Microsoft cloud tools vendor SkyKick confirms layoff of 140 employees

Engineers and partner account executives are among the cut roles.

SkyKick co-CEO Todd Schwartz

Image:
SkyKick co-CEO Todd Schwartz

SkyKick, whose products include tools to migrate to and backup for Microsoft 365, has confirmed to CRN that the vendor is laying off more than 100 employees worldwide.

In a statement to CRN US, Todd Schwartz - co-CEO of Seattle-based SkyKick - said the cuts were a "tough decision" and due to "current market conditions."

"We are well positioned and remain steadfastly committed to ensuring our partners' success in the cloud over the long-term," Schwartz said.

SkyKick layoffs

The statement did not give the percentage of employees laid off or a headcount once the layoffs are completed. However, it did reveal 140 employees were let go worldwide, with 98 of those employees in the US.

SkyKick's LinkedIn account puts the number of employees at about 320, but it is not known if that is before or after the workforce reduction. In 2021, SkyKick raised $130m in a financing round and had about 250 employees.

The vendor has more than 30,000 partners worldwide, according to its website.

An online database by the state of Washington puts the number of employees let go at 181, but this number is inaccurate, according to the SkyKick statement.

The vendor also laid off an unknown number of employees in March, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal.

The workforce reduction news comes weeks after SkyKick announced "the biggest platform update in the company's ten-year history" to its Cloud Management Platform. The enhancements include enhanced data protection capabilities and personalised security insights for services providers in the SMB market, according to a statement.

Employees take to LinkedIn

Multiple LinkedIn users posted to say they were let go by SkyKick.

Among the users were:

*A level two software engineer with SkyKick for about five years

*A software engineering team lead with SkyKick for more than seven years

*A sales incentives manager with SkyKick for less than a year

*A software engineer with SkyKick for about two years

*A partner account executive with SkyKick for more than a year

*A product engineer with SkyKick for more than eight years

*A level two software engineer with SkyKick for about two years

*A US support manager with SkyKick for more than 10 years

*A principal software engineer with SkyKick for more than eight years

*A software development engineer with SkyKick for more than four years

*A senior segment marketing manager with SkyKick for more than four years

*A product engineer with SkyKick for more than two years

*A senior business systems analyst with SkyKick for less than a year

SkyKick joins a slate of other technology vendors who have conducted layoffs and cited lessened demand for digital tools since the height of the pandemic.

Vendors who have recently made or announced headcount cuts include Rapid7, Intel, Dell, Secureworks and Fortinet.