Wireless audio product maker Sonos has announced job cuts as a result of change in focus in the music industry.
John MacFarlane, cofounder and CEO of Sonos, said in a blog post that the company is taking a long term view and wants to focus on paid streaming service and voice control.
"Our mission is to fill every home with music. I start every day by asking myself how we can do that better, and how we can serve our music lovers better now and over the long haul. We know the future is one where paid streaming and voice control play significant roles, and we're committed to running a sustainable, profitable business so that we can fund innovation in these and other areas for decades to come," says MacFarlane.
The company has declined to confirm the departments being affected or the number of people being laid off.
Sonos was founded in 2002 and the company has produced various audio products that offer great sound experience in the last decade. However, with changing trends, the company wants to re-model the business.
Sonos' speakers have become popular amid music lovers for their ease of use and the ability of connecting to multiple speakers. However, the company is also facing stiff competition from rivals such as Google and Samsung, who offer their own wireless home audio products.
MacFarlane did not announce its future plans in details but rumors suggest that the company may start a subscription for music service, which will enable music lovers to play any song without the need of individual subscription to music streaming services such as Apple Music, Tidal, Spotify and more.
Voice recognition has been increasingly gaining popularity and Siri, Google Now and Cortana are some of the most popular voice control software available in the market. Voice control is Sonos second target and MacFarlane explicitly mentioned Amazon Echo - a wireless speaker and voice command device from Amazon - in the blog.
MacFarlane says that voice recognition will be a big change for company like Sonos that is known in the market for making speakers. Sonos is investing in voice control technology for ensuring that it works the way it should.
The CEO suggests that the decision to lay off employees who have contributed towards the growth of the company is very painful. However, the company has evaluated long-term focus and the job cut is a part of the package.
