Global consulting and IT services sector M&A specialist, Equiteq, announces the sale of its Life Sciences consulting client, The Biotech Quality Group (BQG), to international engineering group, Assystem S.A.

Global financial auditing and consulting company PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is exploring the sale of its government consulting practice, which could fetch about $500 million (£373.2 million), The sale would give PWC a freer hand to pursue the growing business of auditing government agencies..

Gender equality in the workplace is a good thing – we know diversity makes businesses better. What’s interesting, is that our new innovation research tells us something new. In a world that requires businesses to respond fast to change, gender equality in the workplace is not only a good thing but a necessary thing..

Managing a global supply chain of any size is no small task. Now consider the supply chain of a global logistics company, which turned more than $6.6bn in revenue in the last financial year, that is both a carrier and a mover in 160 countries, managing eight million square meters of storage space and customs clearance at 600+ ports around the world..

KPMG published a report on the Hong Kong banking industry this past week and Fintech plays a prominent role in the theme of the document. Hong Kong has been a prominent financial center since almost the beginning of time but in the Fintech race – initially it let itself fall a bit behind. That is changing though....

The internet age has brought great benefits but has also created new vulnerabilities, and when it comes to defending our national — and personal — security, perhaps an army of cyber kids is what we need now..

PA Consulting Group has signed an agreement to acquire Nyras Limited, the international aviation consultancy. Nyras is the only consultancy in the air transport industry authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to undertake commercial and transactional advisory services in the aviation sector. Nyras will bring new capabilities to PA, and enable the global aviation team to offer additional support to an industry facing significant change and disruption..

We don’t always recognise change while it happens, but, when we look back, the scale of change can seem staggering. We’re now in a period of unprecedented discovery and advancement, and I firmly believe that there has never been a more exciting time to be part of the global workforce..

Ransomware payments in 2017 will hit a record $2 billion, according to a new research from the cybersecurity firm Bitdefender. That figure would make 2017 the most costly year ever for ransomware, doubling the $1 billion paid out by ransomware victims in 2016 and skyrocketing above the $24 million paid in 2015. The upward trend will likely continue into 2018 as malware becomes more sophisticated and difficult to stop..

It is somewhat safe to predict that AI will continue to be at the top of the hype cycle in 2018. But the following 51 predictions also envision it becoming more practical and useful, automating some jobs and augmenting many others, combining machine learning and big data for fresh insights, with chatbots proliferating in the enterprise..

Twice a year we create the ThoughtWorks Technology Radar, an opinionated look at what’s happening in the enterprise tech world. Creating the Radar involves a significant chunk of our senior techies from around the globe, and as we discuss individual blips we also talk about bigger trends. This article is a consolidation of those “macro trends” that we see in the tech industry today..

Open any business publication or digital journal today, and you will read about the promise of AI and how it will transform your business. The fact is: AI will not only transform your entire business — whether you are in healthcare, finance, retail, or manufacturing — but it will also transform technology itself..

Speaking at UBS`s Annual Global Media and Communications Conference in New York on Monday, Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP, the world`s largest advertising holding company, said that consulting firms can`t compete when it comes to digital advertising – the fastest growing part of the ad business in terms of media spending..

P2 Consulting (P2), a leading project and programme management consultancy is delighted to announce it has been named the second fastest growing private business in the 2017 Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 list and its position as the UK’s fastest growing consultancy.

P2, spearheaded by consultancy industry stalwarts Douglas Elliot and Pip Peel, has demonstrated phenomenal growth since its inception in 2013. The company has grown its sales by an average 198% year on year to £8.9m 2016.

Since its recent merger with business change consultancy, Certeco, which featured in the Sunday Times Tech Track 100 listing in 2013, the combined company’s revenues now stand at £30 million and boasts an employee base of over 250. P2 Consulting is backed by private equity firm Lonsdale Capital Partners.

Douglas Elliott, CEO of P2 Consulting comments: “We are over the moon with the news that we have made the top three of the Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100. This is testament to the sheer hard work, grit and determination of our people. Our focus is unwaveringly on how we can help clients achieve their ambitions and that is borne out in how we are growing as a business. Our growth has been phenomenal and this award has cemented our position as a challenger consultancy.”

