Novell cuts 1,400 UK jobs

Networking software vendor Novell has reaffirmed its commitment to the UK channel after cutting 19 per cent of its global workforce.

The firm is axing about 1,400 UK jobs as it struggles to regain profitability amid a services shift.

"We are trying to save about $200m over the next year," said Steve Brown, regional director at Novell Europe, Middle East & Africa. "The job cuts will not affect our channel partners at all. Our commitment to the UK channel is very strong and it is our primary route to market."

Novell also hopes to consolidate IT consultancy company Cambridge Technology Partners, which it acquired last July, to go to market with a consultancy-led rather than technology-led business.

But small to medium sized enterprise (SME) resellers claim they have seen reductions in their Novell services business.

Eddy Alejos, technical director at reseller Dynax, said: "I think Novell is concentrating on targeting large organisations with its services, whereas we operate in the SME space."