The market faces challenges such as the high cost of designing and producing large-scale armored vehicles, mechanical and electrical malfunctions, and political instability. Routine maintenance is crucial for these vehicles, but it comes at a substantial cost, ranging from USD 300,000 to USD 1 million, impacting market growth.

Global Armored Vehicle Market Size To Reach USD 41.27 Billion In 2032 | Emergen Research

Volkswagen has announced that it will be reviving the 'Scout' moniker as its EV off-roading brand, and here's why we can't wait for it to arrive.

Why The Revival Of The Volkswagen 'Scout' Is A Big Deal

manufacturing facility from Navistar, a subsidiary of German automaker Volkswagon ... the prospect of Toyota lengthening its U.S. supply chain. A 2003 article in Automotive News said, in reference to Toyota’s decision to come to San Antonio ...

Garcia: JCB factory shows Toyota's monumental economic impact on San Antonio

Navistar Inc. ("Navistar") announced the start of production on the new International® S13 Integrated Powertrain at the company's Huntsville, Alabama, production facility. The International S13 Integrated Powertrain?

Navistar Celebrates the Start of the International® S13 Integrated Powertrain Production at Huntsville Plant

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Oct. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Navistar Inc. ("Navistar") announced the start of production on the new International ® S13 Integrated Powertrain at the company's Huntsville, Alabama, production facility. The International S13 Integrated ...

International’s S13 Integrated Powertrain—which comprises the S13 Engine, T14 Transmission, and dual-stage aftertreatment system—marks the final internal combustion product Navistar will ...

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On October 15, 2023, the Chery International User Summit was held ... intelligent solutions for mobile travel and innovating a new automotive ecosystem. Solving the actual pain points of user ...

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China Grand Automotive Services Ltd. is the largest Automotive Services company and dealer in China.

International bonds: China Grand Automotive Services, 5.625% perp., USD (XS1706083489)

Get the most recent info and news about Navistar International on HackerNoon, where 10k+ technologists publish stories for 4M+ monthly readers.

Navistar International Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells commercial trucks, diesel engines, school and commercial buses, and service parts for trucks and diesel engines worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Truck, Parts, Global Operations, and Financial Services. It manufactures and distributes Class 4 through 8 trucks and buses in the common carrier, private carrier, government, leasing, construction, energy/petroleum, and student and commercial transportation markets under the International and IC brands; and designs, engineers, and produces sheet metal components, including truck cabs and engines. The company also provides customers with proprietary products needed to support the International commercial truck, IC bus, and engine lines, as well as other product lines; and a selection of other standard truck, trailer, and engine aftermarket parts. In addition, it manufactures and distributes mid-range diesel engines, as well as provides customers with additional engine offerings in the agriculture, marine, genset, and light truck markets; sells engines to original equipment manufacturers (OEM) for various on-and-off-road applications; and offers contract manufacturing services under the MWM brand to OEMs for the assembly of their engines. Further, the company provides retail, wholesale, and lease financing of products of its trucks and parts, as well as financing for wholesale and retail accounts receivable. Additionally, it offers military parts and chasis. The company markets its commercial products through an independent dealer network, as well as through retail outlets; and its reconditioned used trucks to owner-operators and fleet buyers through its network of used truck dealers. It operates approximately 1,052 outlets in the United States and Canada, and 89 outlets in Mexico. Navistar International Corporation was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Lisle, Illinois.

