Sony Ericsson to Eliminate 2,000 Jobs

As consumers hold off to upgrade to new cell phones, Sony Ericsson is forecasting a 10% market contraction for 2009, and will cut 2,000 jobs.

The cell phone manufacturer is counting on its upcoming Idou smartphone, and its launch of mobile movie and music services, to help it compete with Apple, BlackBerry and Palm.

Sony Ericsson is a joint venture established in 2001 by Sony Corporation and Sweden’s Ericsson to make mobile phones. The company’s global management is based in London, and it has research & development teams in Sweden, Japan, China, Germany, the United States, India, Pakistan and the United Kingdom.

In 2008, it was the fifth-largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world, after Nokia, Samsung, LG and Motorola.