CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. announced plans to reduce its workforce by approximately 500 positions, representing about 5% of its global staff, as disclosed in an SEC filing. The cybersecurity firm aims to streamline its operations and focus on high-growth areas, 'doubling down' on fast-growing areas such as NG-SIEM, Identity, Cloud, and Exposure Management, while also leveraging its Falcon Flex subscription model. The layoffs are part of a strategic plan to enhance efficiency as the company scales its business, with a goal to reach $10 billion in annual recurring revenue. CEO George Kurtz emphasized that these changes are intended to position CrowdStrike to move faster and continue its leadership in cybersecurity. The company plans to continue hiring in customer-facing and product engineering roles, focusing on AI-related investments to accelerate execution and efficiency. CrowdStrike expects to incur charges ranging from $36 million to $56 million due to the layoffs, with about $7 million to be recognized in the first quarter ending April 30. The company reaffirmed its fiscal 2026 forecasts, projecting revenue between $4.74 billion and $4.81 billion and an adjusted profit per share of $3.33 to $3.45. The company's first-quarter revenue forecast remains between $1.10 billion and $1.11 billion, with financial results to be released on June 3. CrowdStrike's handling of a previous Windows outage has been noted by analysts as a factor in maintaining customer trust. Kurtz also pointed to AI productivity gains as a reason for the layoffs, stating that the company is at a market and technology inflection point, focusing on 'highest-impact opportunities' and expanding go-to-market and customer success capacity through the Falcon platform.