Compaq has agreed to purchase US Internet consultancy Proxicom for $266m, as part of its plan to increase the size of its consulting and services business. The deal will make Proxicom a division of Compaq's Global Services unit, and comes soon after IBM's purchase of Internet consulting firm Mainspring.
UK IT managers feel happy and valued in their jobs, but have little influence over the board, according to new research from IT services provider Synstar International. Of 200 UK, German and Benelux IT managers interviewed, 97% enjoy their jobs and 94% feel valued by their employers, while 60% are becoming more strategic in their roles. It is not all good news, though, as only 6% see themselves with a director’s role in the future, with nearly half thinking they will never see an IT manager on the board.
Business Intelligence is holding its Collaborative Business Forum 2001 at the Cumberland Hotel on 3 July. The event contains keynotes, meetings and discussions with speakers including Peter Drucker (above), the world-famous and influential management thinker, and European business speaker of the year Larry Hochman. Inclusive registration costs £799 + VAT. Contact www.collaborativeenterprise.com
Research from the newly founded Learning and Skills Council says that businesses that invest an extra £50 a week on training grow profits nearly twice as fast as those that don’t. The study, which matched training budgets and attitudes of 800 SMEs to their profits and growth, also found that only one in five companies had training goals for staff but of those that did all saw profit rises. Bryan Sanderson, chairman of the government-funded LSC, said: “Some businesses still question the impact of training on the bottom line. But extra money spent on skills training has a high gearing in terms of profit growth. It makes good business sense.
