NATIONAL SURVEY
over the last six months towards breaking large deals into smaller agreements
as a result of the PPARS health service payroll system debacle.
Minogue is hopeful that more contracts will be issued in 2008. “Our public
sector business was stable last year because relatively few major tenders were
issued, but there has been a lot of activity over the last three months that we
hope will be converted into business. We also hope the retail banks will have
recovered their confidence by the middle of the year.”
Another Irish-based systems integrator with an international perspective
is A&O Systems & Services Ireland (which acquired EDS Global Field Services
in November 2006). According to the head of the business in Ireland, Paschal
Naylor, out-tasking is the most important current local market trend.
Northern Ireland and many of our channel partners operate in both markets.” “Out-tasking of specific, non-core IT areas is becoming much more
The privately owned company announced last March that it would increase prevalent and the energy issue is also becoming a major consideration. There
headcount from 100 to 150 by the end of this year following the completion of has been a slight tightening in the systems integration market over the last 12
new premises in Belfast. With around 30 new staff expected to be employed months – the business community is conscious of getting value for money.”
in Dublin, McClean says overall employment will increase to between 180 and A&O is focused on the 250 to 2,000 seat client space, although it does
200 over the next 18 months. undertake specific projects for larger clients. While it is keen to promote its
The major players in international services are pretty confident for 2008 pan-European capability, the majority of its clients in Ireland are indigenous
and beyond. Accenture has recruited 100 new staff across its business activities, companies. Turnover for 2007 was €20m and Naylor expects steady growth
mainly in Dublin and its consulting practice in the capital’s International over the next 12 months following what he described as a transitional year
Financial Services Centre (IFSC). “This recruitment drive signals the continuing following the acquisition.
expansion of our Irish operations in response to increasing demand from our
OUR ANALYSIS
growing Irish client base,” says Mark Ryan, managing director at Accenture in Anyone who thinks Ireland will go back to sleep need only look at some
Ireland, which now employs some 1,600 staff. of the ideas currently emerging: Dublin’s Chamber of Commerce has kjust
BearingPoint is also adding to its headcount on the back of significant revealed a 10-point plan, entitled Developing a Knowledge City Region,
projects in the public sector (particularly utilities), commercial and financial which includes plans for Wi-Fi across the city’s public transport system, a
services and growing interest from the telecoms sector. A recruitment VAT-free scheme for the purchase of PCs to stimulate a technology-literate
campaign to add 20 staff will bring total employment close to the levels of 18 society, key government services for business to be made available online
months ago at around 225. only and the implementation of an e-government plan for all government
“A large percentage of our business locally, maybe 60%, is systems departments and local authorities.
integration,” explains Peter Minogue, managing director at BearingPoint It also involves the introduction of a ‘Knowledge Acquisition Grants’
Ireland. “This percentage has risen in recent years on the back of demand scheme to encourage R&D among smaller firms, as well as the expansion
from commercial and financial services companies, with whom we did a lot of of the Enterprise Ireland’s ‘Innovation Voucher’ scheme which has 22
business in 2007.” institutions and public research bodies offering their research, technical
The Irish systems integration landscape is characterised by firms with a and business expertise to companies across the country. Other countries
strong local presence such as Accenture, BearingPoint and HP, which does a lot across Europe might do well to look at how Ireland takes its IT and
of integration work around Cisco kit. Offshore providers have failed to make technology position seriously, and pick up on what has been proved to
any impact on public sector contracts, where there has been a noticeable shift work in the previous 20 years.
29 FEB 2008 21
It0804 - 18-21_ent_ireland.indd 21 27/02/2008 10:26:54
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