Microsoft is to sell online marketing agency Razorfish in a $530m stock and cash deal with French advertising firm Publicis Groupe.
Razorfish will maintain its current management as an autonomous unit of the VivaKi division of Publicis, according to the New York Times.
Analysts said the recession's effect on advertising meant Microsoft had to settle for less than the $600m to $700m it had been hoping for, according to other US media reports.
The five-year agreement calls for Publicis to buy display and search advertising on Microsoft properties like MSN.com and Bing, while Microsoft is to spend a certain amount with Razorfish.
Formerly known as Avenue A/Razorfish, Microsoft acquired the agency as part of a $6bn takeover of aQuantive in 2007.
ADVERTISEMENT
Razorfish is one of the largest digital agencies, with 2,000 employees. Its clients include Dell, Audi, Disney and Nike.
Publicis Groupe beat auction bids from the world's largest agency company, WPP, and the largest agency company in Japan, Dentsu.
Publicis ranks fourth worldwide, behind WPP, the Omnicom Group and the Interpublic Group of Companies.
"The deal is another step forward in realising our strategic vision of building a world leader in digital communications," said Publicis chief Maurice Lévy in a statement.
The deal is expected to close before the end of the year.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Wipro Tech ties up with Oracle
BANGALORE: Wipro Technologies said on Monday that its Business Process Outsourcing divison, Wipro BPO has partnered with Oracle for
'best-of-breed HR platform solutions.'
Wipro has also selected The Hackett Group, a global strategic advisory firm, to provide empirical data, best practices and world-class performance insights on the development of its innovative bundled solution platform, it said in a release here.
The solution simPlify, allows employers to reduce and control cost as it provides an opportunity to centralise and standardise processes while eliminating duplicative management structures.
The solution has the ability to leverage a many-to-one technology capability, while maximising service quality and HR customer satisfaction
.
'best-of-breed HR platform solutions.'
Wipro has also selected The Hackett Group, a global strategic advisory firm, to provide empirical data, best practices and world-class performance insights on the development of its innovative bundled solution platform, it said in a release here.
The solution simPlify, allows employers to reduce and control cost as it provides an opportunity to centralise and standardise processes while eliminating duplicative management structures.
The solution has the ability to leverage a many-to-one technology capability, while maximising service quality and HR customer satisfaction
.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Top 100 Global outsourcing companies of 2009
You can love it or hate it, but you cannot avoid it. I was referring to outsourcing. It is here to stay. The only difference is who gets what. If the work isn’t outsourced to India, then it has to be outsourced to someplace else. It could be China, Vietnam, The Philippines or even Texas. This is actually proven by the top list of 100 global outsourcing companies. The recent turmoil in the Indian IT industry did not deter them from featuring in the list. As many as 12 companies (may be more) were featured in the list of 100.
International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) has released the list of top 100 global outsourcers for 2009. The complete list will be available on May 4 in the Fortune magazine. With a lot of googling I found quite a few companies (47 to be precise) which are listed there. The companies below have announced through their press releases that they were selected.
As always the first 2 companies are taken by the American outsourcers - Accenture and IBM. Now, I really don’t understand what the outsourcing fuss is all about. Third spot is occupied by India’s Infosys. The rest of the order is not very clear yet but many Indian companies have made it to the list. At least 4 Indian companies have made it to the top 10.
HCL, TCS, Genpact, Mindtree, Tech Mahindra, Applabs etc.. are the Indian companies in the list. Not much of a change in terms of rankings of the Indian IT companies. The ranking gains or losses are in single digits. Infosys stayed the same, TCS gained one rank and the same trend continues with other companies.
Infosys and TCS are close but not there yet to takeover IBM. With the proposed acquisition of Sun Microsystems, it might be even tougher for Infosys and TCS and in particular for Infosys because of its risk averse strategy. HCL with its recent acquisition and Tech Mahindra (if it acquires Satyam) might be serious contenders for next year. Not to beat but to compete.
Some companies have rankings and some don’t. Here is the list in no particular order :
1.
