Industry news

The issue of data security seems to be a regular feature in sourcingfocus news and today is no exception as Dell Services has signed a deal with Symantec to use its e-mail security platform as the security engine for its Email Management Services (EMS) portfolio of cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications.

Dell has combined the individual strengths of Dell Services and Symantec Hosted Services to offer new e-mail security features and improved functionality to its EMS customers and channel partners. Together they want to offer existing customers heightened protection and expanded hosted offerings, plus to bring the benefits of SaaS to more organisations.

Cloud market revenue to reach nearly 20 billion by 2016

London higher-educational institutions represented by a procurement consortium have awarded contracts worth £310 for the delivery of IT hardware.

The IT hardware contract, which replaces an old framework established in 2009, is due to run for three years with the option to extend for a further year.

The London Universities Purchasing Consortium, which represents 64 higher-educational institutions, awarded contracts to eight suppliers as part of a framework contract, suppliers included Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Samsung and Acer.

The framework contact is separated into three parts with the provision of general services and desktop and laptop provision provided separately.

Scotland awards £100 million procurement framework

Welsh schools move forwards with digital learning

Tesco has entered into talks with partner China Resources Enterprise (CRE), regarding the acquisition of supermarket chain ParknShop, Hong Kong’s leading supermarket chain.

The ParknShop conglomerates are reportedly seeking between £1.9 billion and £2.56 billion for the supermarket chain.

Tesco this month moved to merge its Chinese business arm with CRE, which has Chinese state backing, with both companies looking to increase their market control in the former British colony, where ParknShop holds a 33 per cent market share.

Any bid from Tesco and CRE for ParknShop would face strong competition, with eight bids having already been made for the supermarket chain.

Tesco has sought to merger with larger partner CRE in order to increase growth in China, but the UK chain has so far moved slowly in the country having “adopted a more cautious stance in China" according to the chain, after failure of its Fresh & Easy venture in the U.S.

Tesco increases competitive operations against Amazon

Tesco prepares for mass dot.com store rollout

Research firm Gartner have estimated that it will be at least five years before big data fully matures and delivers on its full potential.

Gartner have revelled in its latest report on new technologies that the slow adoption of big data will mean that it will take between five and ten years before it reaches a “plateau of productivity”.

The report identified obstacles to adoption including a failure to optimise services and develop expertise ahead of tools and services.

Despite the delay in uptake Gartner still ranked the new technology as offering “transformational” potential.

CSC moves to extend data analytics capabilities with start-up acquisition

Study shows rapid uptake in big data usage

The UK economy is expected to grow throughout the rest of 2013 according to the economic thinktank Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The OECD predicted a continued strengthening of the UK economy after the composite index which records growth rates saw a rise to 110.8 in June from 100.6 in February, with 100 representing the expected growth rate.

The expectations on continued economic growth throughout the rest of 2013 and 2014 comes as the UK records a 39 month retail sales high in July, with the manufacturing sector also showing signs of increased workloads.

Royal birth heralds UK economic growth

Jaguar Land Rover (JLS) are rumoured to be in the process of planning for expansion at its Halewood factory in Merseyside.

An expansion, which follows the success of the Range Rover Evoque which is constructed at the site located in Merseyside, could create up to 1,000 new positions.

The Range Rover Evoque has sold 210,190 units between January and June, with increased demand coming from China.

JLS have so far said that such rumours are pure speculation, but chose not to confirm or deny the construction of new facilities at the Halewood site.

Jaguar Land Rover creates 800 jobs in Solihull

Jaguar Land Rover moves production to China

Indian based Tech Mahindra Limited have revealed 27 per cent growth for the quarter ending June 30th, with revenue of Rs 4,103, an increase of 21.7 percent year-on-year.

The strong quarterly reports come after a recent merger between Mahindra Satyam which led to the creation of the fifth largest Indian IT outsourcing company with 84,000 employees worldwide.

Vineet Nayyar, Executive Vice Chairman, Tech Mahindra, said, “We have completed one of the largest mergers in Indian corporate space this quarter in a seamless fashion, fulfilling the commitment we made in April 2009. Our robust performance reinforces our belief in the inherent strength and cross leveraging possibilities, for the integrated entity.”

Major Indian IT outsourcers announce merger

Gloucestershire NHS Trust has placed tender for an integrated clinical information system.

The eight-year contract to provide a modern information and administration capable system would extend to Northern Devon trusts and Yeovil District trusts who have grouped together to tender.

The requirement for a new information system comes as the old patient systems employed by the NHS trusts become increasingly outdated.

Requirements for the new system include increased integration, real-time data, increased speed and an end to paper records.

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust described how the tendering process is expected to secure a service which "will underpin improvements in care for years to come."

NHS Trust signs seven year ITO deal with CGI

arvato secures HR contract with East Cheshire NHS Trust

The Ministry of Justice has awarded a contract to supply tracking services as part of the creation of an electronic tagging programme, to SME supplier Buddi, a specialist supplier of tracking services.

Buddi will work alongside outsourcing giant Capita to create a deliver a tagging service which is expected to be promoted to other public departments.

Buddi will provide software and tracker tags to the programme while Capita co-ordinate the project as overall services and systems integrator, other suppliers include Astrium and Telefónica.

The employment of SME specialist comes as part of the government’s attempts to encourage SME employment in public contracts to deliver value and specialist services.

The MoJ stated: “With Buddi forming part of today's announcement it sends an important message to the market that the government is serious about making our contracts accessible to SMEs".

Capita secures multimillion MoJ electronic tagging contract

MoJ scraps procurement programme

The cloud market will generate nearly $20 billion in revenue by the end of 2016, according to a new report from Market Monitor, part of 451 Research.

The report looked at the expected growth of IaaS, PaaS and SaaS in the cloud market and predicted an increase in compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26 per cent.

The report which saw predictions from a multitude of sector analyst forecasted the continued growth of cloud uptake.

Yulitza Peraza, analyst at 451 Research and coauthor of the report, said: “Cloud computing is on the upswing and demand for public cloud services remains strong", but added that cloud adoption faced obstacles in the form of “security concerns,

transparency and trust issues workload readiness and internal non-IT-related organizational issues."

Businesses look to hybrid cloud says new research

Accenture deploys cloud platform for NHS radiology centres