Information technology major HP Enterprise Services has expanded its telecom offerings to assist customers in the planning and execution of transformation strategies.

Aimed at strengthening its consulting services and management software businesses, HP has expanded two portfolios that support communications service providers (CSPs).

The new businesses include HP Solutions Consulting Services (HP SCS) and HP Operations Support Systems Transformation solutions for network and service management.

Telecom service providers can gain as these two portfolios offer expertise and tools for business transformation, including strategic and financial advisory, operational analysis, transformation management, and a full portfolio of operations support systems (OSS) software and integration services.

“CSPs can plan and execute transformation strategies with HP Solutions Consulting Services and HP OSS Transformation solutions,” said David Sliter, vice president and general manager, Communications and Media Solutions, HP Enterprise Services.

“To grow, CSPs need to enhance the customer experience, and that means fact-based transformation strategies, tight governance and automated solutions,” Sliter added.

With this, the IT major is adding new prepackaged solutions combining consultancy, software and a full services life cycle to its OSS Transformation portfolio.

The new assurance solutions are designed to improve the customer experience, reduce complexity and cost, and lay the groundwork for business growth. With pretested and prepackaged solutions, service providers can accelerate time-to-value.

The company expanded its HP SCS portfolio to include a benchmarking capability designed to help CSPs compare business and operational performance against peers, competitors and industry practices.

HP SCS Benchmarking is the foundation for the HP SCS Strategic and Financial Advisory, a new set of capabilities that enable telcos to complete business transformation strategies based on quantitative knowledge of current performance and alignment of business improvement initiatives to strategic objectives.

Earlier in March, HP announced that Bulgarian telecommunications provider VIVACOM would deploy HP’s next-generation intelligent network (NGIN), which is expected to help upwards of 600,000 pre-paid and virtual private network users reach optimized and tailored fixed and mobile services experiences.

Nearly 60 percent of 196 surveyed hospital executives expected budget increases in 2011. During the next five years, 70 percent of respondents predicted larger budgets and are planning to increase purchasing in multiple areas, including IT (58 percent), facilities (38 percent), large medical devices (37 percent), small medical devices (21 percent) and disposables (28 percent), according to the Boston-based consulting firm’s survey.

Supplier negotiations will be central to controlling costs, which has hospitals increasingly turning to group purchasing organizations (GPOs) to help negotiate the best rates possible, L.E.K. stated. According to the L.E.K. survey, more than half of respondents expect to use GPOs more by 2015. Some hospitals have also started to approach GPOs to procure high-priced capital equipment in addition to low-price, high-volume items.

Hospitals plan to address the new federal pricing reimbursement models by enhancing their ability to demonstrate the efficacy and support the monitoring required to track improvements in quality and patient safety, while also reducing medical errors, the report noted. “Most of the executives surveyed are willing to pay a 10-15 percent premium on average for disposables that demonstrate an ability to reduce medical errors and infection rates.”
Survey respondents were asked to assess how well global medical technology providers scored on selection criteria across 11 categories. Providers received high marks for product quality and innovation, as well as providing clinical data. However, companies fell short in several areas that hospital executives believe will be critical during the next five years, including reimbursement, full product partnerships and the ability to share risk.

Medical technology companies that deliver good clinical data will help insurers set advantageous rates for hospitals, and will also help sway hospitals’ medical technology purchasing decisions, the report concluded. “Additionally, sharing risk and providing a full suite will play an increasing role in determining which [medical technology] suppliers hospitals use. Products with demonstrated support for improved treatment quality, patient safety and reduction of medical errors will also continue to stand out in the market.”

“Many hospitals are struggling with how to cope with the increased patient flow in an environment that is demanding higher quality and performance in the delivery of care,” said James H. Roth, chief executive officer, Huron Consulting Group. “Pat has a vast clinical and operations background helping hospitals manage patient flow while still maintaining and improving quality. We are pleased to welcome her to the Huron Healthcare team.”

Cooper has more than 30 years of experience in hospital operations. Cooper comes to Huron Healthcare from Quorum Health Resources, where she served as vice president, patient services. In her consulting experience, she led reengineering projects, productivity enhancement projects, operations improvements and strategic planning within most product lines. Additionally, Cooper has deep knowledge of nursing unit management and has worked as both a senior nursing executive and a nurse practitioner.

At Huron Healthcare, Cooper will assist hospital and healthcare clients address increased patient demand while continuing to balance quality of care. Specifically, she will be responsible for helping clients maximize patient flow in the hospital inpatient, perioperative and emergency department settings and enhance financial performance. Cooper holds a Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) from the University of Tennessee and is a Registered Nurse (RN).

About Wellspring+Stockamp, Huron Healthcare

Wellspring+Stockamp, Huron Healthcare partners with clients to provide comprehensive performance improvement solutions that improve quality, increase revenue, reduce expenses, and increase physician, patient, and employee satisfaction across the healthcare enterprise. Clients include national and regional integrated healthcare systems, leading academic medical centers, community hospitals and physician practices. Wellspring+Stockamp resides in Huron Consulting Group’s Health and Education Consulting segment. This segment accounted for nearly 60% of Huron’s revenues for the full year 2009. Modern Healthcare ranked Huron Healthcare third on its 2010 list of the top 15 largest healthcare management consulting firms.

About Huron Consulting Group

Huron Consulting Group helps clients in diverse industries improve performance, comply with complex regulations, reduce costs, recover from distress, leverage technology, and stimulate growth. The Company teams with its clients to deliver sustainable and measurable results. Huron provides services to a wide variety of both financially sound and distressed organizations, including healthcare organizations, Fortune 500 companies, leading academic institutions, medium-sized businesses, and the law firms that represent these various organizations. Learn more at www.huronconsultinggroup.com.