1. Accenture
2. IBM
3. Infosys (2009 rank 3) (source)
4. TCS (2009 rank 6)
5. Wipro Technologies (2009 rank 7)
6. Tech Mahindra (2009 rank 10)
7. HCL Technologies (2009 rank 11)
8. Mastek (2009 rank 16)
9. 24/7 Customer (2009 rank 28)
10. ITC Infotech (2009 rank 40)
11. Patni (2009 rank 46)
12. Mindtree Consulting (2009 rank 54)
13. Intelenet Global Services
14. Applabs
15. Grubb & Ellis
16. Corbus
17. Bleum
18. The Symbio Group
19. Oce Business Services
20. Syntel Inc
21. Syngy
22. Ceridian
23. Auriga
24. Zinnov
25. Cartas Corporation
26. Zensar Technologies
27. Expense Management Solutions
28. vCustomer Corporation
29. MajescoMastek
30. Colliers International
31. Exigen Services
32. Reksoft
33. Oce Business Services Inc
34. Archstone Consulting
35. BeyondSoft
36. Nair & Co
37. ChinaSoft International
38. SEI Corporation
39. Knoah Solutions
40. MERA Networks
41. Lionbridge
42. Xceed
43. Genpact
44. Mindcrest
45. WNS
46. hiSoft
47. Ci&T
This is a partial list. We will update the list as and when it is available with complete analysis. Until then, here is is the List of top 100 outsourcers for 2008.
International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) has released the list of top 100 global outsourcers for 2009. The complete list will be available on May 4 in the Fortune magazine. With a lot of googling I found quite a few companies (47 to be precise) which are listed there. The companies below have announced through their press releases that they were selected.
As always the first 2 companies are taken by the American outsourcers - Accenture and IBM. Now, I really don’t understand what the outsourcing fuss is all about. Third spot is occupied by India’s Infosys. The rest of the order is not very clear yet but many Indian companies have made it to the list. At least 4 Indian companies have made it to the top 10.
HCL, TCS, Genpact, Mindtree, Tech Mahindra, Applabs etc.. are the Indian companies in the list. Not much of a change in terms of rankings of the Indian IT companies. The ranking gains or losses are in single digits. Infosys stayed the same, TCS gained one rank and the same trend continues with other companies.
Infosys and TCS are close but not there yet to takeover IBM. With the proposed acquisition of Sun Microsystems, it might be even tougher for Infosys and TCS and in particular for Infosys because of its risk averse strategy. HCL with its recent acquisition and Tech Mahindra (if it acquires Satyam) might be serious contenders for next year. Not to beat but to compete.
Some companies have rankings and some don’t. Here is the list in no particular order :
1.
1. Accenture
2. IBM
3. Infosys (2009 rank 3) (source)
4. TCS (2009 rank 6)
5. Wipro Technologies (2009 rank 7)
6. Tech Mahindra (2009 rank 10)
7. HCL Technologies (2009 rank 11)
8. Mastek (2009 rank 16)
9. 24/7 Customer (2009 rank 28)
10. ITC Infotech (2009 rank 40)
11. Patni (2009 rank 46)
12. Mindtree Consulting (2009 rank 54)
13. Intelenet Global Services
14. Applabs
15. Grubb & Ellis
16. Corbus
17. Bleum
18. The Symbio Group
19. Oce Business Services
20. Syntel Inc
21. Syngy
22. Ceridian
23. Auriga
24. Zinnov
25. Cartas Corporation
26. Zensar Technologies
27. Expense Management Solutions
28. vCustomer Corporation
29. MajescoMastek
30. Colliers International
31. Exigen Services
32. Reksoft
33. Oce Business Services Inc
34. Archstone Consulting
35. BeyondSoft
36. Nair & Co
37. ChinaSoft International
38. SEI Corporation
39. Knoah Solutions
40. MERA Networks
41. Lionbridge
42. Xceed
43. Genpact
44. Mindcrest
45. WNS
46. hiSoft
47. Ci&T
This is a partial list. We will update the list as and when it is available with complete analysis. Until then, here is is the List of top 100 outsourcers for 2008.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Outsourcing Shops Feel the Street's Pain Info tech spending in India by U.S. financial-services firms could shrink 15% to 20% over the next year
DELHI As the credit crunch on Wall Street sent dominoes toppling around the globe, Tata Consultancy Services, India's largest software-services company, started tightening its belt. Travel was restricted, electricity consumption was to be reduced, and the company considered removing Microsoft (MSFT) Office from its PCs and replacing it with free open-source alternatives, employees say.
