It has been rumoured for some time that Nike may be considering closing down production and development of its wrist worn Nike Fuelband fitness tracker.
Adding to this speculation, it has now been reported that Nike has now fired 80 percent of the team responsible for the development of the hardware and updating the companion applications which are available both on iOS and Android devices.
The Nike development team which has just been hit by layoffs was also responsible for the Nike+ sportwatch and other Nike tech-related products. The news of the layoffs has been reported by the CNET website and indicates that Nike may be considering closing all future hardware production. The Digital Trends website explained that :
“According to a source within Nike, some of the employees will be staying with the company through May and others will be placed on various teams within the company. The employees on the Digital Sport hardware team are split between two different locations, thus could require relocation. Thirty employees work at the Hong Kong office and the other employees on the team work at the Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. “
Nike public relations spokesperson Brian Strong explained : “As a fast-paced, global business we continually align resources with business priorities. As our Digital Sport priorities evolve, we expect to make changes within the team, and there will be a small number of layoffs. We do not comment on individual employment matters.”
Source: Digital Trends