The new joint venture will provide merchandising and marketing services and have national market presence in the country.

The new joint venture will be called SPAR (Shanghai) Marketing Management Company. Spar will own 51% of the joint venture while Shanghai Wedone Marketing Consulting will own 49% in accordance with the laws of China. The new company will provide merchandising and related marketing services to manufacturers and retailers throughout China.

Gary Raymond, president and CEO of Spar Group, said: “It is no secret that China is one of the fastest growing economies and most promising markets for our marketing and specialty merchandising services. We have researched diligently to find a synergistic partner to maximize the value of our presence in China and are pleased to reach an agreement with Shanghai Wedone. We believe the team at Shanghai Wedone Marketing is the optimal partner to continue our growth in China.”
From:www.americanchronicle.com

The good news: “As an industry overall, asset management remains an incredibly attractive space,” said Brent S. Beardsley, BCG partner and managing director. Operating margins, boosted by better product mix and higher AUM, were forecast for 31 to 35 percent for this year; it’s not as good as the historic peak of 40 percent back in 2006 but far better than many other businesses.

There’s still plenty of work ahead for asset managers. The report measured the value of professionally managed assets in 2009 at $52.6 trillion, up 12 percent, but only about 1 percent resulted from new net inflows. The playing field is changing.

Private investors are demanding greater transparency, particularly with hedge funds. Beardsley said some clients are telling funds they want their stakes invested separately from other pooled funds. That can drive costs up. There’s also pricing pressure; some new hedge funds are charging a 1.5 percent management fee and a 15 percent performance fee, down from the traditional 2-and-20 pricing, the BCG report says. Profits also are being pressured by the growing popularity of passive investments such as exchange traded funds, although there is “little danger” of actively managed investing falling out of favor, particularly with institutional investors, the report adds.

A range of strategies can help managers navigate the waters ahead, BCG says. A sharpened business model, “making bolder choices regarding products, target markets and distribution,” is recommended, along with considering growth opportunities abroad. Mergers and acquisitions could be worth exploring. (Aspiriant Investment Advisors said Monday it will acquire Deloitte Investment Advisors LLC, the fee-only RIA owned by Deloitte Tax LLP, in a deal expected to close in September.) But for the most part the market has languished this year. “There’s a lot of talking, but not a lot of buying,” Beardsley said. Clients tell him that attractive businesses appear priced too richly, while the less-expensive offerings don’t meet their strategic needs. Kumar believes some good M&A deals can be had. “There are economies of scale and scope to gain if you do it right,” he said, but added, “Putting people-based businesses together is never easy.”

This acquisition will boost Hewitt’s existing investment consulting capabilities in the United States and support its global growth plans. EnnisKnupp provides investment consulting services to corporations, public funds, endowments, foundations and non-for-profits.

Once this transaction is complete, Hewitt will be one of the largest providers of investment consulting services globally with nearly $3 trillion in assets under advisement.

Financial terms were not disclosed. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close later this year.

Aon will pay $50 per Hewitt share, representing a 41 percent premium to Hewitt’s closing stock price of $35.40 on Friday.

Aon plans to integrate Hewitt with its existing consulting and outsourcing operations and operate the segment under the newly created Aon Hewitt brand, the company said.

“This merger will give us a broader portfolio of innovative products and services focused on what we believe are two of the most important topics in the global economy today – risk and people,” Aon chief executive Greg Case said on Monday.

Hewitt stockholders will receive $25.61 in cash and about 0.6362 percent of a share in Aon stock for each Hewitt share. The total payment will be $2.45 billion in cash and issue of 64 million shares.

The companies expect the deal to save about $355 million annually by 2013 through reduction in back-office areas and other impacts. The transaction is expected to close by mid-November.

49 percent of Aon Hewitt’s operation by revenue would be consulting, 40 percent would be benefits outsourcing and 11 percent would be from HR business process outsourcing, Aon said in a statement.

Aon expects the transaction to add to its earnings on a GAAP basis in 2012 and on an adjusted basis in 2011. Aon expects the deal to be significantly help cash earnings in 2011. Aon bought reinsurance broker Benfield Group Ltd. for $1.4 billion, or 350 pence a share, in 2008.

Credit Suisse Group AG acted as a financial adviser to Aon and Citigroup Inc. advised Hewitt on the transaction.

Hewitt helps more than 3,000 clients and serves nearly two-thirds of the FORTUNE 500. The company handles more than 117 million human resources-related customer interactions a year for nearly 16 million employees, retirees, and their families.

Shares of Aon closed at $38.34 on Friday on the NYSE.
News From:IBTIMES.COM

Rankings methodology:For the 2008 Vault consulting survey, we selected a list of top consulting firms to include. These consulting firms were chosen because of their prominence in the consulting industry and their interest to consulting job seekers. This year, over 4,000 consultants responded to our survey.
The Vault survey was distributed to the firms on Vault’s list in spring 2008. In some cases, Vault contacted practicing consultants directly. Survey respondents were asked to rate each consulting firm on the survey on a scale of 1 to 10 based on prestige, with 10 being the most prestigious. Consultants were unable to rate their own firm, and they were asked to rate only those firms with which they were familiar.

Vault collected the survey results and averaged the score for each firm. The firms were then ranked, with the highest score being No. 1, down to No. 50.

We also asked survey respondents to give their perceptions of other consulting firms besides their own. A selection of those comments is featured on each firm profile as The Buzz.

Remember that Vault’s top-50 strategy consulting firms are chosen by practicing consultants at top consulting firms. Vault does not choose or influence the rankings. The rankings measure perceived prestige (as determined by consulting professionals) and not revenue, size or lifestyle.