TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

IBM to Begin Forced Layoffs: International Business Machines Corp.’s historic no-layoff policy ended as the ailing computer giant said it will have to resort to pink slips to eliminate some corporate positions. IBM said the layoffs will be needed to reach a target of 500 job cuts in its corporate headquarters in Armonk, N.Y. While IBM has eliminated more than 100,000 jobs in the last six years, it has always been able to persuade workers to quit voluntarily through generous severance packages. The latest reductions will include about 150 corporate employees (about 15% of the central corporate work force) and about 350 service operations jobs.