Lenovo will begin laying off workers at its server business in Research Triangle Park today, according to sources within the company. Lenovo won’t talk about what’s happening, but workers say employees were told last week that those being let go would be told Monday.

According to these sources, the primary targets of the job cuts are former IBM employees who were transferred to Lenovo last September when the deal in which Lenovo bought IBM’s lower-end x86 server business closed. The servers are used for a wide variety of functions ranging from supporting corporate networks and cloud computing.

“Employees from System X to be RAed by Lenovo on Monday morning,” wrote one former IBMer in an email who expects to be among those let go.

“KPIs [key performance indicators] were discussed this past Friday to let employees digest the bad news over Mother’s Day weekend.

“Those that survive will stay to help the transition, then let them go as well.  Good luck!!!

“Soon to be RAed, meeting at 9:30AM.”

“RAed” refers to “resource action,” a term used at IBM for layoffs.

Lenovo, which is the world’s No. 1 seller of personal computers and ranks No. 3 in servers, did not respond to requests for comment.

Source: Former IBMers targeted

Another source noted that those targeted to be laid off “are the people that came over from IBM in October.”

Some 2,000 IBMers were transferred to Lenovo last fall, and more than 6,000 employees worldwide were absorbed in the deal.

The source pointed out that “every conference room is reserved the entire day for executives” on Monday. The meeting room reservation notices were posted Thursday, the source said.

Two different managers told one employee that lists of who would be cut were assembled and ready last week.

The layoffs actually had been expected to take place in March.

“They are tight-lipped as usual,” a source noted in March, referring to Lenovo executives.

“No one knows how many will be cut or even how they are making that determination.

“The morale is horrible, but at least the wait is almost over.”

WRAL TechWire also was told about layoffs that occurred within months of the deal closing and again in December.

Lenovo has denied making layoffs

Twice in recent weeks, Lenovo told WRAL TechWire that the company had no layoffs to report and that it would not comment on rumors.

In January, Lenovo offered voluntary buyouts to some employees in order to “remain competitive.”

Lenovo acquired IBM’s server business for some $2 billion last year. The deal closed in September.

All IBM employees involved in the deal were told at the time by Lenovo that they would be offered jobs.

However, when the deal closed Lenovo executives said that cuts might be made.

More space added

To prepare for the absorption of IBM workers, Lenovo leased additional office space in RTP not far from its global executive headquarters in Morrisville. Lenovo also recently opened a new customer service center.

Lenovo bought the business unit in a bid to become a bigger play in the server market where previously it had sold Lenovo-branded gear. The deal did lift Lenovo to No. 3 in server sales behind HP and Dell.

In March, industry statistics showed that Lenovo’s server sales topped $1.1 billion for the fourth quarter of 2014, a jump of 250 percent.

Lenovo also acquired Motorola Mobility from Google last year in a deal that has driven up its global share of smartphone sales.

The two acquisitions were part of Chair and CEO Yang Yuanqing’s strategy to diversify the company away from a near total reliance on PC sales.