Alexa slashes staff
Alexa Internet, a subsidiary of Amazon.com, laid off 25 percent of its staff on Tuesday as part of an Amazon-wide effort to reach profitability, Alexa chief executive Brewster Kahle said. The cuts included some executive staff, and should help Alexa become profitable by the second quarter this year, Kahle said. Kahle declined to say how many employees or which executives Alexa laid off. The cuts coincided with a similar workforce reduction at Amazon, which cut 15 percent of its staff Tuesday. Alexa, which provides product information and links to related Web sites through a browser-based tool bar, is at the center of a Federal Trade Commission inquiry and several privacy lawsuits filed against Amazon. Amazon bought the San Francisco-based company in April 1999.
The cuts included some executive staff, and should help Alexa become profitable by the second quarter this year, Kahle said. Kahle declined to say how many employees or which executives Alexa laid off. The cuts coincided with a similar workforce reduction at Amazon, which cut 15 percent of its staff Tuesday.
Alexa, which provides product information and links to related Web sites through a browser-based tool bar, is at the center of a Federal Trade Commission inquiry and several privacy lawsuits filed against Amazon. Amazon bought the San Francisco-based company in April 1999.