The current recession presents you with an opportunity to upgrade your sales team.  You can make real progress by upgrading your sales team, no matter how large or small. More importantly, many skilled sales people have been let go in the waves of layoffs that have dominated the news.  Tags: Many high quality salespeople are out of work, and base salaries have come down.  If you are fortunate enough to be hiring, now is the time to be aggressive. 

Newport Beach-based Conexant reported Monday afternoon that it has completed the sale of the firm's Broadband Access product lines to Ikanos. Tags: ikanos acquisitoin merger employment jobs layoff conexan The deal was worth $54M. Conexant had said it would sell the unit in April. As part of the deal, the company said it cut approximately

Harman said the move will affect about 130 employees, including sales, marketing, and administration staff. Tags: jobs employment layoff harman internationa Harman International, a manufacturer of audio and entertainment products including Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL, and other products, said Wednesday afternoon that it is shutting down its Woodbury, New York offices and consolidating them into its Northridge location. Harman said that a limited number of its employees will be offered relocation.

in the fourth quarter for the layoffs, including severance for Riesenbach. The firm also reiterated its interest in a sale; the firm said it is still pursuing "strategic alternatives" with RBC Capital Market Irvine-based Autobytel said late Friday that it has cut 25 percent of the firm's employees, and also named a new CEO. Autobytel said that the move affects approximately 40 employees at the company, and will save the company approximately $5.2M

Agoura Hills-based THQ , a developer and publisher of video games, said Wednesday that it is making "additional cost reduction actions" which includes the layoff of approximately 600 people, or 24 percent of the company's workforce. THQ also said it would chop sales, marketing, and corporate expenses--including headcount--to try to save an additional $30M annualy. THQ said the move was a response to the continuing uncertainty in the market. The firm said that the cuts include a reduction in product development spending by an additional $70M, through "studio dispositions" and other

According to the firm, the cuts were a result of a "continuing weak outlook in 2009" for sales of its equipment, particularly in the U.S. Tags: sequenom genetic analysis employment layoff job San Diego-based Sequenom , a developer of genetic analysis equipment, announced late Thursday that the firm has cut approximately 30 employees as part of a cost cutting measure. The firm said the cuts were made in its Genetic Analysis business.

THQ blamed lower-than-anticipated international sales of WALL-E, and higher than expected sales returns and allowances. Agoura Hills-based video game maker THQ said late Wednesday that it is cutting 250 employees, or 17% of its staff, after reporting disappointing results. THQ said it would undertake a "significant" business realignment as its looks to focus on fewer, higher quality titles.

The revelation came as part of the firm's Q2 2009 results, when the firm said it had net sales of $91.2M, a 39% decrease from the $149.3M in sales it had in Q2 of 2008. Tags: power-one power supply employment jobs layof Camarillo-based Power-One , which manufactures power supplies and power conversion products, disclosed Thursday that the firm has reduced its headcount by another 300 employees. The firm said the cuts came during Q2, and were on top of an earlier cut of 900 employees it announced in May associated with the shutdown of a plant in the Dominican Republic.

The announcement came as the firm reported first quarter 2009 sales of $440.3M, down from $451.8M The firm said that it had a sales decrease due to contracting commercial markets and the global recession. Tags: teledyne technologies employment jobs layoff aerospace electronic Thousand Oaks-based Teledyne Technologies , an aerospace and electronics firm, announced Wednesday that the firm has cut six percent of its North American workforce, eliminated salary increases, cut employee stock option awards, and will also close or relocate five of its operating sites, as it looks to cut expenses.

The company also said it is looking to divest it infrastructure business units in the new term, and hired an investment banker to manage the sale. San Diego-based wireless broadband technology firm NextWave Wireless said today that it has scored a new, $100M debt financing for the firm's business, and made cuts in its staff, along with hiring an investment banker. The company said the restructuring included a reduction in workforce by over 20 percent.