Pip Peel, Chairman and founder of P2 Consulting: “From the humble beginnings of P2, we really are on a trajectory of remarkable growth. We are lucky to have an outstanding management team, who have steered us to achieve this growth but it is our people who have made all this possible. Together we are driven to really make a difference in the world of consulting – as this award has confirmed, we are a force to be reckoned with.”.

Cognitive technologies such as natural language processing and machine learning can enhance companies’ enterprise search capabilities—and contribute to better experiences for customers and employees..

Moving production assets and workloads to the cloud can be hard. In the absence of care and precision, it can also be risky. With the right tools and practices in place, you can mitigate many, if not all, of these risks. You may even be able to greatly ease your transition..

We regularly hear about the marvels of artificial intelligence:

• Robots that can play the violin
• Self-driving cars
• Go programs that can defeat the best humans

...

China’s consulting market outpaced its economy in 2016, growing at over 10 per cent to reach a total market value of US$4.5billion.

1. • New fund will invest in UK listed renewable energy and infrastructure equities and bonds
2. • Targeting annual income of 5%
3. • Capitalising on unprecendented growth of UK energy and infrastructure sector

London, 04 December 2017: Foresight Group LLP (“Foresight”) today announces that it has launched the FP Foresight UK Infrastructure Income Fund (“the Fund”). The Fund, which has received FCA regulatory approval, is actively managed and will invest in UK listed renewable energy and infrastructure fund / investment company equities and bonds. It will target an annual income of 5% per annum with dividends paid quarterly.
Available on a variety of platforms and wraps, the Fund has a minimum investment of £1,000, or £100 per month for regular savings, and comprises one share class for both retail and institutional investors with the option for either income or accumulation.
The Fund’s model portfolio delivers higher returns and lower volatility than the FTSE All Share. In the last two years, the total return for the Fund’s model portfolio was 24% vs 20.7% for the FTSE All Share and volatility was just 4.8% compared to 15.2%1.
The UK has seen unprecedented growth in renewable energy and infrastructure investment over the last five years that is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.

Artificial intelligence has taken the tech world by storm, allowing companies to cut costs, automate a variety of their processes, as well as boost their bottom line. AI-powered chatbots, specifically, are being used by companies big and small as virtual assistants, customer care representatives, marketing executives, and salespeople..

The research looked at the levels of revenue generated by vendors offering cloud computing services to healthcare providers and analysed the major growth opportunities, challenges, business models and solutions found in the healthcare industry..

Information warrants its own strategy to ensure its economic benefits are fully maximised.The emergence of a chief data officer in many organisations and across industries indicates a growing recognition of information as a strategic business asset – one distinguished from the technology through which it flows..

As all early-stage (and many mid-stage!) professional service firm leaders and entrepreneurs know, building out a consulting firm is hard work.

Equiteq’s 2017 global survey of buyers of knowledge-intensive services businesses found an increasing appetite for transactions, with buyers expecting to initiate on average 10 acquisitions each over the next three years.

Derided by most financial analysts for years, Bitcoin has surged dramatically in 2017 and now has a higher market capitalization that most corporations, such as Disney, Mastercard, Boeing, IBM, and McDonalds..

More than ever, clients need advice and insight to help them understand the effects of AI both today and in ten years’ time so that they can plan accordingly. The potential market opportunity to create value (and share in that value creation) is huge..

With just under six months until the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) goes into effect, many companies are scrambling to get the right policies and controls in place to comply by the May 25, 2018 deadline. Microsoft recently unveiled a new tool to help customers achieve that goal—Compliance Manager..

“Innovation” is the buzz word that just won’t go away. And for retailers constantly compared to Amazon standards?—?no matter their size or niche?—?it’s an obsession. Like every other industry, retailers are hungry for the formula that will create the kind of business and culture that innovates at the speed necessary to compete..

Innovations born in the private sector are making voters expect more from their governments. Against a backdrop of technological change not of their own making and beyond their control, governments are under increasing pressure to improve their constituent services..