Navistar International

Top 30 Cloud Consulting Companies to Take Notice of in 2020

Get to know the top software outsourcing company and 29 more runners-up in this latest market research by Explority. Last year, the global outsourcing market at 85.6 billion US dollars. A notable part of this market, outsourcing software development is not subsiding either. was valued at The reasons behind this upward trend are understandable: according to the , businesses turn to outsourcing as it brings cost optimization and makes them more agile, efficient, and effective. Deloitte Global Outsourcing Survey 2018 With the growing popularity of outsourcing as a service, hundreds of IT companies started positioning it as one of their core capabilities and strengths. But do all of these firms prove to be so skilled in delivering outsourcing software development? To help you define who’s who in today’s outsourcing market, we have assembled the list of the most trustworthy vendors ready to handle software development, UI/UX design, and disruptive technologies. To make the list objective, we ranked the companies according to the following criteria: technological strength ability to ensure project security focus on innovation diversity and complexity of completed projects geographical flexibility Below, we present 30 outsourcing software development companies that have showed the highest scores in these criteria over the last 12 months. 1. Iflexion Founded in 1999, Iflexion houses 850+ experts in outsourcing software development, integration, business analysis, QA, and project management. Iflexion delivers such services as custom software development for end business users, product development, and DevOps enablement, among others. The company also provides dedicated development teams and is ready to boost their software solutions with emerging technologies like AI, AR, and big data, should the project require it. Iflexion has worked with such market giants as Philips, Expedia, Toyota, and adidas, with more than 1,500 completed projects for clients in 30+ countries overall. Location: Denver, CO Founded: 1999 Major Clients: Google, eBay, PayPal, Philips, Expedia, Toyota, adidas Number of Employees: 50-249 Industry Presence: IT, Hospitality, Retail, Media, Finance Website: https://www.iflexion.com/ 2. 10Pearls With more than 350 mobile developers, software developers, designers, and researchers worldwide, 10Pearls augments businesses’ capabilities with their technological expertise. 10Pearls creates applications driven by such emerging technologies as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and augmented reality. Location: Vienna, VA Founded: 2004 Major Clients: National Geographic, Johnson & Johnson, AARP, Nextel Number of Employees: 250-999 Industry Presence: Healthcare, Media, Finance, Transportation Website: https://10pearls.com/ 3. Orases Since 2000, Orases has been delivering strategy, branding, interface design, and full-stack outsourcing software development to more than 750 clients from ten countries all around the world. The company expertizes in building products to be integrated with other systems: ERP, CRM, EMR, and others. Orases also delivers branding services, including brand, communication and social media strategies. Location: Frederick, MD Founded: 2000 Major Clients: NFL, Johns Hopkins University, Frederick County Bank, Major League Baseball Number of Employees: 10-49 Industry Presence: Healthcare, Finance, Sports Website: https://orases.com/ 4. Trigent Software US-based Trigent Software has been providing outsourcing software development  since 1995. The company delivers consulting, design, and development across cloud, mobility, business intelligence, product engineering, and emerging tech domains. Over the years, the company have designed more than 400 products adopted in large and small enterprises alike. Location: Fayville, MA Founded: 1995 Major Clients: Navistar, NEPC, Honeywell, Hewlett-Packard, American Heart Association Number of Employees: 250-999 Industry Presence: Finance, Healthcare, IT, Education, Transportation Website: https://www.trigent.com/ 5. Spiria Spiria is a Canadian custom software development company that has been delivering outsourcing software development for more than 15 years. Spiria offers web, mobile and UX/UI design development. Spiria specializes in user-friendly and responsive websites, from ecommerce stores to secure intranets. The company also delivers embedded systems, IoT solutions, and M2M solutions. Location: Montreal, Canada Founded: 2003 Major Clients: Autodesk, Shutterstock, Disney, Paymi, DogWatch, Evenko Number of Employees: 50-249 Industry Presence: IT, Education, Manufacturing Website: https://www.spiria.com/ 6. Fingent With an active client base across four continents and 250+ specialists on board, Fingent remains a competitive outsourcing software development company for over 15 years. They offer enterprise software development, web application development, data analytics, and digital transformation consulting. Location: White Plains, NY Founded: 2003 Major Clients: Sony, Johnson & Johnson, University of North Carolina, PwC, CBN Number of Employees: 50-249 Industry Presence: Transportation, Real Estate, Finance Website: https://www.fingent.com/ 7. STX Next Poland-based STX Next has 170+ Python, React Native, JavaScript, Android, iOS, and full-stack developers ready to take up outsourcing software development. The company also offers product design and software testing. STX Next offers end-to-end development, team extension, and project takeover. It also works with startups, helping them enter the market and scale throughout product lifecycles. Location: Poznań, Poland Founded: 2005 Major Clients: Seerene, Verve, Pixomondo, Unity, Lamden Number of Employees: 250-999 Industry Presence: Finance, IT, Real Estate Website: https://stxnext.com/ 8. Praxent Operating for more than 20 years, Praxent has delivered more than 