helping drive the search engine that Microsoft announced Tuesday. At Tuesday's event, Microsoft also revealed its closely anticipated announcement that its own search tool Bing will now use OpenAI's technology to boost searches. OpenAI's ChatGPT created popular access to a type of technology that's been long familiar to computer science and data analytics experts.

☆ Microsoft insiders expect Bing search engine relaunch with ChatGPT maker OpenAI technology to be announced at Tuesday event
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft is holding an event Tuesday to "share some progress on a few exciting projects with Satya Nadella and others." Insiders are expecting the company to unveil a relaunch of the company's Bing search engine with technology from OpenAI. Microsoft insiders expect the company to unveil a relaunch of the company's Bing search engine with technology from OpenAI — maker of the much-hyped chatbot tool ChatGPT that answers questions with surprising detail — during an event at the company's headquarters on Tuesday. Soon after, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman tweeted a photo with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, suggesting the event is OpenAI-related. "You can imagine how much more powerful it will be," one Microsoft insider who worked on the company's OpenAI partnership said.

☆ Salesforce won't allow rank-and-file workers to attend its annual 'Company Kickoff', drawing criticism from employees, leaked messages show
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Ellen Thomas | Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Salesforce leaders will meet for the annual "Company Kickoff" event this week. "As we focus on a fast start to FY24, senior leadership will be coming together for Company Kickoff (CKO) this week," Unikel wrote. In previous years, Salesforce allowed all employees to watch the Company Kickoff livestream, insiders said. "It is the company kickoff after all," one person told Insider. Are you a Salesforce employee or do you have insight to share?

☆ As Expected, Salesforce's Latest Cuts Impact Sales Teams
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Ashley Stewart | Ellen Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Insiders expected sales teams to be cut in February after the end of the fiscal year, they recently told Insider. Like most companies who sell software to businesses, the fourth quarter is traditionally its biggest sales quarter as sales people push their clients to sign contracts to make sales quotas. It's unclear how many employees Salesforce laid off this time. Execs have repeatedly told employees, through emails and all-hands meetings, to expect rounds of layoffs to last for weeks, Insider reported. Salesforce laid off a few hundred salespeople in November, a person familiar with the matter told Insider.

☆ Leaked Oracle org chart shows the top execs reporting to Larry Ellison after cloud leader Don Johnson's abrupt departure
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Oracle's internal org chart shows the eight executives who report to chairman and CTO Larry Ellison. An internal Oracle organization chart shows the executives left reporting to cofounder Larry Ellison after cloud and health leader Don Johnson left the company. Johnson spent four years running Oracle's cloud business, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, before stepping back in the last year. Larry Ellison Executive chairman and chief technology officer Andy Mendelsohn Executive vice president, Oracle Database Clay Magouyrk Executive vice president, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Edward Screven Executive vice president and chief corporate architect Jeff Henley Executive vice chairman Juan Loaiza Executive vice president, Mission Critical Database Technologies Steve Miranda Executive vice president, Applications Development T.K. Anand Executive vice president, Analytics Maddie Giammona Executive assistantDo you work at Oracle or have insight to share?

☆ Amazon cloud executive accused of discrimination, Todd Weatherby, is leaving, internal emails show
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Todd Weatherby, the former head of the AWS ProServe unit, is leaving Amazon. A former AWS employee accused Weatherby of gender discrimination in a high-profile lawsuit. Todd Weatherby, the former head of Amazon's ProServe cloud unit who was accused of gender discrimination in a high-profile lawsuit, is leaving the company on Jan. 31, according to internal emails viewed by Insider. Amazon cloud executive Matt Garman wrote in one of the emails that Weatherby "decided to leave AWS to pursue his next adventure." "Todd launched the AWS ProServe business in 2012 from a six-pager and led its growth and development for a decade," Garman added.

☆ More than 500 Salesforce employees wrote to execs demanding layoff answers. Read the leaked messages showing how management responded.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Salesforce appeared to have responded to employees' questions through a Q&A titled "Top Questions from Employees," posted to an internal Slack channel by Salesforce executive vice president of employee communications and engagement Jill Unikel. Are you a Salesforce employee or do you have insight to share? SELECTION CRITERIAQuestion: What criteria was used to decide who was in the 10% of employees affected? If an affected employee finds a new role internally before their termination date, they will remain a Salesforce employee and not receive their communicated severance. BENEFITS FOR AFFECTED EMPLOYEESQuestion: Did affected employee receive benefits included in their severance?

☆ Oracle health cloud leader Don Johnson — once considered for co-CEO — has abruptly resigned, insiders say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Oracle executive Don Johnson is abruptly leaving his key post, insiders say. Johnson was at one point named by Larry Ellison as a potential contender for Oracle co-CEO. Don Johnson — the former Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) boss once named by founder and CTO Larry Ellison as a potential contender for co-CEO — abruptly left his latest post, two people familiar with the matter said. Johnson came to Oracle from Amazon Web Services in 2014 and was tapped by Ellison in 2018 to run the company's all-important cloud unit, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. About a year later, Johnson stepped down from the cloud and AI organization, according to another email viewed by Insider.