In a move that will likely spell huge increases in Blockchain technology, one of the ‘big four’ audit firms, KPMG, has signed on as a corporate member of the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance (WSBA). The announcement was made public via the WSBA website..

Altizon was declared as the winner of the Frost & Sullivan 2017 India IoT Energy Monitoring New Product Innovation Leadership Award.

New challenger banks have transformed a sector once dominated by the Big Five banks. More than 50 banks now operate in the UK and over 20 banking licences have been awarded in the last three years alone..

The EU General Data Protection Regulation is a game-changer. The penalties for a breach have the potential to move from hundreds of thousands to millions of pounds, dollars or euros. Requirements around unambiguous consent and the right to erasure mean organisations fundamentally need to re-think how they manage and retain data. Compliance with the GDPR requirements is mandatory for all organisations that handle personal data of EU citizens..

With millennials soon to make up more than half the total workforce and research showing that they are motivated more by improving the world than work prestige or big money jobs – how can small businesses attract and retain top talent?

According to Marco Barbosa, founder of eSolidar and one of Forbes top 30under30 Social Entrepreneurs, the answer lies in Corporate Social (and Environmental) Responsibility (CSR).
Here’s why:
A study by Bentley University found that 84% of millennials felt that making a positive difference in the world was more important than professional recognition.
The Millennial Impact Report found that more than half of millennials have been inspired to work long-term for a company whose mission it is to change the world.
This is shifting CSR into the foreground and will make it a key issue for all businesses in the next few years. The PwC Global CEO Survey shows that 64% of companies are making CSR ‘core’ to their business.
Companies that demonstrate long-term commitment, putting in place good processes and platforms for managing CSR, will outperform others in terms of talent acquisition and retention, productivity, and sales.
According to a Project ROI Report, 76% of Americans wouldn’t take a job with a company that had a bad reputation even if they were unemployed. This emphasises the importance of a good reputation for CSR, with 45% of millennials saying they would take a pay cut to work for a company that makes a positive social or environmental impact.

Threat from fintech and challengers helps drive up use of consultants in banking and insurance…

Banking, the largest consulting market within the global financial services industry, grew 8.4% to US$13.6billion in 2016.
The global financial services industry also continued to be a very good market for consultants, growing 8.3% in 2016. While the US, DACH and UK remained the industry’s three largest markets, the markets in China and India grew even more strongly.
These findings are in a new report (The Financial Services Consulting Market 2017) from Source Global Research, the leading research and strategy firm for the global management consulting industry. The report says that even the uncertainty associated with Brexit and the US elections couldn’t deter clients from investing in consulting support to help deliver a range of projects from compliance and cost-reduction to higher value, digital transformation.
Using the biggest and most sophisticated model of the global consulting industry, Source also identified that investment in widescale digital transformation was greatest in insurance and banking, with even greater emergence of fintech prompting immediate action. Source says that this the main reason consulting revenues grew fastest in the insurance and banking sectors in 2016.
Zoë Stumpf, Head Analyst at Source Global Research, said:
“One of the key drivers of demand for banks globally in 2016 was the continued emergence of non-traditional competitors, ranging from fintech’s to challenger banks to niche lenders. With these challengers working in a more agile manner, and with customer propositions much more suited to the digital age, they represent both a threat and an opportunity for banks.”
Colin Preston, Consulting Partner—Financial Services, Baringa Partners, added:
“Larger banks know they need to replicate some of the cultural aspects of challenger banks, so they are trying to speed up the way they work.”
Regulation remains a strong driver of consulting demand
The Source report also highlights that regulation remains a strong driver of consulting demand in financial services, particularly in Europe where implementation deadlines loom for regulations such as MiFID II, Basel III, and GDPR. The US is an exception in this regard, with a fear that consulting revenue growth around regulation is starting to plateau as the regulatory focus shifts from the largest players to mid-tiered organisations. But the report adds that there remains growing interest from clients across the world regarding innovative regtech solutions, as well as reporting-as-a-service—a potentially lucrative and long-term play for consultants.
Brexit office relocation could drive a flurry of activity for consultants in 2018
Despite the invoking of Article 50, and the added pressures of a clock that has started to tick very loudly, the financial services industry is no clearer about what Brexit will mean. Where there has been Brexit-related demand for consultants, many of the projects have focused on scenario planning. However, this could be set to change with the possibility of a “hard” Brexit, or no Brexit at all, becoming increasingly real, and driving clients to act, with scenario planning and location strategy turned into a key focus for clients in the past few months. Source believes this is likely to indicate the onrush of a flurry of activity for clients and consultants in 2018.
Steven Culp, Senior Managing Director at Accenture added: “The impetus for significant change because of Brexit isn’t there yet because none of the detail is clear. It’ll be really interesting as we hit 2018, as banks and entities are likely to have made some decisions to move things in one direction or the other.”
For more information on Source reports contact alice.noyelle@sourceglobalresearch.com or telephone +44 (0)20 3478 1207/ visit www.sourceglobalresearch.com..

