VAR500 Roundup: CSC Seen As Takeover Target, Accenture Starts Skills Program, And More

VAR500 Roundup

This week, two VAR500 firms made sizable contributions to charity, highlighting the industry's concern for their communities as the economy makes a slow recovery. Another solution provider was recognized for its work in a California city, while an Indian consultancy announced it was building a 10,000-seat facility for training purposes. Rounding out the news is a prominent integrator being named in an analyst's note as a likely takeover target.

CSC A Takeover Target?

Last week, a Jefferies & Co. analyst reportedly said in a note to investors that Computer Sciences Corp. (2010 VAR500 rank: 6) could be an attractive takeover target for a private-equity company. The analyst also raised his rating on the stock to ’buy’ from ’hold.’

CSC has made moves during the past two years to significantly cut debt, although its stock price remains low. According to the reports, the analyst said a leveraged buyout at $56 a share would result in an internal return of greater than 25 percent during a five-year period. Tuesday morning, the stock was at $42.66 a share.

Xerox's ACS Honored For City Of Riverside Project

Affiliated Computer Services, the services arm of Xerox, (VAR500 rank: 17), has won the Exceptional Service Award in Public Safety, Public Works and Administration, part of the 2010 Best Fit Integrator Awards from e.Republic’s Center for Digital Government. The award recognized ACS’ ability to develop specialized technology to help the City of Riverside, Calif., better serve its residents.

Previously, Riverside’s technology solutions were built independently of one another. Applications are now integrated with existing systems allowing solutions to be deployed faster.

’ACS’ work with the City of Riverside shows our commitment to projects that can lower costs and improve services," said Joseph Doherty, executive vice president and group president, ACS Government Solutions.

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CDW Joins Forces With Non-Profit NetHope

CDW, (2010 VAR500 rank: 15), will work with NetHope, a non-profit collaborative of technology leaders from 31 international non-governmental organizations, to deliver and manage 25,000 licenses of Adobe Acrobat software to the group's members.

CDW's licensing services and delivery will help NetHope's member NGOs to boost productivity and facilitate collaboration. CDW also built and hosts a customized portal through which NetHope members can track usage of the Adobe software.

"Licensing management is just one of the many services CDW offers to our customers," Pat Kohl, CDW senior manager, Non-profit, said, "and it is especially fulfilling to provide such services to organizations dedicated to improving the human condition."

Accenture Contributes $100 Million+ To Worker Skills Program

Accenture, (2010 VAR500 rank: 5), will, by 2015, provide 250,000 people worldwide with the skills to get a job or start a business via its Skills to Succeed program.

Accenture and the Accenture Foundations will contribute more than $100 million during a three-year period toward global and local projects, as well as pro bono contributions of time and Accenture employee skills. "Skills to Succeed capitalizes on [our employees'] experience and expertise to bring it to people looking to learn, grow and raise their level of accomplishment by enabling them to make a sustainable difference to their economic vitality, as well as to the economic vitality of their families and communities, said William D. Green, Accenture chairman and CEO.

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Tata Builds 10,000-Seat Training Facility

Tata Consultancy Services, (2010 VAR500 rank: 23), is building a new learning and development campus in India's state of Kerala. When complete, the new campus will accommodate up to 10,000 professionals and offer TCS’ learning curriculum to candidates joining TCS straight from college.

’The 10,000-seat campus will set the global benchmark for corporate learning institutions in terms of the physical infrastructure available as well as the holistic professional and personal development programs that will be available,’ said N. Chandrasekaran, M.D., CEO of TCS.