Tech Mahindra has launched Virtualized Mainframe Testing (vMT), a new service that offers clients savings on their mainframe application development and testing costs, especially for applications that are on a maintenance and enhancement/release mode. vMT mostly focuses on reducing consumption of MIPS. In the context of mainframes, reducing MIPs usage is a key lever for lowering costs, as IBM m[...]

Tieto is to cut ~900 to ~950 roles. 300 to 350 of the job cuts will be in Finland and the remaining 600 in APAC (China and India) and Eastern Europe (Poland and Czech Republic). The job redundancy program results from the decision by a major client, representing several percentage points of Tieto's revenues, to insource some of its R&D services. The financial impac[...]

This week Wipro held its first analyst day in the U.S. in over 18 months. During this time, Wipro has conducted a strategic review of its approach to the market, and decided to change its method of engaging clients and prospects.    First CEO TK Kurien opened by describing Wipro’s view of the market: Enterprises were created prior to the current digital era. As a[...]

NelsonHall recently attended CSS Corp’s analyst day and OneWorld conference. The overriding theme of the day was a reinforcement of the company’s direction; CEO Tiger Ramesh emphasized his ambition for CSS Corp to become the leading global tech support service provider, as emphasized in the company’s new by-line “Wired to Support”. A new leadership team has been [...]

NIIT is set to launch its latest offering to the insurance market next week, in the form of an upgraded policy and claims administration system which will join its existing set of insurance tools. NIIT has delivered IT services to its Lloyds of London clients for some 20-years, using its insurance specific tools: Subscribe: NIIT’s existing policy administration platform, a multi-cur[...]

NelsonHall recently attended Infosys’ European analyst and adviser summit held in advance of its “Confluence” customer event. Dr. Vishal Sikka has been in place as CEO for less than two months. During this time he has met with several dozen key clients, held senior exec meetings in Stanford University (his alma mater), visited nearshore delivery centers, including a BPO site i[...]

It’s fair to say that in today’s sourcing marketplace there’s a degree of disenchantment, even cynicism, regarding analyst firms and their ability to deliver genuine business value. Look around and you’ll see no shortage of swipes aimed at the hegemony of the big traditional firms, whose grip on the influencer market and their ‘pay to play’ models, have caused m[...]

Promises of rooftop gardens and new user experience from ADP’s trendy NYC warehouse: From a hip warehouse full of juice bars, fun areas to work and original red brick walls, the theme of the 2014 ADP Analyst Event was ADP is “All in on HCM”, reinforcing its commitment to HCM following the Dealer Services spin off.  The event, newly opened Research Lab in Chelsea, NYC[...]

Last week, ADP hosted its 6th annual analyst day at its new Innovation Lab in NYC.  The space, partly still under construction and featuring a rooftop garden, provides a very collaborative work environment. A current focus at the Lab is creating a new user experience for HR processes. The new user experience for pre-onboarding is live in Vantage HCM, and the benefits en[...]

Visa has announced it is assessing whether to sell its investment in mobile payment software developer and transactions processor Monitise. Visa formed an alliance with Monitise in 2009 to provide Visa with mobile platform development services. The agreement runs through 2016. As part of the agreement, Visa made a capital investment in Monitise and received 14.4% of the company's equity. Ov[...]

Hiring the best talent available, and being able to do this in a timely manner when they are needed, is a top priority of the HR function. For large enterprises, the optimal way to do this is to have candidates available in advance of the job requisition who are part of a talent pool that is already engaged and familiar with the hiring organization’s culture and values, and to make it easy t[...]

Sitel has been awarded a two year 800 FTE CMS contract by Danish telecom provider TDC, following an initial contact that was made with twelve potential suppliers in November 2013. This is TDC’s largest foray into outsourcing its CMS function by agent number and by total value, with headcount representing approximately one third of total CMS capacity. The contract includes the transfer of [...]

Last week, Mercer released preliminary results from its annual national survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans 2014, which discussed health benefit cost expectations for 2015.  Some of the key findings of the survey included: Health benefit costs per employee will increase ~3.9% on average in 2015 or ~5.9% if employers make no changes to their health plans for 2015 Around 32% of em[...]

TCS, Infosys and SQS have recently published their calendar Q1 and H1 2014 revenues, and provided financial details on their software testing revenues (see notes below). In calendar H1 2014 (all numbers below are constant perimeter NelsonHall estimates): TCS: revenues were ~+24% to ~$612m (H1 2013: ~+23%) Infosys: ~+21% to ~$395m (H1 2013: ~+15%) SQS: + 9% to €129m (~$174m) (H1 2[...]

Cognizant is to acquire TriZetto, a healthcare ISV in the U.S., for $2.7bn in cash. TriZetto has a headcount of 3.7k (Cognizant at end of H1 2014: 187k.4). In its last 12 months, TriZetto had $711m in revenues and a non-GAAP operating margin of 18.4% (Cognizant in 2013: 20.6%). TriZetto LTM revenues breakdown by service/product line is: Payer software: 40% (~$277m) Consulting: 23% (~[...]

Concentrix recently briefed NelsonHall about its positioning now that it has essentially completed its acquisition of the former IBM BPO capabilities around customer management services and also some industry-specific services (excluding mortgages, which IBM retained). For details of this acquisition, see "IBM Exits CMS and Most Industry-Specific BPO: Divests Business to Synnex Corp" at:[...]

Alliance Data is to acquire Conversant for $23bn to expand its digital marketing services capabilities. The acquisition will be paid for half in stock and half in cash (at tendering shareholders' discretion). Post closing, Conversant will operate as a part of Epsilon, a digital marketing services division of Alliance Data. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 201[...]

Companies today are increasingly looking to Wellness programs as a means of meeting their business objectives. It’s a two sided-approach and benefit. First, the cost of employees missing work due to sickness, diseases and stress-related illnesses can be significant in terms of healthcare costs and productivity. Per Towers Watson, employer healthcare costs are expected to increase 4.4% [...]

TeleTech recently briefed NelsonHall on its growing healthcare sector business. A few years ago, TeleTech shifted its go-to -market strategy from being capability-led to sector-led. One of its key target sectors is healthcare, where TeleTech’s focus is U.S. tier 1 health insurance payers, providers and life sciences companies, also the personal health products sector. [...]

Mastercard, First Data, and TSYS have partnered with Apple to enable Apple Pay for mobile payments. Apple Pay is a mobile payment service. Apple Pay works with iPhone 5, iPhone 6, and Apple Watch through an NFC antenna design, a dedicated chip called the Secure Element, and Touch ID security. Apple Pay can be set up by users with their credit or debit card on file from their iTunes Store acco[...]