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Point-of-sale terminal maker Hypercom Corp. says it intends to capitalize in coming months on sales growth already occurring in North America, Northern Europe and some Southern European and Asia-Pacific countries. Meanwhile, Hypercom fired 42 workers during the second quarter, Philippe Tartavull, Hypercom CEO and president, said during a conference call with analysts yesterday following the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company's release of its second-quarter 2008 financial results. Half of the jobs were in research and development. The other half included administrative and a few manufacturing positions, Tartavull said. A similar reduction in staff is expected in the second half of the year, he added. Hypercom says it has 1,751 employees. Despite the layoffs, Hypercom sees continued opportunities for growth. "We will continue to focus in selected countries where we believe we can continue to get traction," Tartavull said. "This is clearly in line with our strategy." North America, in particular, has seen strong sales of multilane terminals, Tartavull said. Hypercom did not say how much of the 44% growth in North American revenue during the quarter came from multilane devices. In the broad Europe, Middle East and Africa region, Tartavull said revenue increased 725%, a reflection of its April 1 purchase of the e-Transactions POS terminal unit of Thales S.A. Hypercom saw drops in second-quarter revenue in Central and South America, but a 22% gain in Asia-Pacific.
