Adware firm 180solutions, facing a class-action lawsuit, has laid off 50 employees (20 percent of its workforce) across all departments as part of a reorganization, ostensibly to focus on three core initiatives - the company's search assistant, search suite and an automated platform for publishers - reports MediaPost. Last week, the company announced that it no longer allows third parties to distribute its software through Active X, unless 180solutions itself controls the installer.

Rival company Direct Revenue - also facing a class-action lawsuit - recently laid off 40 staffers, or one-third of its workforce