--- On Wed, 12/2/09, Rick Fochtman <rfocht...@ync.net> wrote: From: Rick Fochtman <rfocht...@ync.net> Subject: Re: Now is time for banks to replace core system according to Accenture To: IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2009, 5:53 PM
--------------------------<snip>--------------------------------- >While this discussion has evolved into a discourse on HLLs and library >support, I would like to make an observation. > >A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Accenture was Arthur Anderson >Consulting. My company contracted with them to assess the status of our >technology and its direction. While it was a foregone conclusion they >would recommend a shift to UNIX, I was totally underwhelmed by the >'mainframe acumen' of their staff. Arthur Anderson used this venture as >an OJT exercise for their staff. Their staff probably just finished >their BA and or equivalent thereof which included a working knowledge of >Windows and the Internet. Further, the vast majority of their survey >and results came from cutting and pasting from articles on the Internet. > >My conclusion is that Accenture probably doesn't has a dwindling staff >to support a mainframe system and/or application. But, what it does >have is a group of young, eager non-mainframe people and if they can >convince banks to move off of the mainframe, they've got business. > > I have a good friend that works at Accenture. he could probably answer this better than I could but here it goes. ACCENTURE is like any other gun for hire firm. They have a good selection of people from broad backgrounds and you generally do not get their top people *UNLESS* there is some back room "stuff" going on. Once such example is that whoever is dealing with them (Accenture) has let it be known that there is a *HUGE* contract that can be won if Accenture gets a fecent stab at getting it they will get their best people but mind you it has to be a *LARGE* contract. My friend who used to be a SNA type expert is now a full VP (maybe even executive VP I do not know (or care) about titles at Accenture). He went from an an SNA systems type to a full partner. Of course to get there he had to do some relocations all over the world. He even speaks with the big wigs (regularly) at MS and does a bit of bargaining with them as well. I do know that a lot of their promotions are done because of the flexibility people show to relocate. Right now he spends 70 percent of his time in airlines flying to India and Europe (as well as other places in SE Asia). I do not remember precisely what went on with the Arthur Anderson "explosion" but what little I heard (at least at the board level) it came across as that the rest of Anderson expected this and had plans for the worse case scenario. The whole thing came across as a little too smooth so I am guessing that it had been though a "what if" scenario before hand. I do NOT have inside knowledge just an outsider that adds 2+2. The current Accenture has changed perhaps a little for the better (I do not know) but I have the feeling people are a little happier that they do not have to put up with the Arthur Anderson people. My friend has been in on some pretty big Accenture contracts. I think he would rather I not say which ones here, but I still am getting vibes its a cut throat there and you can fall from grace too easily. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@bama.ua.edu with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