300 software solutions in the areas of mobile and web applications development, web portals, and legacy software modernization. Besides, Praxent offers human-centered design development, branding, and rapid prototyping. Location: Austin, TX Founded: 2000 Major Clients: Cisco, Kinder Morgan, Sysco, World Market, Flex, Keller Williams Number of Employees: 50-249 Industry Presence: Finance, Healthcare, IT Website: https://praxent.com/ 9. The Software House With 129 specialists on board and 150+ successfully delivered projects, The Software House offers the following services in the niche of outsourcing software development: web and mobile development, digital product design, QA, and DevOps services. The Software House’s technological expertise includes React, Node.js, Angular, iOS, Android, and React Native. Location: Gliwice, Poland Founded: 2012 Major Clients: Smartum, Synerise, eSky Number of Employees: 50-249 Industry Presence: Finance, Manufacturing, Healthcare Website: https://tsh.io/ 10. AgileEngine Over the past nine years, AgileEngine has delivered more than 70 projects in outsourcing software development, including risk modeling and case management software, tracking platforms, and BI tools. Besides UI, web, mobile, and enterprise software development, AgileEngine provides QA services that include load, stress, performance, security, and usability testing. Location: McLean, VA Founded: 2010 Major Clients: Needles, Logi Analytics, Farmers Edge, LivingSocial Number of Employees: 250-999 Industry Presence: IT, Healthcare Website: https://agileengine.com/ 11. Highland Solutions Established in 1999, Highland Solutions is a Chicago-based custom software development company that engineers and integrates web and mobile applications, multi-tenant custom platforms, and CRM systems. Highland Solutions also offers development of OutSystems low-code platforms that automate time-consuming and monotonous manual tasks. Location: Chicago, IL Founded: 1999 Major Clients: Thrivent Financial, The Delta Institute, Morton Arboretum, Creative Group, Harvard University Health Services Number of Employees: 10-49 Industry Presence: Finance, Manufacturing, Education, Healthcare, IT Website: https://highlandsolutions.com/ 12. Merixstudio Since 1999, Merixstudio has provided outsourcing software development to more than 200 customers from a variety of market segments. The software development company specializes in web development, Python programming, frontend development, React Native mobile development, and UX/UI design. Location: Poznań, Poland Founded: 1999 Major Clients: Fox, The Independent, DFJ, Divio Number of Employees: 50-249 Industry Presence: Finance, Education, Real Estate, Sport Website: https://www.merixstudio.com/ 13. Caxy Interactive Serving outsourcing software development from its Chicago-based office, Caxy Interactive expertizes in Drupal, JavaScript, and Python development, ecommerce solutions, and machine learning. The software development company also offers strategy development and Agile consulting services. Besides, Caxy Interactive takes up UX and web design projects. Location: Chicago, IL Founded: 1999 Major Clients: International Code Council, The Field Museum, Rush University Medical Center, Uptake Technologies Number of Employees: 10-49 Industry Presence: Finance, Education, Manufacturing, IT Website: https://www.caxy.com/ 14. Boldare Founded in 2004, Boldare was formed after a merger of two software development companies, XSolve and Chilid. So far, the company’s team of 130+ technological experts have delivered 250+ projects. Boldare provides full-cycle outsourcing software development, prototyping, and design. It also offers digital transformation services. Location: Gliwice, Poland Founded: 2004 Major Clients: BlaBlaCar, Sonnen, Takamol, Holiday Taxis, Agnito Number of Employees: 50-249 Industry Presence: Energy, Media, Ecommerce, Healthcare Website: https://www.boldare.com/ 15. MojoTech US-located MojoTech outsourcing software development and engineering, UX/UI design, and digital transformation services. Besides, the company mentors their clients’ in-house IT teams. For more than 11 years of their market presence, MojoTech’s team of 65 delivered 150+ software development projects. Location: Providence, RI Founded: 2008 Major Clients: AccuWeather, Aetna, Groove, Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Way Number of Employees: 10-49 Industry Presence: Finance, Consumer Services, IT Website: https://www.mojotech.com/ 16. ClearSummit ClearSummit is a software development company offering mobile and web app development, frontend and backend development, and UI/UX design. The company also offers discovery and technical advisory consultations. Additionally, ClearSummit offers software maintenance and support services to help clients fix bugs and upgrade their systems. Location: Marina del Rey, CA Founded: 2014 Major Clients: Belkin, TuneRegistry, SCH Travel, Musea Number of Employees: 10-49 Industry Presence: Consumer Services, IT, Media, Real Estate Website: http://clearsumm.it 17. Future Processing Established in 2000, Future Processing have delivered 500 solutions to 150+ clients from all over the world. The company’s expertise in outsourcing software development includes software development and consulting using .NET, Java, React, Angular, and other programming languages. The software development company brings to its clients such emerging technologies as AI, blockchain, and big data analytics, and delivers software audit and business intelligence setup. Location: Gliwice, Poland Founded: 2000 Major Clients: Tenneco, Ista, Valeo, TechSoup, Thomas Miller Number of Employees: 250-999 Industry Presence: Finance, Healthcare, Transportation, Real Estate Website: https://www.future-processing.com/ 18. Moove It Being a leading outsourcing software development company, Moove It offers product discovery, web and mobile apps development, testing automation, as