According to Fortune, Verizon is planning its largest-ever workforce reduction with about 15,000 layoffs from its 100,000-person workforce next week under new CEO Dan Schulman, who’s aggressively cutting costs after the company lost 7,000 postpaid phone subscribers for three straight quarters. Meanwhile, Apple struck a deal with Tencent taking just 15% commission instead of the usual 30% on WeChat’s mini-games that generated $4.5 billion last quarter. In cybersecurity news, “Operation Endgame” took down over 1,000 servers used by malware operations across nine countries, arresting one suspect who controlled millions of stolen credentials. And despite all the AI hype, Cisco’s AI Readiness Index shows only one in three companies actually have formal change management plans for AI adoption, though 90% of “pacesetter” companies are prepared.
The Verizon reality check
Here’s the thing about Verizon’s massive layoffs – this isn’t just another round of corporate trimming. We’re talking about 15% of their workforce getting cut. That’s enormous for a company that’s supposed to be a stable telecom giant. New CEO Dan Schulman came straight from PayPal and immediately went into what sounds like survival mode. He’s talking about exiting legacy businesses that aren’t “EBITDA friendly” and converting company stores to franchises. Basically, Verizon’s getting a complete makeover because they’re bleeding customers to competitors. When you lose subscribers three quarters in a row when Wall Street expected gains? That’s when the real panic sets in.
The Apple-Tencent dance
Now the Apple-Tencent deal is fascinating because it shows even Apple can’t always get its way. They usually demand that 30% cut on everything, but WeChat’s mini-games are such a massive business in China that Apple had to compromise. Fifteen percent is still real money when we’re talking about $4.5 billion in revenue last quarter alone. But here’s what’s really interesting – this isn’t just about the money. Apple’s facing serious pressure from Huawei and Xiaomi in China, and they need all the goodwill they can get. So cutting Tencent a break on commissions? That’s strategic positioning in a market where Apple’s growth has been slowing. Sometimes you take half the pie to keep the whole bakery open.
The AI adoption gap nobody’s talking about
So let’s talk about that AI readiness statistic because it’s actually kind of shocking. Only 33% of companies have formal change management plans for AI? After all the hype and investment? That explains why so many AI initiatives feel disjointed. Companies are buying the technology but not preparing their people. The report says without proper planning, teams resist new processes and struggle to integrate AI into workflows. And you know what that means? Wasted money and missed opportunities. The ROI just doesn’t materialize. But look at the “pacesetter” companies – over 90% of them are prepared. That tells you everything about who’s actually going to succeed with AI versus who’s just checking a box.
Cybercrime gets cinematic
The Operation Endgame takedown reads like something from a spy movie. Police across nine countries coordinating to take down 1,000 servers? One suspect with access to over 100,000 crypto wallets? Millions of stolen credentials? This is the scale of modern cybercrime. What’s interesting is how these operations are becoming more coordinated between law enforcement and private companies like CrowdStrike and Proofpoint. The bad guys have been getting more sophisticated, so the response has to match. But here’s my question – with one suspect controlling that much infrastructure, how many more are out there? This feels like scratching the surface of a much bigger problem.
