UPDATED: Move Networks Lays Off 30% Of Company, John Edwards Still CEO

UPDATED: I've now heard back from Move Networks and can confirm that CEO John Edwards is still the CEO of the company. In addition, John has now been named executive chairman of the board of directors. Move says 30% of the company has been laid off and they "are making the necessary adjustments and planning appropriately to get to profitability more quickly."

It's always unfortunate for any company to have to do layoffs and for employees to lose their jobs, but if the layoffs help Move get to profitability faster, it needs to be done. I've also been told, but not by Move, that these layoffs were planned back in November and that folks were told their last day would be this week. If that is the case, it was a nice way for Move to do it, giving people three months notice.

While Move won't say how much revenue they did last year, I have heard from people who would know that Move billed roughly $40M in total 2008 revenue. I don't know how much cash they are burning through but with the increased business Move has been signing up and the financial savings they will see from the layoffs, I think Move could get to profitability in the next 18 months if not sooner.

Move Networks made some major layoffs in the past day or two and rumors are circulating that CEO John Edwards has also been let go. While I can't confirm or deny if Move has changed their CEO, I'm hoping it's not true, I can confirm that layoffs have happened. I reached various Move employees in the past few hours who told me they could not comment on what is taking place as they no longer work for the company.

Some Move Networks employees e-mails are now bouncing and when you call Move's HQ and use their automated phone system, John Edwards and other employees names are no longer found. Move did say they will contact me shortly to give me the details, and I will update this post when I know more.

Added 4:21pm - When reached by phone Steamboat Ventures declined to comment on any of the changes today at Move Networks and passed me off to an outside PR agency.

Added 4:29pm - I've now heard from multiple former Move employees who have been let go and it appears the layoffs have come from locations all over North America and not just from Move's headquarters as some were speculating.

Comments

[ZekeMX]

Wow, I can't believe it!!!!!

If they make a Linux plugin I would pay to have it.

Now THAT'S a way to make more Revenue Movenetworks, not by laying out people.

Movenetworks has promised a linux plugin last year but now that microsoft is a partner the linux plugins has been delayed more than a year..

I bet Microsoft will buy Movenetworks anytime soon.

[zekemx]

Here is a petition page you can join to let movenetworks know how many of use need the plugin.

http://www.petitiononline.com/movlinux/petition.html

[Ralph]

Mr. Obama's Democratic Committee speeches are prevented from Linux by the movenetworks player. Nobody should deliver content through this player until it is available for Linux. movenetworks needs to make their player work with Linux

[Anonymouse]

For those who feel burned by the movenetworks NON-Linux support, you can see some of the same FOX/ABC shows at hulu.com, which works with Linux.

FOX shows (24, The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bones, and more) here:
http://www.hulu.com/search?query=fox

ABC shows (Lost, General Hospital, Dancing with the Stars, and more) here:
http://www.hulu.com/search?query=abc

Note: the links to shows that lead out to the station's site probably aren't going to work for Linux.

Read more about the effort to get these shows on Linux at:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=7812743

Sign these petitions:
http://digg.com/linux_unix/ABC_movenetworks_for_Linux_video_plugin_Petition_1_049_sigs

http://www.petitiononline.com/movlinux/petition.html

Also, be sure to email the networks and tell them to use hulu instead of movenetworks because hulu works with Linux.

[WealthNet Partners]

ZekeMX, sometimes its all a company can think of; laying folks off. Or, maybe they thought of a similar idea as your suggestion, but they just no longer had the funds to keep people on.

[John S.]

Companies like Microsoft and Move and ABC and FOX need to understand that just because they do not make their stuff available for Linux does not mean people are going to switch to Windows.

I know I won't.

If I cannot watch ABC and FOX and NFL and ESPN 360 from Linux, then I just will not watch them. Those companies plus Move will simply lose money by not offering their product to everyone.

BTW, I have signed the petition, but I encourage everyone to send e-mails to all of these companies on a regular basis letting them know they are losing your business by not offering a Linux player.

[J Shap]

This is being detected as a Backdoor trojan by almost EVERY

AV..... The little research I have done seems to indicate that this

software Suffers from MANY vulnerabilities that would allow a

Attacker to compromise your system.. Now seeing this story of

massive layoffs and TOTAL non transparency it only solidifies my

belief that this is Dangerous software. I would advise NOT to

Use this application.