- A BlackBerry (BBRY) spokeswoman: "At this time, we are considering the closure of our offices in Sweden [and] since this may impact approximately 100 employees, we are now initiating consultations with the employees’ trade unions." The comments follow Swedish media reports stating BlackBerry is closing down its local software design ops.
- The company's Swedish design team stems from its 2010 acquisition of UI design firm The Astonishing Tribe (TAT). While the unit has contributed to a variety of products, much of the original TAT team has long departed.
- BlackBerry, of course, has already cut plenty of jobs over the last two years. Its R&D spend fell 46% Y/Y in the February quarter, and its sales/marketing/admin spend 52%. The company's global headcount is around 7K.