MCN Direct Newswire

Vol. 6 No. 12, 18 June 2007

This issue is sponsored by:

Teamplan Express, Annual Consultants' Forum 2007 and The UK Consulting Industry Report 2006/7

This issue news

1. Civica stalked by private equity group
2. CSC improves in Europe
3. Deloitte consultant wins trip into space
4. Capgemini supports Prince's Trust
5. Fujitsu Services achieves financial record
6. Further information - feedback/pass on to a colleague/remove from mailing list

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1. CIVICA STALKED BY PRIVATE EQUITY GROUP

IT services and software firm Civica, which focuses on the public sector market, has received an unsolicited approach from a private equity group considering an offer for the company.

Civica, which refused to name its suitor, acknowledged the approach as it reported first-half financial results showing growth in profitability and strong cash generation - attractive propositions for a buyout firm.

The company's pre-tax profits for the six months to 31 March were £905,000, reversing a pre-tax loss of £2.3 million in last year's comparable period. Total turnover rose 11% to £62.8 million. This included an 18% gain in consulting turnover to £15 million, with managed services up 62% to £18.3 million.

Civica won more than 30 software contracts in local government and housing in the UK and overseas in the first half and showed a strong performance in education.

Non-executive chairman Laurence Vaughan commented: "We have delivered a further increase in operating profits with strong cash generation and with an increasing contribution from managed services and our international markets. This consistent focus provides a good foundation for the full year and for future growth."

2. CSC IMPROVES IN EUROPE

CSC has reported a return to revenue growth in Europe after a year of transition that included a restructuring programme and over 4,000 job cuts, mainly in Europe.

CSC said fourth-quarter growth in its European, Australian, Asian and North American public sector operations was offset by a drop in US commercial revenue. Overall, though, full-year revenue rose 1.5% to $14.9 billion (£7.5 billion). Net profits for the year fell 26% to $388.8 million, hampered by a $262 million restructuring charge.

CSC won $4.3 billion worth of new business in the fourth quarter, lifting its full-year 2007 total to $16.9 billion, up 40% on the previous year and a record in the company's history.

CSC's recently appointed president and CEO Michael Laphen said: "We are pleased with the year's performance and our record awards total positions the company for improved growth. For fiscal 2008, we anticipate revenue to be up about 6-7%."

• CSC's battle with iSoft over control of the ailing software company central to CSC's NHS IT modernisation contracts appears to be over. While no formal statements have been made, the director general of the National Programme for IT, Richard Granger, has told the House of Commons health select committee that CSC is close to ensuring finance and management control of the iSoft software required for the NHS programme, allowing IBA Health's bid for the company to go ahead minus the NHS software.

Separately, Granger said he intends to work his six months' notice and leave the role of head of the IT programme in October, having fulfilled the five years he originally said he would work on the project. Despite its difficulties and delays, Granger said that much had been done on the programme and that it is achievable.

Sponsor

Annual Consultants' Forum 2007

Open for registrations

We are delighted to announce the date for this event is Thursday 27 September at One Great George Street. We are currently finalising the agenda and have decided to open the event to pre-registrations.

To review the event and pre-register please click here.

3. DELOITTE CONSULTANT WINS TRIP INTO SPACE

Deloitte consultant Ian Anderson has won a major competition for a trip into space in 2009. The competition, sponsored by New Scientist and Audi, attracted 2,500 entries and asked entrants to argue their case for the best invention ever.

Andersen's choice of the radio beat runners-up who backed inventions including the steam engine, the camera, oral rehydration salts, search engines, the silicon chip and the tin can.

Anderson, a consultant in Deloitte's enterprise risk services practice, said: "Without radio there would be no space travel, so I chose Tesla and Marconi's wireless telegraph machine as the best patented invention of all time. For me, this is a dream come true and I am thrilled at having been given the chance to experience something that most can only dream of."

When the time comes, Anderson will be boosted by rocket engines beyond the normal limits of flight to regions above 100km, where space begins. After the engines shut down, he will experience up to five minutes of continuous weightlessness while gazing at the vast blackness of space and the blue horizon of the earth below.

4. CAPGEMINI SUPPORTS PRINCE'S TRUST

Capgemini is challenging unemployment in the West Midlands by partnering with Telford Council to open a Prince's Trust office that will offer practical and financial support to 14 to 30 year-olds who have struggled at school, been in care, are long-term unemployed or have been in trouble with the law.

Capgemini's commitment to the area is based on its Aspire contract which is located in Telford. Aspire is a £3 billion, 10-year deal with HM Revenue and Customs and makes Capgemini the largest private sector employer in Telford with 2,500 people.

Capgemini and Telford Council responded to the call for a new Prince's Trust office by offering financial support and staff secondments. According to the Prince's Trust, youth unemployment is costing the West Midlands economy over £5.5 million a week in lost productivity.

David Boulter, CEO of Capgemini Aspire, said: "We're working with the council and other organisations to bring practical help to the local community. The Prince's Trust new office is based close to AFC Telford United's football ground because it already has a hugely successful learning centre and community programme."

Sponsor

The UK Consulting Industry Report 2006/7

We are delighted to announce that the latest 'UK Consulting Industry Report' from the Management Consultancies Association (MCA) is now available. It is based on unique data and performance metrics unavailable elsewhere.

As a consultant, you need to understand which sectors represent the best consultancy opportunities, which service lines are growing, how operational metrics are changing and the outlook for your industry in 2007 and beyond - this report will provide all of this information and more.

To find out more about the report, published jointly by the MCA and PMP, please visit http://www.pmp.co.uk/mcareport.asp or email reports@pmp.co.uk or telephone 01494 732830.

The Consulting Industry Report 2006/7 is sponsored by Maconomy.

5. FUJITSU SERVICES ACHIEVES FINANCIAL RECORD

Fujitsu Services, the European IT services arm of Fujitsu Group, has reported steady revenue and profit growth culminating in record results for fiscal 2006/07.

The company's pre-tax profit for the year to 31 March rose 11.5% on the previous year to reach £172 million. Revenue climbed 7.5% to £2.5 billion.

Fujitsu Services also pushed up its order book from £6.5 billion to £6.6 billion, and said this increase would support its plans for 2007/08 and ensure continuing revenue growth.

Chief executive David Courtley commented: "The past year has been a great success for the company. We have progressed our European expansion ambitions and we have driven significant organic growth through our major clients such as HM Government and the Financial Services Authority in the UK, KLM in Holland and Servicio Andaluz de Salud in Spain."

Fujitsu Services did not comment on its proposed acquisition of French IT services firm GFI Informatique in the financial review, but has stated its intention to grow both organically and through acquisition.

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Written by Sarah Underwood. Copyright 2008 PMP (UK) Ltd.

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