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Welcome to B & M Bulletin, produced specifically for users of contract IT services. In this issue:
• The impact of Mergers & Acquisitions on IT
• Tech View: The world of remote IT support
• Top 10 IT projects arising from M&As
• Real Skills. Real People - B & M's Kate Davidson
• Turnkey Services
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The impact of Mergers & Acquisitions on IT
Jerry Smart, MD of B & M Europe considers how IT departments can ease the pain of corporate turbulence
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".. a growing trend for mergers…"
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There is a growing trend for organisations to use a strategy of merger and acquisition (M&A) to boost market share, cut costs and create additional value - the recent proposed merger of ABN Amro and Barclays (and the counter offer by a consortium led by The Royal Bank of Scotland), the merger of Saga and The AA and the acquisition of Boots by American private equity firm KKR are just a few high-profile examples.
The high-spending area of IT can seem like an easy target as the finance department, lawyers and management consultants all look for potential cost and headcount savings from the new, expanded organisation.
However, as any IT professional who has been through a merger or acquisition will tell you, homogenised IT systems are critical to ensuring that the two (or more) parts operate effectively as a whole and deliver improved value. For some organisations, the point of merger is also the point at which they will consider outsourcing IT in a bid to simplify the integration process.
As management consultancy McKinsey explains in a recent quarterly report, "In every merger, executives are under pressure to show results from consolidation on the bottom line. Financial-services companies achieve many of these savings by integrating and streamlining their information technology operations".
In the short to medium term, projects to merge IT systems and networks will streamline the new business. The goal is a common technical infrastructure that will enable the subsequent porting of business IT applications; including the ability to cross-sell an extended portfolio of products or services, expanded marketing activities and to achieve gains in productivity.
As Accenture puts it in a report entitled Corporate Strategy is Dead: "As post-merger integration inexorably becomes a utility-like skill, companies wishing to achieve high performance through inorganic growth need to develop a new ability to act more holistically across both the pre- and post-deal phases".
Once the dust settles post-merger, pressure to continue to reduce costs often results in further rationalisation. During a period of M&A activity, IT projects often need an injection of external specialist skills in order to deliver fast results. B & M is highly experienced in providing skills of this type and has undertaken many such projects, setting milestones and agreeing deliverables for the newly expanded organisation.
To find out how B & M can help you to keep your IT function running smoothly during a period of integration, contact sales@bmeurope.com
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Tech View: The world of remote IT support
B & M's Technical Manager, Paul Smith looks at some of the pros and cons of providing remote technical support
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It's hard to count the benefits that businesses have derived from the implementation of TCP/IP and the ensuing birth of Virtual Private Networking and IP telephony. Perhaps one of the most significant advantages has been the opportunity for organisations to use staff in different countries or even on different continents to provide technical support.
ICL was one of the earliest adopters of this idea as far back as 1970 and today the majority of multinational corporations use people around the world to deliver 24/7 remote support, while making significant cost-savings into the bargain. A reduction in the cost of Internet technologies over the past few years has meant that many smaller enterprises and consumers are now able to reap the benefits of remote support. A prime example of this way of working - familiar to many people - is the Remote Desktop Support option that Microsoft built into Windows XP.
However, this meteoric growth in enabling access to the core of the corporate network has naturally created security issues. In its report entitled "Gmail, iPhones and Wiis: Preparing Enterprise Security for the Consumerisation of IT" published in June, Gartner warns that organisations cannot prevent remote access technologies into the enterprise, but that this way of working does call into question traditional security models.
By using IT support staff who work from home or from different locations worldwide, the IT function can offer a better level of service to internal and external customers - fixing problems remotely and carrying out general support and maintenance outside normal working hours. But enterprises do have to put measures in place to ensure that this freedom of access does not become a security nightmare.
This view was echoed by the US-based analysis company Forrester at its IT Forum in Edinburgh in June. Forrester warned in particular against using unsecured wireless technologies such as Bluetooth, un-encrypted home wireless networks and public wi-fi hotspots. But the company concluded that enabling IT and other information workers to work remotely has many advantages including better back-up of corporate data, cost savings on equipment and improved collaboration between different functions.
B & M provides highly experienced IT professionals to help ensure that your security systems are robust enough to enable remote support. For more information contact sales@bmeurope.com.
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Top 10 IT projects arising from M&As
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Corporate mergers and acquisitions inevitably lead to a raft of IT homogenisation and rationalisation projects. At B & M, our experience shows that these 'top ten' technical projects occur during a time of M&A activity:
1. Network unification
2. Storage rationalisation and optimisation
3. Data migration and consolidation
4. Security standards and compliance
5. Systems integration
6. Software audit (licensing and convergence)
7. Web site amalgamation
8. Disaster recovery mapping
9. Infrastructure convergence
10. Data centre relocation
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Real Skills. Real People - B & M's Kate Davidson
This month we profile HR Administrator Kate Davidson
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After studying Graphic Communication, Art & Design based in Cardiff, Kate worked for a global training company as sales and marketing field representative where she trained new employees and marketed services. As a keen photographer and graphic designer, she has undertaken roles including taking and producing photographs for company websites and designing food labels for an organic food company.
Kate's experience of the recruitment industry came from working as an assistant for a multi-division recruitment business and she is now committed to progressing her career in this field, whilst keeping her creative talents as a side-line. Kate moved to Hampshire in early 2007 and joined B & M in April as HR Administrator, where she provides administration support to B & M Account Managers.
Kate loves to travel and experience new cultures around the world, particularly in Africa and South America. She is also qualified by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) in open water and advanced open water diving and likes to take the plunge whenever the opportunity arises.
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B & M Turnkey Technical Services offer companies greater flexibility in terms of how they manage their IT projects and resources, along with the peace of mind of knowing that their service is in safe hands. Find out more about the benefits of using a professional IT service supplier or call us on +44 (0)118 982 9669.
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B & M has specialised in delivering skilled ICT specialists to meet the needs of leading organisations throughout Europe since 1992. We focus exclusively on providing consultancy, technical services and support for z/OS, UNIX and Linux enterprise systems, including third-party systems software, open systems and networking connectivity. We add real value for HR and IT professionals by taking the time to understand their needs and applying best practice methods to deliver results. To find out more about our approach to providing the best skills for each business, go to www.bmeurope.com B & M Europe Limited
www.bmeurope.com
+44 (0)118 981 1880
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