Search through our UKHotViews and UKHotViewExtra articles plus complete research reports
The highlight of our recent research is Georgina O’Toole’s AnalystViews note on the progress towards shared services in local government. Georgina comments on the outlook for shared services in the sector and the implications for software and IT services suppliers. In other research from our public sector team this month, Tola Sargeant examines healthcare-focussed ‘workforce optimisation’ application provider Allocate Software, which is on a mission to increase its turnover by almost 80% over the next three years (see Allocate Software is ‘one to watch’ in UK healthcare). Meanwhile, in UKHotViewsExtra, our Managing Partner Anthony Miller looks at Infosys’ tough final quarter in more detail and asks ‘is it at the tipping point?’
It’s also been another busy period for TechMarketView in the press. Our coverage includes two quotes in The Times – Richard Holway on Nigel Clifford’s departure from MicroFocus and Anthony Miller on Maxima (both unfortunately now behind the paywall), as well as numerous mentions in the trade press. These include Anthony in Computer Weekly on CSC’s acquisition of iSoft and in Microscope on Computacenter’s stake in ICS Solutions; Tola in CRN on Civica’s latest BSF deal and Georgina in ComputerWorld on G-Cloud director Andy Tait’s move to VMWare.
All of the TechMarketView research mentioned above is of course only accessible to subscribers to TechMarketView’s Foundation and/or PublicSectorViews Services. If you’d like more details on subscriptions please email Deborah Seth.
Posted by HotViews Editor at '08:16'
In the light of current financial pressures, local councils are giving increasingly strong consideration to sharing services with other authorities or other government organisations in order to cut costs.
Our analysis reveals that shared services activity is increasing, but the approach remains piecemeal with authorities carefully considering the potential of sharing on a process by process basis.
Working with the private sector to develop shared services has its advantages, but the types and size of contracts being let to SITS suppliers reflect the cautious approach being taken. While in many cases there is the potential for deals to expand in size to cover additional public sector organisations, there are no guarantees and suppliers must ask if they are willing to take the gamble.
Subscribers to TechMarketView's PublicSectorViews service can read the full analysis in 'UK local government: progress in shared services', available for download now.
Posted by Georgina O'Toole at '08:01' - Tagged: publicsector localgovernment
Allocate Software – the ‘workforce optimisation’ software provider formerly known as Manpower Software – has changed considerably since Ian Bowles came on board as CEO nearly four years ago. It has grown rapidly over the last few years (with a significant contribution from recent acquisitions) and looks set to have a turnover of c£29m in FY11, up from just £8.3m in FY07. Its vertical focus has also changed, so that it now derives 80% of its revenues from healthcare (compared to 29% in 2007).
Although Allocate’s bumper FY11 first half is unlikely to be repeated (because it benefitted from the kick-off of a major Australian contract during the period - see Allocate’s bumper H1 sets in-line year), the management team remains confident of achieving ambitious growth targets in the short to medium term. Bowles told us that he hopes to take Allocate’s market cap from around £55m today to £100m in three years time; or an almost 80% increase in turnover of over the same period to around £50m with an operating profit of c£10m. Can this rate of growth really be achievable in a market characterised by tightening public sector budgets and political uncertainty? Subscribers to TechMarketView’s Foundation Service can read our views in our latest research note, Allocate Software: One to watch in UK healthcare, which is available for download from today.
Posted by Tola Sargeant at '15:08' - Tagged: publicsector health
It’s been another busy quarter for the analysts here at TechMarketView. We’ve published close to 20 reports and analyst notes in addition to the regular stream of HotViews and HotViewsExtra articles that our Foundation Service subscribers enjoy access to.
The quarter has been particularly notable for the launch of our latest research programme, BusinessProcessViews, which provides coverage of the fast moving UK business process services market. Research director John O’Brien published the first in-depth report on the sector back in January (see UK Business Process Services: Spotting the opportunities in 2011).
Other research highlights in the quarter include Georgina O’Toole’s analysis of the UK Local Government SITS Supplier Landscape from February and our various pieces of Cloud-focused research (see for example The UK Cloud Software Market report, or our research notes What’s become of the UK Government’s G-Cloud programme? and Will we see an ‘Ed-Cloud’ before a G-Cloud?).
A full round-up of the research reports and AnalystViews notes that we’ve published in Q1 can be found here. If you’re already a subscriber and you’re not sure how to access them please contact Belinda Tewson for a reminder. If you’ve not yet joined the TechMarketView family and you’d like more information on subscribing, Deborah Seth or Puni Rajah would be only too pleased to help.
Posted by HotViews Editor at '14:00'