India's seemingly unstoppable outsourcing industry is grappling with the woes of the financial firms that make up as much as half of revenues for some players. "How this plays out, who knows?" says Pramod Bhasin, CEO of Genpact, the world's largest business process outsourcing company. Although he's optimistic, he says: "The ability to predict has gone away."
HOW TEMPORARY?
Outsourcing companies have already pulled back on new office space and leases, according to Knight Frank India, a property consultant. "Their level of concern has gone up dramatically in the past few weeks with their top-tier customers vanishing right before their eyes," says John McCarthy, a Forrester Research (FORR) analyst who traveled to India twice in September to meet with jittery Indian players. "Anyone who says they aren't worried is probably lying."
In the past two months some of the biggest names in U.S. finance have gone under. Vanishing with them is the kind of work Indian software professionals have long excelled at—projects requiring mountains of coding and individual attention. In the first half of 2007, financial companies around the world handed out at least 48 major outsourcing contracts with a total value well in excess of $5.5 billion, reports researcher ValueNotes. The first half of this year saw just eight such contracts with a total reported value of $767 million. "A lot of companies are putting on a brave face and saying this is just a temporary phase," says ValueNotes CEO Arun Jethmalani. "But how temporary is temporary?"
The estimated hit to India's outsourcers? As much as 8% of total revenue could vanish, Forrester predicts, as information technology spending in financial services shrinks by 15% to 20% over the next year. India's top five info tech and outsourcing companies saw slower growth in the first quarter, and their stocks have taken a beating. TCS's annual profit growth slowed to 7%, down from 36% in 2007. The company declined to comment for this story. Infosys Technologies has warned that it probably won't see a rise in profit this year but had no further comment. Satyam Computer (SAY), the No. 4 software service provider, says it has contracts with Lehman Brothers, AIG (AIG), and Merrill Lynch (MER). Those are "minuscule parts" of Satyam's $2.7 billion in annual revenues, says Chief Financial Officer V. Srinivas. "But that doesn't mean there won't be an impact in the future," Srinivas says. "We would be kidding ourselves if we thought that."
Optimists predict the downturn will be short. They say revenues will bounce back when American business decides to be more efficient, resulting in more outsourced work. One rosy estimate, by consultancy Everest Group, projects that cost-cutting spurred by the crisis will result in a 40% to 50% increase in financial-service outsourcing over the next five years.
The Indians, though, will continue to face increased competition for those jobs. Global players such as IBM (IBM), Accenture (ACN), and Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) have grown deep roots on the subcontinent. "The crisis will make [the Indians] face the reality of doing global business," says Siddharth A. Pai, managing director of TPI, a consultant that helps companies manage outsourcing contracts. "They haven't seen the trough yet."
India's seemingly unstoppable outsourcing industry is grappling with the woes of the financial firms that make up as much as half of revenues for some players. "How this plays out, who knows?" says Pramod Bhasin, CEO of Genpact, the world's largest business process outsourcing company. Although he's optimistic, he says: "The ability to predict has gone away."
HOW TEMPORARY?
Outsourcing companies have already pulled back on new office space and leases, according to Knight Frank India, a property consultant. "Their level of concern has gone up dramatically in the past few weeks with their top-tier customers vanishing right before their eyes," says John McCarthy, a Forrester Research (FORR) analyst who traveled to India twice in September to meet with jittery Indian players. "Anyone who says they aren't worried is probably lying."
