Veer, a Calgary design and visual image firm bought by Bill Gates four years ago, is closing its local office, eliminating about 80 jobs as the work is moved to Seattle.

The branch will close by the end of the year, said Jennifer Morgan, Corbis' senior director of corporate communications, as the company centralizes its operations in Washington.

"The functions of the Calgary location will be running in Seattle," Morgan said Friday, adding that the Veer brand - created in Calgary in 2002 - will be maintained.

Veer has a presence in Los Angeles and New York, as well as Europe.

Corbis, owned by Microsoft founder Gates, bought Veer - at the time the world's fourth largest stock photography company - in 2007.

Founded by Brad Zumwalt, who couldn't be reached for comment, Veer designs and provides visual content for print and electronic platforms, including promotional merchandise such as clothing and direct mail.

Debi Andrus, assistant professor of marketing at the University of Calgary, said it appears Corbis is reorganizing.

"It looks like Corbis is consolidating and trying to find its way in a digital world," she said. "It looks as if it's changing focus and what it's going to be all about."

She pointed to recent purchases the company has made. including Splash News, a provider of "celebrity candid content," a distribution deal with The Associated Press and an investment in Demotix, which provides breaking news images.

"This doesn't say anything about the success of Veer, or this office, it says more about what Corbis is going to try and do as a corporation," Andrus said.

Veer's Calgary presence has shrunk in recent years, from a reported 150 employees in 2007 to about 100 a year ago to the 80 affected by Corbis' relocation decision.

Morgan said the Calgary jobs are in creative, marketing, technology and customer support.

"It's nothing to do with staff or performance," she said of the closure. "It's an incredibly creative team."

Veer's focus on microstock is a key growth area for Corbis, Morgan said, adding that Veer contributors will continue to have a platform to market their work.

kguttormson@calgaryherald.com