☆ Salesforce employees fear deeper cuts now that a second activist investor has a stake. Elliott, the world's most feared hedge fund, has confirmed it wants changes.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Ashley Stewart | Ellen Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Feared activist investor Elliott Management now has a multibillion-dollar position in Salesforce. This is the company's second activist investor after Starboard Value disclosed a significant stake in October. Elliott Management — the world's most feared activist investor — now has a multibillion-dollar position in Salesforce, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter, and some employees worry Elliott's attention could lead to further layoffs. Elliott is Salesforce's second activist investor after Starboard Value disclosed a significant stake in Salesforce in October. Activist investor firms such as Elliott "are tough," another said.

Amazon, Microsoft, and Google announced layoffs of a total of 40,000 employees this week. Tech companies embarked on a massive hiring spree as the Covid-era made their products the backbone of the world's remote-working offices. The era of tech companies spending like rock stars is overOver the last decade Big Tech companies spent money "like 1980's rock stars," wrote Dan Ives, managing director at the investment firm Wedbush . On the other end, tech companies may look much different this decade as they did in the last. As companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft cut costs, they'll find ways to operate leaner, and their stock prices will stabilize.

☆ Leaked memo shows how Microsoft is directing managers to communicate about layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The company shared a guide on how it wants managers to talk to employees about the layoffs. In the guide, Microsoft calls for managers to "show empathy" and "keep a pulse on team morale." As Microsoft prepares to lay off 10,000 employees through March, the company published a guide directing managers on how to communicate with employees, according to an internal email viewed by Insider. Microsoft on Wednesday notified employees about the plan to lay off 10,000 employees over the next three months. Read Microsoft's full memo to managers about layoffs:Managers,It is important for Microsoft leaders and managers to consider how they communicate with their teams during significant workforce changes.

☆ Microsoft is telling some managers to embrace 'good attrition,' using massive layoffs to push underperforming employees out the door quicker
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft plans to lay off 10,000 employees over the next three months. Ahead of the layoffs, some managers were asked to identify employees for performance-based exits. Some managers were asked to identify employees for exits who would otherwise be put on performance coaching. Now, if HR agrees the employee has concerning performance, they'll consider laying off the employee without performance coaching, according to this person. Are you a Microsoft employee or do you have insight to share?

☆ Leaked documents show Amazon paused activities like social marketing and recruiting 'out of respect' for laid off employees
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Eugene Kim | Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon has suspended a number of work activities or services on Wednesday amid layoffs. Amazon suspended several work activities and services on Wednesday to be more mindful of the employees let go as part of the company's largest layoff in history. Additionally, Amazon suspended some AWS content streams on Twitch, another person said. Amazon will also pause some recruiting activities on Wednesday and Thursday, according to a person familiar with the matter. Still, many Amazon employees were upset about the ambiguity and lack of communication in the overall layoff process.

☆ Microsoft layoffs shake up the unit responsible for integrating ChatGPT technology into Bing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

WebXT includes the team responsible for integrating AI technology from ChatGPT into Bing. Affected units include Microsoft's Web Experience Team, known internally as WebXT, which includes the company's Bing search engine and Edge web browser. Notably, this is the unit responsible for integrating ChatGPT technology into Bing. The Information reported earlier this year that Microsoft plans to use the same AI as ChatGPT to provide users with answers to some searches. One Microsoft employee theorized that the layoffs will help Microsoft cut higher-paid staff and hire new employees at lower compensation into investment areas like Bing.

☆ Microsoft employees are bracing for more layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft employees are bracing for an additional round of layoffs as soon as this week. Microsoft did a round of layoffs in October, cutting about 1,000 employees. Microsoft employees are bracing for an additional round of layoffs as soon as this week as the company extends hiring freezes across many teams. In October, Microsoft laid off about 1,000 employees from teams including the Xbox console gaming division, the cutting-edge Microsoft Strategic Missions and Technology organization, and other units, Insider reported. Several other tech companies have conducted an additional round of job cuts, following on from layoffs last year.

☆ Salesforce insiders expect the sales teams to be hit with layoffs in February. Some say the company may cut an additional 10% later this year.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Ashley Stewart | Ellen Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Salesforce insiders are expecting layoffs to sales staff in February, after the fiscal year ends. Employees told Insider there has been chaos and confusion since Salesforce announced layoffs. Execs have repeatedly told employees, through emails and all-hands meetings, to expect rounds of layoffs to last for weeks, Insider reported. So Salespeople were largely untouched by the company's first round of cuts earlier this month, sources told Insiders. In November, Salesforce cut hundreds of people, many of them in sales, for what it referred to as performance-based reasons.

☆ Microsoft will stop tracking vacation time for US salaried employees, internal memo shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Ashley Stewart | Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Microsoft will no longer track vacation time for US salaried employees, an internal memo shows. Time-off will still require manager approval, as is standard for companies with "unlimited' vacation time. And as we've transformed, modernizing our vacation policy to a more flexible model was a natural next step." Time-off will still require manager approval, as is standard for companies with "unlimited' vacation time. Microsoft employees outside the US will keep existing vacation benefits.

Search resuls for: "astewart@insider.com"

25 mentions found