In Europe, the merger of Sun Microsystems Inc’s Sun Technology Enterprise planets with SunSoft Inc and the formation of a common sales unit is expected to result in some staff losses and the redeployment of others. Sun denied rumours that it had asked all its 140 European employees to reapply for their jobs and that it intended to axe up to 50% of them. The reorganisation should be complete by next week, and will see an expansion of the telemarketing team – about 15% of sales staff currently work here – to about 25% – and a decrease in direct representatives to major accounts from about 35% to 25%. Indirect sales will stay the same at around 50%. SunSoft expects some of its staff to go back to the US, others to leave of their own volition, and yet others to move sideways into newly created positions as ‘product drivers’. These will be, essentially, specialised former sales staff, who will offer technical support to those salespeople that have kept their jobs following reorganisation.