The pan-European study, carried out by a consortium led by Capgemini, reveals that 3 in 5 European public services are already online, more than half (54%) of which are mobile friendly

Paris, November 27 2017 - Europe continues to mature in electronic government: mobile friendly public services are picking up and online public service delivery is progressing. These findings are among the main conclusions of the 14th Benchmark Measurement of European eGovernment Services. Today, the European Commission published the study’s report, carried out by Capgemini and other leading consortium partners in digital innovation. A focus on greater transparency and investing in key digital enablers (such as electronic identification) is now crucial for strengthening eGovernment and fully establishing the Digital Single Market in the coming years.

The 2017 eGovernment Benchmark puts a spotlight on the state-of-play of the digital transformation of European public administrations and the extent to which they are ‘on track’ with regard to achieving these objectives. This year’s eGovernment Benchmark, which surveyed over 10,000 websites across the EU28+ countries, evaluated the digital service quantity and quality in relation to four life events: starting a business, losing and finding a job, studying, and family life. The report shows that the European public sector continues to bring more services online. While countries quantitatively increased the online availability of public services, qualitative measures (e.g. more transparent delivery procedures and prepopulating online forms with personal data) are necessary to improve the overall digital service experience.

Ample room for increasing transparency and fostering digital key enablers
Overall, eGovernment performance in Europe is moving in the right direction. For instance, good progress was made on the mobile friendliness dimension, with more than half of the services (54%) being mobile friendly (compared to 27% in 2015). User centricity of European public services reached the average of 85% which indicates a mature level of online availability of services and of interaction and feedback possibilities between citizens and public administrations. Furthermore, cross-border mobility increased modestly. Extended implementation of the eIDAS[1] Directive is likely to even further boost the availability of information and services for EU citizens when starting up a business or studying abroad.
In order to take the next step, transparency measures and investments in digital key enablers, such as electronic identification (eID) and Authentic Sources to re-use data, are priorities. In terms of transparency, public authorities need to catch up on disclosing information on the process of service delivery, their own responsibilities and performance, as well as personal data usage. Besides transparency, the use of technological pre-conditions (key enablers) such as eID and Authentic Sources, still has room to accelerate. Improvements were observed in 2016 on the availability of each of these. However, progress is still modest given the two-year timeframe between measurements. For instance, the use of electronic identification was only possible in 1 out of 2 European public services (52%), and pre-filling of online forms with data the government already knows about the user holds at 47%.
Niels van der Linden, Principal consultant and project lead at Capgemini said: “The 2017 eGovernment Benchmark research shows positive signs and the recent Tallinn Ministerial Declaration[2] is testament to the fact that the public sector takes digital transformation seriously. Governments now need to challenge the way they are organised, upskill their civil servants, and in general increase their openness to really benefit from the public value that can be created through digital services.”

The Digital Single Market, just around the corner?
Completing the Digital Single Market could contribute €415 billion per year to Europe`s economy, create jobs and significantly improve public services.[3] This year’s findings reveal that the vision of the Digital Single Market is further taking shape. The gap between service provision for national and foreign users is becoming smaller, as three out of five (60%) online services are now available across country borders. The usability for cross-border services improved as well (standing at 78%). This shows that citizens and businesses find themselves with access to advanced online help, support and complaint functionalities. Continuity in sharing best practices allows public authorities across Europe to keep learning in order to improve their online services. Persistent eGovernment innovation will realize the benefits of the Digital Single Market and change the relationship between public organisations and citizens for the better.
Dinand Tinholt, Vice President and Global EU Account Director at Capgemini said: “Technology offers public administrations huge opportunities to create public value. It’s more than eGovernment – it’s about a digital strategy to deliver on those opportunities. A strategy that can also look forward to integrating new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence into public service delivery.” For more information or to download the report, visit: here
More information about the digital agenda of the European Union can be found here: https://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/.

