First off, please accept my apologies that you may have received yesterday's post SEVERAL times! I haven't a clue what happened but hope that I've resolved the tech issue. (Dang outsourcing!) Please let me know if it happens ever again (and thanks to those who had!).
Just as a point of note, the "purpose" of this blog has evolved over the past few months since inception. Interestingly (well, at least to me!), nearly every post I write spurs "comments", or feedback, delivered personally to my In-box versus directly to the site. I also get many referrals from subscribers to their colleagues. Very rarely do I stir online discussion as is the case with the very successful blog/discussion forum created by my analyst colleague and close friend Phil Fersht. And there's good reason for this, which I understand, so I am grateful for the trust that has developed of me and FAO Research.
If you are not a current FAO Research subscriber or one of the very few industry insiders who truly knows me well, you may have been "shocked" with my candor from yesterday. "Wow, what prompted such a harsh critique?" said one advisor I know on a friend level. The one, though, that made me smile the most was this below, from a global offshore supplier (Europe BPO head): "Wow, Lisa. That was straight from the heart. I have not read such strong worded commentary for years, on a merger news. And above all everything based on facts. I must compliment you for crafting such a powerful note." The value I strive to bring with this blog (and FAO Research reports) are perspectives crafted to advise based on educated guesstimates not ego, and also to educate/assist not to slaughter.
To close the loop on the HP-EDS situation, in less than 24 hours, I heard from more than 50 industry leaders who all concur with my estimations...and even from an HP senior exec (gulp!!!) calling the post "an interesting perspective." I rarely post feedback from others, but am compelled to present you with some astute comments, with names excluded (and I thank them for their insights):
Sourcing Consultant (managing director of a well-known firm): " Something you might want to point out, although not directly relevant to FAO, is that advisors and lawyers alike are licking their chops over the prospects of reopening and renegotiating every existing EDS outsourcing arrangement in consideration of the "change in control" provisions. I would bet that many EDS customers have already received multiple calls from both advisors and counsel, and that other advisors and lawyers are now busy compiling lists of EDS' clients."
Direct Competitor to HP/EDS - Head of FAO: "I am not at liberty to give you an official view (from my company), but suffice it to say, we have a strategy that we are happy with, and this actually doesn't impact the space we wish to occupy."
Another Direct Supplier Competitor, Globally - Head of FAO: "I found the comments very interesting and thought provoking. I also happen to agree. This is in marked contrast to some other industry "watchers" who are not reading behind the facts and are not using intimate knowledge such as yours."
Yet Another - Head of its US Business Overall: "I read this and agree 100% + !! Very insightful...no one else has come out with this."
Europe-Headquartered Global Outsourcer: "We agree by the way! Little or no effect. We don't see them going anywhere on F&A here in the UK or in Europe for that matter."
Partner at a Global Law Firm: "Very interesting commentary and correct in my eyes of the effect of the merger - don't worry about F&A - just generally, I don't think size is everything, and, in fact, it could be a big pain for existing clients if there are large cultural / integration issues."
Consulting Firm's Lead Principal for Financial Advisory: "Good insight. I concur."
Tier 2 Outsourcers: 1) "Great insight"; 2) "Thank you for the fresh perspective"; 3) "I loved the forthright way that you've penned down your thoughts. Keep going...!"
Chairman of Offshore Advisory Firm: "I like it...Grrrr!"
I appreciate your comments - public on the weblog or private to my In-box. They help keep me grounded and provide insights that affect the services/products we plan to bring to market. (And two people even gave me a grammar lesson yesterday for my improper usage (use?) of AFFECT versus EFFECT.) I encourage you to test your own "hypotheses" and spark challenges on these topics with your colleagues.
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