In the past two months some of the biggest names in U.S. finance have gone under. Vanishing with them is the kind of work Indian software professionals have long excelled at—projects requiring mountains of coding and individual attention. In the first half of 2007, financial companies around the world handed out at least 48 major outsourcing contracts with a total value well in excess of $5.5 billion, reports researcher ValueNotes. The first half of this year saw just eight such contracts with a total reported value of $767 million. "A lot of companies are putting on a brave face and saying this is just a temporary phase," says ValueNotes CEO Arun Jethmalani. "But how temporary is temporary?"
The estimated hit to India's outsourcers? As much as 8% of total revenue could vanish, Forrester predicts, as information technology spending in financial services shrinks by 15% to 20% over the next year. India's top five info tech and outsourcing companies saw slower growth in the first quarter, and their stocks have taken a beating. TCS's annual profit growth slowed to 7%, down from 36% in 2007. The company declined to comment for this story. Infosys Technologies has warned that it probably won't see a rise in profit this year but had no further comment. Satyam Computer (SAY), the No. 4 software service provider, says it has contracts with Lehman Brothers, AIG (AIG), and Merrill Lynch (MER). Those are "minuscule parts" of Satyam's $2.7 billion in annual revenues, says Chief Financial Officer V. Srinivas. "But that doesn't mean there won't be an impact in the future," Srinivas says. "We would be kidding ourselves if we thought that."
Optimists predict the downturn will be short. They say revenues will bounce back when American business decides to be more efficient, resulting in more outsourced work. One rosy estimate, by consultancy Everest Group, projects that cost-cutting spurred by the crisis will result in a 40% to 50% increase in financial-service outsourcing over the next five years.
The Indians, though, will continue to face increased competition for those jobs. Global players such as IBM (IBM), Accenture (ACN), and Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) have grown deep roots on the subcontinent. "The crisis will make [the Indians] face the reality of doing global business," says Siddharth A. Pai, managing director of TPI, a consultant that helps companies manage outsourcing contracts. "They haven't seen the trough yet."
Monday, September 29, 2008
TCS Receives Patent for "Location Derived Presence Information"
The company now holds a total of 63 patents and has 194 applications pending. This newest TCS invention allows presence information to be provided at the same time that location information is being requested of a wireless device. The company explains that the Presence information is the status of the wireless user such as “available” or “unavailable” or “busy.”
According to company officials, both location and presence services are message intensive within a mobile operator’s network. TCS’ newest invention cut downs network messaging traffic and provides better network reliability by lowering the number of messages needed within a mobile operator’s network. This is achieved by using a single message to aggregate both presence and location information.
The addition of presence information enhances social networking applications such as friend or family locator services or location-based instant messaging. TCS officials further explain that these social networking applications are increasingly being deployed on mobile operator decks as they deploy precise location based services. The company citesABI Research ( News - Alert) that forecasts location-based mobile social networking revenues to grow to $3.3 billion globally by 2013.
Noting that presence is an important complement to precise location information, Senior Vice President and Chief Technical Officer for TCS, Drew Morin, said that the combination of location and presence will be an important component as social networking applications such as MySpace andFacebook ( News - Alert) make the transition from the Internet to mobile applications.
TeleCommunication Systems produces wireless data communications technology solutions that require proven high levels of reliability. This month the company received two other patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: Patent number 7,426,535 for “Coordination of Data Received From One Or More Channels Into A Single Context,” and patent number 7,424,293 for “User Plane Location Based Service Using Message Tunneling To Support Roaming.”
According to company officials, both location and presence services are message intensive within a mobile operator’s network. TCS’ newest invention cut downs network messaging traffic and provides better network reliability by lowering the number of messages needed within a mobile operator’s network. This is achieved by using a single message to aggregate both presence and location information.
The addition of presence information enhances social networking applications such as friend or family locator services or location-based instant messaging. TCS officials further explain that these social networking applications are increasingly being deployed on mobile operator decks as they deploy precise location based services. The company citesABI Research ( News - Alert) that forecasts location-based mobile social networking revenues to grow to $3.3 billion globally by 2013.