About Capgemini
A global leader in consulting, technology services and digital transformation, Capgemini is at the forefront of innovation to address the entire breadth of clients’ opportunities in the evolving world of cloud, digital and platforms. Building on its strong 50-year heritage and deep industry-specific expertise, Capgemini enables organisations to realise their business ambitions through an array of services from strategy to operations. Capgemini is driven by the conviction that the business value of technology comes from and through people. It is a multicultural company of 200,000 team members in over 40 countries. The Group reported 2016 global revenues of EUR 12.5 billion.
Visit us at www.capgemini.com. People matter, results count.

About Capgemini Consulting
Capgemini Consulting is the global strategy and transformation consulting organisation of the Capgemini Group, specialising in advising and supporting enterprises in significant transformation, from innovative strategy to execution and with an unstinting focus on results. With the new digital economy creating significant disruptions and opportunities, the global team of 3,500 talented individuals work with leading companies and governments to master Digital Transformation, drawing on their understanding of the digital economy and leadership in business transformation and organisational change.
Find out more at: http://www.capgemini-consulting.com/.

Infosys co-founder and tech billionaire, Nandan Nilekani and his wife Rohini Nilekani, have joined `The Giving Pledge`, an elite network of the world`s wealthiest individuals committing half their wealth to philanthropy.The Giving Pledge was created by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett in August 2010..

Hackers are getting an earlier start when it comes to bug hunting careers, according to a new report. Bugcrowd has released its second annual report, Inside the Mind of a Hacker 2.0, which details the demographics and motivations of the bug hunting community..

Technology has been transforming the way we work since the industrial revolution. However, the combination of the development of the latest generation of robots and advances in artificial intelligence have the potential to drive a dramatic new wave of change across a very wide range of workplaces..

As the May 2018 implementation deadline for General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) looms, more and more firms are gearing up to be ready.

Essilor announces that employee shareholding worldwide is set to surpass 50%, exceeding the goal of 35% that had initially been set for 2020. With a record subscription by international employees to the Group’s latest plan, the number of employees with a financial participation in the company rises to over 35,000.

2018 will be the year that most enterprises realise AI and other emerging technologies will require hard work..

PWC is planning to close its offices in Sheffield, Plymouth, Liverpool, Norwich, Swansea and Dungannon, in Northern Ireland, from April 2018.A spokesperson for PwC said the changes would affect fewer than 400 people across all six offices. He said they are "not about Brexit," but "the way in which PwC is expanding its presence outside London, and new ways of working.".

New group to leverage Pivotal Cloud Foundry to help clients run at startup velocity. Accenture and Pivotal Software, Inc., have formed a new business group to help Fortune Global 500 companies and other large enterprises accelerate their software development and innovate at startup speed.

IBM recently revamped its global entrepreneur program which offers credits and benefits to the startup ecosystem. The program is now divided into three levels which are the starter lever, builder level and premium level..

Effective use of data should be at the heart of healthcare management. It should inform all planning, action and decision making. After all, using data to inform diagnoses, treatment planning and evaluation is at the cornerstone of how clinicians care effectively for patients..

The German engineering giant is expecting bumper profits in the wake of a massive restructuring that will also cut thousands of jobs. But Siemens believes a new, leaner structure is vital for long-term growth..

M&A can help sustain competitive relevance in this new and unfamiliar landscape.

With the proliferation of smart meters and cheap sensors, energy and utilities companies are looking to technology as a catalyst for business change. Distributed power generation is eroding traditional revenue streams..

We are delighted to announce that the Crown Commercial Service has appointed RedQuadrant and our consortium to three lots on their Management Consultancy Framework RM3745.