Unfortunately, this is fast becoming a weekly roundup of job losses. About the only bright side is that Microsoft hasn’t announced any layoffs—yet. But the following Seattle-area companies have all confirmed significant staff cuts this week (see the updated Xconomy Seattle layoff litany here):
—Cardiac Science (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CSCX]]), a maker of heart diagnostic and therapeutic devices based in Bothell, WA, announced a restructuring that will involve a 12 percent staff cut. The company said it plans to reorganize certain teams, including marketing and product development.
—Medio Systems, a mobile-search startup in Seattle, has cut an undisclosed number of jobs—less than 10 percent of the staff, according to TechFlash, which cites a company spokeswoman. Medio had been involved in deal talks with Google and Verizon, but the wireless-search deal was won by Microsoft last week. Medio said the layoff is unrelated to that outcome.
—Seattle-based Varolii, a maker of business-communication tools, has laid off 8 percent of its staff (which leaves more than 300 employees still), many in finance and administration, as reported by TechFlash. The company shelved its IPO plans last June because of difficult market conditions.
—Vulcan Inc. confirmed it has cut about 50 jobs, or 9 percent of its workforce. The company has departments that manage Paul Allen’s investment portfolio, as well as high-tech projects, legal affairs, and human resources. Vulcan’s real estate holdings in South Lake Union are not affected by the cutbacks, according to a company spokesman.
—WatchGuard, a network security firm in Seattle, has cut about 55 jobs worldwide, bringing the total workforce down to 546, according to TechFlash, which cites a company spokesman. WatchGuard reportedly posted record revenues in 2007 and 2008, and continues to compete well with Cisco and Juniper.