Noting that presence is an important complement to precise location information, Senior Vice President and Chief Technical Officer for TCS, Drew Morin, said that the combination of location and presence will be an important component as social networking applications such as MySpace andFacebook ( News - Alert) make the transition from the Internet to mobile applications.
TeleCommunication Systems produces wireless data communications technology solutions that require proven high levels of reliability. This month the company received two other patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: Patent number 7,426,535 for “Coordination of Data Received From One Or More Channels Into A Single Context,” and patent number 7,424,293 for “User Plane Location Based Service Using Message Tunneling To Support Roaming.”
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Satyam fires 400 employees
HYDERABAD: After Wipro showing the door to 1,000 employees and news about TCS planning another round of layoffs, it seems it's pink slips time at Satyam Computers.
Hyderabad-based company has reportedly given pink slips to some 400 engineers and associates at its Hyderabad, Pune and Visakhapatnam centres.
According to earlier reports, the company has sacked 150 experienced employees from the Hyderabad centre who were on bench. The report says that most of those sacked are in the 'S' band, indicating that they had at least two to five years of experience.
Terming it as a routine exercise, company's global head, HR, SV Krishnan said, "Giving pink slips to those in the ‘S’ band was not out of the ordinary and we do this as a matter of employee evaluation and development."
The company has reportedly also sent out a mail cautioning employees against not turning up at office and preferring to remain on the bench. Also, the company's management has asked some employees to either voluntarily switch to a contractual agreement (moving from pay rolls) or leave.
According to a report in a Daily this week, India’s no. 1 IT exporter Tata Consultancy Service too is planning another round of layoffs.
Wipro Technologies also has put about 4-5 per cent of its workforce, about 2,400-3,000 employees, under the scanner for non-performance. Company sources reveal that about 1,000 employees have already been asked to leave.
Hyderabad-based company has reportedly given pink slips to some 400 engineers and associates at its Hyderabad, Pune and Visakhapatnam centres.
According to earlier reports, the company has sacked 150 experienced employees from the Hyderabad centre who were on bench. The report says that most of those sacked are in the 'S' band, indicating that they had at least two to five years of experience.
Terming it as a routine exercise, company's global head, HR, SV Krishnan said, "Giving pink slips to those in the ‘S’ band was not out of the ordinary and we do this as a matter of employee evaluation and development."
The company has reportedly also sent out a mail cautioning employees against not turning up at office and preferring to remain on the bench. Also, the company's management has asked some employees to either voluntarily switch to a contractual agreement (moving from pay rolls) or leave.
According to a report in a Daily this week, India’s no. 1 IT exporter Tata Consultancy Service too is planning another round of layoffs.
Wipro Technologies also has put about 4-5 per cent of its workforce, about 2,400-3,000 employees, under the scanner for non-performance. Company sources reveal that about 1,000 employees have already been asked to leave.
Wipro, SAS deliver BI, analytics through global partnership
SAS, the leader in business intelligence (BI) and analytics, and Wipro Technologies, one of the world�s largest IT service providers, have announced a global partnership. Together, the two companies will deliver BI and analytics software solutions to meet increasing global demand across various industries. The initial focus on banking and financial services, telco and retail will expand over time.
Today�s announcement formalises joint efforts by SAS and Wipro over two years. Under the agreement, SAS and Wipro will strengthen Wipro�s Global Center for Excellence on SAS. This dedicated center, located in Kolkata, India, develops innovative solutions, processes and technology frameworks and builds competencies in BI, data integration and analytics. The center�s more than 300 trained SAS consultants will increase to more than 700 in 2009.
�Information and analysis to drive decisions that achieve organisational objectives are imperative for today�s business,� said Srini Pallia, Global Head and Vice President, Business Technology Services, Wipro Technologies Ltd. �With SAS� powerful analytics and Wipro�s global services network, we deliver increased value and high ROI to joint customers across EMEA, Asia Pacific and more.�
SAS and Wipro are already developing value-adding BI and analytics solutions for joint customers. One such strategic initiative for banking and finance uses SAS to improve prospect conversion rates, extend customer relationship lifespans and increase customer wallet share.
