Microsoft’s email to its departing team

Microsoft announced the biggest layoffs in its history on Thursday, saying it will cut 18,000 jobs or 14 per cent of its workforce as it streamlines its Nokia mobile device business to focus on using the Windows Phone operating system.

Microsoft Corp had its biggest round of job cuts in five years as the software maker looks to integrate Nokia Oyj's handset unit. Since absorbing the handset business of Nokia this spring, Microsoft has 127,000 employees, far more than rivals Apple Inc and Google Inc Satya Nadella made some cuts, which would represent Microsoft's first major layoffs since 2009.

Last week, Nadella circulated a memo to employees promising to "flatten the organization and develop leaner business processes" but deferred any comment on widely expected job cuts at the software company.

Below is a copy of the email from Stephen Elop to the employees of Microsoft before the big axe came falling down on them.