There's been considerable media coverage these last 2 weeks regarding a possible merger of the IT services arm of Siemens (Siemens Business Services) with French rival Atos Origin. German investment bank Sal. Oppenheim issued a research note claiming that Siemens is in advanced negotiations with Atos Origin. The CEO of Siemens remarked on a conference call that all strategic options for the future of the SBS unit are being considered, whilst Atos Origin have refused to comment on the market speculation - both of which are adding fuel to the flames. Analysts believe there is merit in the deal as Atos Origin currently has only a modest presence in the German market but strategically is looking to expand in Benelux, the U.K. and Germany. Here are some examples of the recent media coverage:
Datamonitor
interactive investor
Dow Jones Newswires
Any readers got any insights re. what's happening? Do post your comments below...
Tony
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Monday, March 14, 2005
Could you make £ millions with your consulting skills?
Taking your consulting skills and using them to become a self-made millionaire. Is it possible... and could you be the next to do it? Have you got what it takes - or indeed can such skills be learnt?
The exciting answer to all these questions is "Yes" - that's to say most readers of this blog really can aspire to running their own successful business, within a matter of just months if you really apply yourself.
Very rarely do I bother to read any "get rich quick" schemes. Most are scams or worthless or both. But when one of our readers sent us a copy of a new millionaire course he had been working on, it seemed only courteous to take a listen - and how glad I am now that I did!
The course is based on personal insights from 25 highly successful entrepreneurs who have launched businesses from scratch - many on a shoestring budget - through sheer dedication and determination. They include the founders of First Tuesday, Cobra Beer, Yo! Sushi and Ecademy.com - and amongst them are ex-consultants from firms like Bain and Ernst & Young. So you see consultants can and do make the transition from consulting to successful entrepreneur.
As an entrepreneur myself, what really impressed me was that so many of the insights in the course are things we have had to learn the hard way in our business - so if we'd learnt these lessons through a course like this a few years ago... well that would have had a tremendous impact on our business.
If you've any aspirations to work for yourself running a successful business then do take a few minutes to check this out. We've agreed a £100 discount for all Top-Consultant readers, so the cost should be no obstacle (when you click the "Buy" button the discount will be automatically applied). To find out more, click here now - I think you'll agree this is time and money well spent.
Regards, Tony
The exciting answer to all these questions is "Yes" - that's to say most readers of this blog really can aspire to running their own successful business, within a matter of just months if you really apply yourself.
Very rarely do I bother to read any "get rich quick" schemes. Most are scams or worthless or both. But when one of our readers sent us a copy of a new millionaire course he had been working on, it seemed only courteous to take a listen - and how glad I am now that I did!
The course is based on personal insights from 25 highly successful entrepreneurs who have launched businesses from scratch - many on a shoestring budget - through sheer dedication and determination. They include the founders of First Tuesday, Cobra Beer, Yo! Sushi and Ecademy.com - and amongst them are ex-consultants from firms like Bain and Ernst & Young. So you see consultants can and do make the transition from consulting to successful entrepreneur.
As an entrepreneur myself, what really impressed me was that so many of the insights in the course are things we have had to learn the hard way in our business - so if we'd learnt these lessons through a course like this a few years ago... well that would have had a tremendous impact on our business.
If you've any aspirations to work for yourself running a successful business then do take a few minutes to check this out. We've agreed a £100 discount for all Top-Consultant readers, so the cost should be no obstacle (when you click the "Buy" button the discount will be automatically applied). To find out more, click here now - I think you'll agree this is time and money well spent.
Regards, Tony
Tuesday, March 8, 2005
15% growth for PA Consulting
PA Consulting Group have revealed they plan to grow the consulting business by 15% this year at a time when the domestic UK market has embarked on a new period of robust growth that has seen many leading firms ramp up their recruitment efforts quite considerably.
As part of the strategy a new recruitment drive has just been launched with a series of three careers evenings planned for April 2005 (click for details). Targetting those with IT Strategy, IT Management, IT Infrastructure of IS Implementation expertise, these events will broaden the appeal of PA Consulting by allowing candidates to meet the team before actually deciding whether to apply to the firm or not.
In a tighter candidate market I can't help thinking such strategies will become crucial. If job adverts only reach candidates who want to work for a particular firm, consultancies need to find a way to engage candidates who are interested in their firm but not yet persuaded to apply. Exhibiting at careers fairs and running dedicated careers evenings allows firms to convert interest into applications and as the War for Talent becomes more acute I foresee these approaches becoming more and more critical.
Any current jobseekers out there have a view on this? Could you be won over by a firm you hadn't considered applying to if you met their team and were persuaded they could take your career in the right direction? Do post your thoughts below, would be interested in the feedback...
Tony
As part of the strategy a new recruitment drive has just been launched with a series of three careers evenings planned for April 2005 (click for details). Targetting those with IT Strategy, IT Management, IT Infrastructure of IS Implementation expertise, these events will broaden the appeal of PA Consulting by allowing candidates to meet the team before actually deciding whether to apply to the firm or not.
In a tighter candidate market I can't help thinking such strategies will become crucial. If job adverts only reach candidates who want to work for a particular firm, consultancies need to find a way to engage candidates who are interested in their firm but not yet persuaded to apply. Exhibiting at careers fairs and running dedicated careers evenings allows firms to convert interest into applications and as the War for Talent becomes more acute I foresee these approaches becoming more and more critical.
Any current jobseekers out there have a view on this? Could you be won over by a firm you hadn't considered applying to if you met their team and were persuaded they could take your career in the right direction? Do post your thoughts below, would be interested in the feedback...
Tony
Friday, March 4, 2005
US market picking up
It's heartening to see that the consulting boom that's taken hold in the UK market is also now being felt in the States. An interesting commentary in CareerJournal (part of the Wall Street Journal) details the uptick in both the consulting market and the implications for recruitment in the US market. Makes for pretty encouraging reading (details here)
In the rebounding US market high-level rainmakers can apparently now expect to command a base salary of up to $1 million, whilst M.B.A.s are once again seeing pay offers in excess of $100,000. This upwards pay spiral is mirroring what we've seen in the UK market where recruitment picked up some 12+ months ago. Any US readers out there able to provide anecdotal evidence about the improving hiring market in the States? Do please post your comments below.
Tony
In the rebounding US market high-level rainmakers can apparently now expect to command a base salary of up to $1 million, whilst M.B.A.s are once again seeing pay offers in excess of $100,000. This upwards pay spiral is mirroring what we've seen in the UK market where recruitment picked up some 12+ months ago. Any US readers out there able to provide anecdotal evidence about the improving hiring market in the States? Do please post your comments below.
Tony
Tuesday, March 1, 2005
A.T. Kearney for sale?
There's been much speculation in the press these last days that Partners at A.T. Kearney could be presented with the option of orchestrating a management buyout of the consulting business from parent EDS. I always feared ATK would struggle once subsumed by EDS and would love to see the business reinvigorated by a return to some form of Partnership model. Can you see this happening or is it all just a lot of smoke to please the markets?
(For more details click for write-ups in the Computer Business Review, Interactive Investor and Dallas Business Journal)
Tony
(For more details click for write-ups in the Computer Business Review, Interactive Investor and Dallas Business Journal)
Tony
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