Wang to Eliminate Up to 4,000 Jobs

BOSTON — Wang Laboratories Inc., which had trouble selling its own machines and will now sell computers made by IBM, announced plans Friday to eliminate up to 4,000 jobs, or nearly a quarter of its work force.

Wang’s announcement came a week after the struggling firm, a the pioneer in word processing equipment, said it will link up with International Business Machines. Under the deal, Wang will receive up to $100 million and in turn will sell IBM computers.

This arrangement prompted Wang to adopt a new corporate structure that will allow the company to cut costs significantly, said Richard Miller, chairman of the Lowell, Mass.-based company.

During the next several months, Wang said, it expects to cut its payroll by 3,000 to 4,000 jobs worldwide; about half of the cuts will come in Massachusetts.

Wang employs about 17,500 people, with nearly 6,000 based in Massachusetts.

Frank Ryan, a Wang spokesman, said no further cuts were planned.