Comverse layoffs to begin

NEWS Israeli company Comverse is to announce global layoffs, likely to leave the UK office in tatters, and is exiting the voice portal market, silicon.com has learned. The Nasdaq-listed company will leave the voice portal market, where it has had "next to zero" sales, a source suggested, concentrating on the messaging market instead. The company will retain a sizeable office in Germany, but cut the staff in its UK office to 40, the source suggested. An Israeli newspaper, Ha'aretz, has claimed 900 staff, or 16 per cent of the workforce, will be made redundant, starting from Wednesday, following an analyst briefing and the announcement of third quarter financial results on Tuesday.