Wonderware to Eliminate One-Fifth of Its Work Force

Software maker Wonderware Corp. said it would cut 20% of its work force by the end of the month as part of a restructuring effort.

The company said it will eliminate about 150 positions but did not specify how many of the cuts would be absorbed at its Irvine headquarters.

Chief Executive Joe Cowan described the move as necessary to make the company more agile and efficient. The company did not offer specifics Tuesday about the restructuring plan.

Wonderware ranked among Orange County’s fastest-growing companies three years ago and is still among the area’s largest software manufacturers. It designs factory automation programs.

The firm was acquired in 1998 and is a unit of London-based Invensys Plc, the world’s largest supplier of industrial automation software.