Rafael Tripero,
CHannEL nEWS
ITALY CZECH REPUBLIC
NORWAY EDB sets sights on global nordic business
Bell Micro set
nORWaY
themselves looking to grow, into areas such as the
Baltics, and EDB is keen to help them there.
on European
1 was previously EVP IT operations. The other part of the plan, which extends to
Application Services has also been split out as 2010 is to expand in the key verticals such as oil acquisition trail
a business area under EVP Johnny Rindahl. EVP and gas, and also the public sector, as well as the
John-Arne Haugerud is concentrating on business financial services industry. It is important to grow
EUROPE
development. The focus seems to be on delivering profitably, he emphasises, and EDB will not be 1 is good, Don Bell told analysts – while
in and expanding the key verticals, with efficiencies trying to be a global company. there had been some supply issues in 2007,
and savings driven by reducing headcount in But it has been busy establishing global and some sales opportunities had been missed, ENTERPRISE NEWS
common areas with IS Partner. sourcing, and will follow other Nordic companies as availability and margins were currently good on
Geir Remman, EDB’s EVP communications, tells they expand globally. Think of Volvo, with its new drives. Inventories are currently low, and prices are
IT Europa that the company’s own figures, based plants across Asia and South America. EDB not falling, but even if the server-side is perhaps
on what IDC offers, puts them in fourth place is also keen to use its Ukrainian base to further less buoyant because of virtualisation or client
behind IBM, TietoEnator and LogicaCMG, but now offer outsourcing and help deliver expansion into budget cuts, storage will continue. “The market is
ahead of HP and CSC. the area. very realistically priced, the manufacturers are not
The management changes results in a somewhat EDB told IT Europa last May that it would building excess units. We see storage as growing
ACS continues
smaller te

am a
s
t the top,
p
but the ide
r
a is to f
e
ocus make several acquisitions in the next year. EDB and faster than servers in 2008.”
on new opportunities. “This is part of a strategy Finland’s TietoEnator were urged by shareholder The pressure of demand from e-commerce
that we’ve been working on last year, and which
e
Copenhag

