MCN Direct Newswire

Vol. 8 No. 7, 22 June 2009

This issue is sponsored by:

The UK Consulting Industry Report 2009

This issue news

1. Atos Origin plans 3,500 recruits
2. CSC secures $85m in UK contracts
3. Amsterdam gets smart with Accenture
4. Capgemini calls on Vodafone for outsourcing leader
5. Logica launches web TV channels
6. Further information - feedback/pass on to a colleague/remove from mailing list

Sponsor

The UK Consulting Industry Report 2009

The latest UK Consulting Industry Report from the Management Consultancies Association is now available.

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 2009 - this report will provide all of this information and more.

For further information please visit www.pmp.co.uk/mcareport, email reports@ncc.co.uk or telephone 01494 732830.

1. ATOS ORIGIN PLANS 3,500 RECRUITS

Atos Origin is bucking the trend of many large consultancies with the promise to take on 3,500 new hires, 50% of whom will be young graduates, this year.

The company's 2009 Young Talent Plan also includes 800 intern opportunities, 500 of which will be in France, and apprenticeship and work-study programmes. Looking forward, Atos Origin intends to develop closer relationships with business schools, colleges and universities worldwide to be in a stronger recruitment position when the economic downturn lifts.

The company explained: "Hiring young graduates is a major focus of Atos Origin's human resources strategy. In this era of fast technological and economic change, hiring young graduates trained in the latest technologies is critical to the future success of the company."

The consultancy has committed 250 experienced managers to supervise incoming interns who will be not only third-year students, as in past Atos plans, but also first and second-year students.

In France, working with IT federation Syntec, Atos said that this year it will offer 200 contracts for apprenticeships, which last two years, and work-study places, which last six to nine months.

In total, the company employs 50,000 people worldwide.

2. CSC SECURES $85m IN UK CONTRACTS

CSC has signed IT solutions and outsourcing contracts worth a total of $85 million (£52 million) with the UK Atomic Energy Authority and Diageo.

A total of six contracts with the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and the Civil Nuclear Police Authority are valued at $50 million over five years. They result from the break-up of the organisation into separate companies and an IT review that found they would be better served by outsourced than inhouse IT teams.

CSC will service the contracts through its civil nuclear centre of excellence in Cumbria and plans to open a similar, second centre in Caithness in June. It will take on UKAEA's inhouse IT staff.

UKAEA CEO Norman Harrison said: "This is an excellent outcome to the constructive, competitive dialogue between ourselves and CSC. It provides a sound basis for future IT services to a changing UKAEA and retains the skills and expertise of our experienced team."

CSC's contracts with drinks company Diageo cover a four-and-a-half year, $7 million project to implement a SAP-based worldwide supply change management solution, plus a five-year extension to an IT outsourcing contract worth $28 million.

Donald Dempsey, global services director at Diageo, said: "The continual relationship with CSC demonstrates the contribution it makes in supporting Diageo's information systems strategy. Knowledge of our business processes makes CSC a valued partner in delivering our agenda."

3. AMSTERDAM GETS SMART WITH ACCENTURE

Accenture has been chosen by Amsterdam to run a scheme designed to create Europe's first 'intelligent city'.

The aim of the Amsterdam Smart City programme is to introduce sustainable and economically viable projects that will help Amsterdam reduce its carbon footprint and meet the European Union's 2020 emissions and energy reduction targets. Among the projects to reduce energy consumption are a smart electric grid, smart meters and in-home feedback displays, smart building technologies and electric vehicles.

Accenture will work on the programme in partnership with the Amsterdam Innovation Motor, a city-affiliated agency that will build public and private sector co-operation to support Amsterdam Smart City.

Accenture's European leader for smart grids, Maikel van Verseveld, commented: "Because cities are the world's major source of carbon emissions, they must play a leadership role in energy management and electricity consumption by uniting the private and public sectors. Accenture's role is to facilitate this integration and build and manage the intelligent infrastructure that will transform the urban environment."

Joke van Antwerpen, director of the Amsterdam Innovation Motor, said: "We chose Accenture for its innovative thinking in helping city authorities and utilities come together in responding to climate change challenges, as well as its expertise in smart grid and smart metering technologies."

4. CAPGEMINI CALLS ON VODAFONE FOR OUTSOURCING LEADER

Capgemini is strengthening its global outsourcing arm with the appointment of senior Vodafone executive Steve Thurlow as head of new services development.

Thurlow joins Capgemini from his role of head of service creation & delivery at Vodafone, where he led a team managing delivery of new products, services and network improvements.

At Capgemini, Thurlow will lead new services development, identifying market opportunities for the firm's global outsourcing business across multiple service lines including application, infrastructure and business process outsourcing. He will also focus on opportunities in emerging markets, particularly in Eastern Europe where Capgemini is planning to open an outsourcing centre in Iasi, Romania.

The Iasi technology centre will be modelled on Capgemini's nearshore centres in Krakow and Katowice, Poland, which have over 3,000 staff. The centre will offer first-line IT helpdesk support and business continuity services for clients and form part of Capgemini's Rightshore balanced outsourcing strategy.

Commenting on the centre, Capgemini global head of infrastructure management Richard Dicketts said: "Opening a new outsourcing centre in Romania highlights the ongoing demand for services, despite the current economic climate. As one of the first international companies to enter Iasi, a large university town, we have access to top local talent that we will grow through individual career path development into strong teams."

5. LOGICA LAUNCHES WEB TV CHANNELS

Logica has developed two web TV channels that it claims are the first international online TV services dedicated to the issues of business transformation and innovation.

The channels will provide video content such as features, columns, interviews, debates and demonstrations, and offer interactive features such as personalised play lists and video blogging.

GBS Bindra, Logica's global innovation director, said: "We hope LogicaTV will facilitate discussions, debates and the sourcing of new ideas, enabling us to work more closely with our customers and partners to spark possibilities for the future."

The transformation channel on LogicaTV (www.logica.tv) will show how companies, supported by Logica's management consultants, deal with challenges such as improving customer relations and complying with regulations.

The innovation channel will explore new approaches to business processes, models and products using innovative technologies. The channel will also touch on the role of innovation in sustainable economic development.

6. FURTHER INFORMATION - FEEDBACK/PASS ON TO A COLLEAGUE/REMOVE

• For more information or if you have any feedback on MCN Direct, please email editor@ncc.co.uk
• If you wish to unsubscribe please reply/send an email stating 'Remove !*FIELD1*! from MCNDirect' to: mcndirect@ncc.co.uk.

Written by Sarah Underwood. Copyright 2010 The National Computing Centre Ltd.

Please visit http://www.pmp.co.uk to view these publications, which are fully searchable and represent thousands of pages of information relevant to the consultant community.

Publications include:
Management Consultants' News
NCC Research Free Reports

Free registration to Evaluation Centre
Are you looking to identify a new IT supplier? Do you want to evaluate what the marketplace is offering? The Evaluation Centre, from the publishers of the respected journal Conspectus, offers free unlimited access which will allow you to find the right business application – FAST.

Evaluation Centre is an interactive service guiding consultants and end users to the selection and use of business software, services and technology. At the Evaluation Centre, you can:

• Find the software, services and technology you need from the 11 different Evaluation Centre subject areas.
• Access a library of independently audited reports.
• Download expert guidance on the whole project lifecycle.
• Get further information and advice on your requirements.

Register for Free in 30 seconds >>