�BI and analytics solutions for the banking and insurance sectors have increased significantly to meet their fast-changing needs � whether dealing with regulations like Basel II and Solvency II or meeting challenges like managing credit risk exposure or fighting fraud,� said Praveen Sengar, software and services and industry verticals research practice head with IDC India. �BI and analytics solutions can also potentially help organisations in telecommunications, manufacturing, retail, government and other industries understand and meet their business challenges better and enhance operational efficiency, profitability and competitiveness. As opposed to direct engagements, BI and analytics engagements are expected to increasingly move to services-led engagements as the India market matures. Therefore, the new partnership between SAS and Wipro can be expected to deliver service solutions to organisations in a more seamless manner.�
Wipro, with more than 72,000 employees and 50 industry-facing Centers of Excellence worldwide, provides comprehensive IT solutions and services, including systems integration, outsourcing, software application development and maintenance, and research and development services. Wipro�s global high-end consulting services make it a natural partner for SAS. SAS can jointly sell products and services more quickly with Wipro and combine resources for offshore and near-shore projects.
�Partnerships must bring value to customers. Combining SAS� strength and experience in BI and analytics software with Wipro�s renowned consulting services will help customers thrive,� said Russ Cobb, Vice President of Alliances and Product Marketing at SAS.
Continued Ratish Panicker, SAS Director of Global Outsourcing and Alliances, �SAS is committed to working with global partners such as Wipro to help worldwide organisations benefit from the insights BI can deliver to drive more accurate decision making.�
Today�s announcement formalises joint efforts by SAS and Wipro over two years. Under the agreement, SAS and Wipro will strengthen Wipro�s Global Center for Excellence on SAS. This dedicated center, located in Kolkata, India, develops innovative solutions, processes and technology frameworks and builds competencies in BI, data integration and analytics. The center�s more than 300 trained SAS consultants will increase to more than 700 in 2009.
�Information and analysis to drive decisions that achieve organisational objectives are imperative for today�s business,� said Srini Pallia, Global Head and Vice President, Business Technology Services, Wipro Technologies Ltd. �With SAS� powerful analytics and Wipro�s global services network, we deliver increased value and high ROI to joint customers across EMEA, Asia Pacific and more.�
SAS and Wipro are already developing value-adding BI and analytics solutions for joint customers. One such strategic initiative for banking and finance uses SAS to improve prospect conversion rates, extend customer relationship lifespans and increase customer wallet share.
�BI and analytics solutions for the banking and insurance sectors have increased significantly to meet their fast-changing needs � whether dealing with regulations like Basel II and Solvency II or meeting challenges like managing credit risk exposure or fighting fraud,� said Praveen Sengar, software and services and industry verticals research practice head with IDC India. �BI and analytics solutions can also potentially help organisations in telecommunications, manufacturing, retail, government and other industries understand and meet their business challenges better and enhance operational efficiency, profitability and competitiveness. As opposed to direct engagements, BI and analytics engagements are expected to increasingly move to services-led engagements as the India market matures. Therefore, the new partnership between SAS and Wipro can be expected to deliver service solutions to organisations in a more seamless manner.�
Wipro, with more than 72,000 employees and 50 industry-facing Centers of Excellence worldwide, provides comprehensive IT solutions and services, including systems integration, outsourcing, software application development and maintenance, and research and development services. Wipro�s global high-end consulting services make it a natural partner for SAS. SAS can jointly sell products and services more quickly with Wipro and combine resources for offshore and near-shore projects.
�Partnerships must bring value to customers. Combining SAS� strength and experience in BI and analytics software with Wipro�s renowned consulting services will help customers thrive,� said Russ Cobb, Vice President of Alliances and Product Marketing at SAS.
Continued Ratish Panicker, SAS Director of Global Outsourcing and Alliances, �SAS is committed to working with global partners such as Wipro to help worldwide organisations benefit from the insights BI can deliver to drive more accurate decision making.�
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)