en Capit
w
al to merge t
i
o crea
t
te a Nor
h
dic IT woul

d
G
keep the busines
e
s moving
r
ahead as
m
users
an buy
will see us expanding. The Norwegian economy is giant with sales of NKR 20bn (€2.5bn) late last year. have to add capacity. With the standard PC sweet
quite sound, and its banks have not been affected Expect more progress on the strategy in the third spot at 500Gb, storage capacity overall continues
much by turmoil elsewhere.” Those banks are now quarter. www.edbbusinesspartner.com to race away. About one third of the company’s
business is drives.
GERMANY
aCS starts buying spree in Europe
As a po
IMB
ssible warning
busines
to others,
s
Don
par
Bell ga
tner
ve
Syan Holdings, and already
some facts and figures behind the investigation
EUROPE
capabilities, I know we’ll and auditing has of historicEural stopeock option an pracoffictices es in Cork, London, Barcelona
see immediate results,” over the ten year period from January 1996 that
FOLLOWING on from its purchase of UK IBM
1 ACS is thought to be says Derrell James (left). has cost the
and
company
Kr
mil
ak
lions
o
of
w
dol
.
lars.
A
With
CS’ senior md of outsourcing, Derrell
looking at France, Germany and “I already have US professional fees costing $31m (€21m) last year for
Business Partner Syan in January (IT Europa 18
further purchases in the UK, customers asking to talk its independent
James
reviews and
tol
financi
d
a
us
l restat
in
ements,
January, “this is just the start”.
and not restricted to other IBM to Syan about working he pointed to some 1.5 million emails having to be
January right), US heavyweight Affiliated Computer
partners, though the intention is with their European reviewed, 500,000 of
Tom
them being
Cl
a
ary
ctually
,
re
A
ad,
CS
and
to retain the close relationship businesses. And I want 18,000 read by several people. “It’s a big effort,” he
’ director of corporate
between IBM and the business, to build an end-to-end comments, but one where the end is now in sight.
Services (ACS) has announced an agreement to which will be rebranded ACS Syan infrastructure across www.bellmicrcommunico.com ations, says: “It’s an emerging market
and will continue to be run by continental Europe
acquire German-based private equity company
OUR a
f
n
or
aLYS
us
IS
Syan’s existing management team. as fast as possible. and we see lots of opportunity. We’re
Syan has more than 20 years’ We’re looking at other While the update on the investigation contains
Waterland for around $67m (€46m) in March. As
experience and a reputation for businesses to acquire some eye-w
winning
atering figures for
busines
the costs of sorting
s in commercial and government
successful delivery of services. now.” historical stock option practices over the period 1
part of the deal ACS will purchase the provider of
With four UK facilities, including ACS is serious about January 1996
s
t
ec
o 31 Dec
tor
ember
s,
2006,
and
and ho
wil
w it
l
us
pounc
ed
two high-specification data this, and claims to have stock option grant dates for financial accounting
e on any suitable business
centres, Syan provides an extensive identified more targets. purposes, some of the items such as goodwill
datacentre, infrastructure services and application range of services, with a particular emphasis on www.acs-inc.com impairment, thaare lart gely offinternaerl acs countingit ne. w technology, new services and
information security to ISO 27001 standards. The
based solutions, which will include the assumption
OUR anaLYSIS
Additional errors mean that further adjustments
company’s outsourcing services include colocation, to statements newilw l be rmarkequired. But ets. at least Acit has quisitions means we are faster to
hosting, server management, desktop management, There’s no doubt that there is a wall of US made preliminary estimates; see its web site for all
of liabilities, to purchase sds. It will be funded
call centre services, and application management. businesses taking fright at the prospects for the comple
mark
x details. Wha
et
t sting
than
s is the pr
gr
ofes
o
siona
wing
l
our own.” www.acs-inc.com
Syan’s price was around $60m (€40.3m); its 12- business this year at home and looking for Euro- fees last year, as Don Bell relates above - not much
by a combination of existing cash on hand and
month revenue was approximately $75m (€50.4m). earning work. And they want the European offices change from €21m!
“Syan’s clients will be backed by a FORTUNE to act as extensions of head office, with similar At least Europe looks
O
bet
U
ter
R
, and
A
stor
N
age
A
is
LYSIS
borrowings under ACS’ existing credit facility.
500 company that offers a global delivery model, systems, and US-type services. Now, if only strong, at least until the next outbreak of scarcity
and ACS will be able to leverage an impressive suite some vendors could get their warranty and OEM pricing of drives. And we’ve heard rumours that
of ITO services for our global clients who have agreements to work globally, this might be more drive-makers are trying to sign up end-user clients,
With the addition of sds, the outsourcer with operations in the United Kingdom and Europe, and popular. But that’s a story for the next issue of IT warning of It possiblis e shorbelietages. Wveed ’ll check thathat out t ACS’ next ventures into Europe
having met with the Syan people and seen their Europa (1 February 2008) when we’ll say more. for the next issue.
62,000 employees in over 100 countries will could be in France and possibly involve further
strengthen its global Information Technology
18 jan 2008
purchases in the
3
UK. AlthoughAlthough aa hugee playerer inin thethe
Outsourcing (ITO) presence by providing IT company then became an independent provider of US market, ACS has only recently entered into the
It0801 - 2-3_news.indd 3 16/01/2008 11:13:54
operations and capabilities in Germany. IT services. It’s SDS revenue for 2007 was measured European market. When it acquired Syan, it was
Waterland sds specialises in outsourced at $40m (€27.25m). believed that it was part of a wider expansion and
datacentre and infrastructure services, including The European ITO market is approximately so it has been proved. The deal has strong parallels
application hosting and maintenance, system design a €70bn industry with an estimated compound with Syan, as it gives ACS access to the domestic
and integration, IT consulting, and IT lifecycle annual growth rate of about 7% over the next two mid-market, and a datacentre infrastructure that
management. As well as this, it has also specialist years. The business will continue to be managed by can be integrated into its business delivery model.
knowledge in SAP consulting and integration SDS’ existing executive team, adding approximately The deal will benefit both parties, though it will be
services, helping portfolio companies to achieve 160 employees to ACS in Europe. interesting where ACS go next.
accelerated growth both organically and through The deal is part of ACS’ wider campaign to If it continues with its policy of going through
acquisitions. break into Europe since the start of the year. In Europe’s strongest economies than we can expect
LUXEMBOURG
It acquired sds from Stinnes AG in 2005 and the early January it paid $60m (£30.5 m) in cash for UK to see some interest in French and Italian markets.
Agresso France breaks free with MBO
Logica loses boss,
meant many hours overtime,” he says. “We want
may buy company
ITALY
FRANCE
to motivate them more and now they can be
DUTCH ERP vendor Unit 4 Agresso has agreed shareholders. It also fits with our strategy to do
SPAIN
EUROPE
to a management buy-out (MBO) at its French more indirect sales.” THE chief executive at LogicaCMG’s struggling
subsidiary, as part of efforts to increase the level Although Unit 4 Agresso, which has gone Iberian business has quit to go back to his
of indirect business across Europe. Agresso France down a more direct sales route in the past, is consulting roots as the services giant prepares
will now act as a systems integration partner for looking for SI partners in Germany and Spain, van its figures for announcement this week as we
its former parent company, drumming up sales and Leeuwen suggests the MBO option is unlikely to be go to press. Raul Mascarenhas has resigned after
carrying out implementations. repeated. He says they are looking in particular at just six months in the post. He is to be replaced
NORWAY
According partners with vertical expertise in the professional by his deputy José Carlos Gonçalves, who runs
to CFO Edwin services sector and the public sector. LogicaCMG’s Portuguese business.
van Leeuwen Unit 4 Agresso currently operates in UK, Ex-BT Andy Green, the new CEO, is considering
(right), the Benelux, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden and selling parts of the company’s European business,
vendor has Spain. www.unit4agresso.com which includes Edinfor, the IT business in which
SPAIN
struggled to
OUR ANALYSIS
it bought a 60% stake from Energia de Portugal in
establish itself 2005 and is expected to say more about a much-
in France. “Our The only surprise here is that it has taken so anticipated strategic review. But London’s FT says it
team made long for Unit 4 Agresso to embrace the channel. could be buying the remaining 40% of Edinfor.
some good Disgruntled French staff, overstretched by growing LogicaCMG confirms that Raul Mascarenhas,
deals in 2006, demand and insufficient resources, may have dealt who was at Accenture from 1995 to 2005, would
but had to HQ with an ultimatum. It’s hard to see how the leave at the end of February to “pursue his
deliver it in vendor itself benefits, losing margin as well as a personal interest in consultancy activity”.
2007 which great deal of localised technical expertise. www.logicacmg.com
4 29 FEB 2008
It0804 - 4-7_enterprise_news.ind4 4 27/02/2008 10:30:52
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