Mozilla Lays Off Staff, Receives More Cash
In a restructuring move, Mozilla lays off 250 employees, but then inks large deal with Google.
Mozilla isn’t a stranger to struggle. Be it market share or financial issues, the foundation that delivers the most popular open source browser and email client to the Linux platform has always had to fight to keep its head above water.
So it should come as no surprise that last week the foundation laid off almost a quarter of its staff. To this issue, Mitchell Baker (Mozilla CEO) said:
“This will strengthen our ability to build and invest in products and services that will give people alternatives to conventional Big Tech.”
Of course, the news doesn’t end there. On the same day Mozilla released those employees, they inked a new deal with Google. Said deal is rumored to be worth nine figures (landing them $400 to $450 million a year between now and 2023) and ensures Google is the default search engine on the open source browser.
This deal is sure to turn heads, given the timing. However, Mozilla is repositioning themselves such that they won’t have to rely so much on Google. The goal is to be more self-sufficient. This means Mozilla will look toward new services and technology to bolster their bottom line.
For more information about the announcement, check out Baker’s official statement.
Issue 252/2021
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