As Microsoft cuts hundreds of jobs from its Azure cloud business, executive Jason Zander said in an email to employees that the company is making the changes to support its investments in artificial intelligence.
“Our clear goal as a company is to define the wave of AI and enable all our customers to successfully adopt this transformative technology,” Zander wrote in an internal email viewed by Insider. “Along the way, we will make decisions that align with our long-term vision and strategy while ensuring the sustainability and growth of Microsoft.”
Zander, the former head of Microsoft's Azure cloud business, has since led a team called Strategic Missions and Technologies (SMT), an organization created to house Microsoft's cutting-edge initiatives at the time, such as quantum computing and space tech, but now the company is fully focused on investing in AI.
Microsoft cut up to 1,500 employees from Zander's team on Monday, a person familiar with the cuts told Business Insider.
In an email, Zander said the company will discontinue services in preview, including Azure Operator 5G Core (AO5GC) and Azure Operator Call Protection, and the Azure Operator Nexus team will transition to the Azure Edge and Platform product lines in the Cloud + AI organization.
“Making these difficult decisions is never easy, especially when they affect colleagues and friends,” Zander wrote. “We are committed to supporting everyone affected by these changes with respect, dignity and transparency, and to fully support them during this transition.”
The cuts are the latest at Microsoft and will help the company focus more on AI, after recently restructuring the team under Jared Spataro. Director of “AI Workplace” shift Focus on Copilot AI products And by reducing the number of employees Teams chat appAccording to an excerpt from an internal memo shared with Business Insider.
Microsoft did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Are you a Microsoft employee or someone else who can share insights?
Contact Ashley Stewart via email atasterwart@businessinsider.com), or from a non-work device, you can send a secure message via Signal at +1-425-344-8242.
