Dell Canada is laying off staff and halting plans to open a second building in Ottawa.
The decision comes months before the company planned to open a new call centre in Kanata, shelving 500 potential jobs in the region.
Dell won't say how many jobs will be lost, but sources tell CTV News the layoffs will affect about 100 jobs, leaving 1,500 employees at the company.
Despite the cut backs, the president of the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation says he doesn't think the move signals a crash in the call centre industry. Instead, Jeffrey Dale says the move is evidence Dell is restructuring.
Donna Miller, CEO of Contact Centre Canada, says a slowdown in the industry isn't expected. However, she is planning a national tour to talk to industry leaders about whether a significant change in the industry is underway.
Miller says she hopes to have results from her tour by late summer.
Although Dell is cutting jobs, Dale says several Ottawa call centres are planning to expand this year. CTV has learned one centre plans to add 500 workers.
Last May, Dell Inc. said it would be cutting 10 per cent of its global workforce.