well as digital transformation services. Besides these, the company provides technological and Agile coaching. Location: Austin, TX Founded: 2006 Major Clients: Unilever, Verifone, Disney, Sierra Wireless Number of Employees: 50-249 Industry Presence: Consumer Services, Education, Finance, Healthcare, IT Website: https://moove-it.com/ 19. iTexico Since its inception in 2010, iTexico has been delivering UI/UX design, software engineering, QA, mobile and cloud development from its six US-based offices. To make their outsourcing software development as efficient as possible, iTexico follows Agile, DevOps, and Lean methodologies. Location: Austin, TX Founded: 2010 Major Clients: Undisclosed Number of Employees: 50-249 Industry Presence: IT, Healthcare, Manufacturing Website: https://www.itexico.com/ 20. Django Stars European company Django Stars has been delivering its software solutions for almost 11 years. The company offers web and mobile app development, design, and QA. Django Stars also expertizes in data science, data architecture, intelligent chatbots, and big data analytics. The company’s core strength is in its Python development expertise: Django Stars promises to create any type of product using this programming language. Location: Kiev, Ukraine Founded: 2008 Major Clients: MoneyPark, Sindeo, Molo Finance, Clear Minds Number of Employees: 50-249 Industry Presence: Finance, Transportation, Healthcare, Real Estate, Hospitality Website: https://djangostars.com 21. Spire Digital US-based Spire Digital boasts 300+ products launched and 600+ clients served to an overall 98% satisfaction rate. The company delivers digital transformation, Agile process optimization, CX research, data science consulting, and lean product development. Besides all of these and expertise in AI, blockchain, and IoT, Spire Digital offers digital marketing strategy development. Location: Denver, CO Founded: 1998 Major Clients: TomTom, Lockheed Martin, US Navy, Helix, Western Union Number of Employees: 50-249 Industry Presence: Education, Finance, Healthcare, Ecommerce Website: https://www.spiredigital.com/ 22. KitelyTech Delivering to clients of all sizes, including startups and Fortune 500 companies, KitelyTech offers web and mobile app design, ecommerce solutions, data analytics consulting, QA, and more. The company offers SEO services as well. Among the emerging technologies that KitelyTech is offering, there are AI, blockchain, and AR. Location: Chicago, IL Founded: 2009 Major Clients: Karrot Health, Plastic Surgery Clinic of Chicago, Olympus, J.P. McMahon Number of Employees: 50-249 Industry Presence: Healthcare, IT, Transportation Website: https://kitelytech.com/ 23. Table XI US-based Table XI has been a trusted supplier of outsourcing software development for over 16 years. The company provides digital strategy and product design, along with mobile and custom web development. So far, the company have joined forces with at least 100 global clients. Location: Chicago, IL Founded: 2002 Major Clients: Dept. of Medicine of the Northwestern University, Journal for the American Medical Association, AccuWeather, Dickson Number of Employees: 10-49 Industry Presence: Healthcare, Manufacturing, Education Website: https://www.tablexi.com/ 24. Syberry Having a 94% client retention rate, Syberry serves at least 20 industries in the US alone. The company provides a whole range of services, including custom software development, QA, business analysis, and technology consulting. Syberry’s expertise also includes cloud, ERP, SaaS, big data, blockchain, and IoT. Location: Austin, TX Founded: 2014 Major Clients: Bombardier, PayPal, Disney, Shell, Livestream Number of Employees: 50-249 Industry Presence: Finance, Healthcare, Retail, Education, Energy, Transportation Website: https://www.syberry.com/ 25. Vincit California Vincit California is a 400+ employee company engineering mobile apps, web portals, and embedded systems. Besides, Vincit offers UX/UI design. The company has seven offices around the world, which makes it specifically fit for global software development outsourcing. Location: Irvine, CA Founded: 2007 Major Clients: Nokia, Logitech, Yamaha, Roadtrip Nation, Sigora, Fastems Number of Employees: 250-999 Industry Presence: IT, Finance, Telecommunications Website: https://www.vincit.com/ 26. Napoleon IT UK-located DCSL offers outsourcing software development, software and hardware integration, IT consulting, and ongoing system support. The company’s other services include team augmentation, data migration, legacy software modernization, and others. Location: Reston, VA Founded: 2011 Major Clients: Unilever, Severstal, Russian Railways, Yamaha Number of Employees: 50-249 Industry Presence: Retail, Ecommerce, Healthcare, Consumer Services Website: https://napoleonit.com/ 27. DCSL Software UK-located DCSL offers software development, software and hardware integration, IT consulting, and ongoing system support. The company’s other services include team augmentation, data migration, legacy software modernization, and others. Location: London, United Kingdom Founded: 1994 Major Clients: WaterAid, Mitsubishi, Hospify, Abbott, Lidl, Pearson Number of Employees: 50-249 Industry Presence: Healthcare, Education, Manufacturing, Real Estate, IT Website: https://www.dcslsoftware.com/ 28. DockYard Since 2010, DockYard has been delivering product strategy, UX, digital design, software development, software support, and maintenance services. DockYard also provides QA and testing, team augmentation, and business analysis. Location: Boston, MA Founded: 2010 Major Clients: Netflix, Apple, NASDAQ, Zipcar, Fidelity Investments, Harvard University Number of Employees: 50-249 Industry Presence: IT, Transportation, Education Website: https://dockyard.com 29. SoftwareMill SoftwareMill helps its clients tackle IT challenges with outsourcing software development, data science, system integration, and analytics. The company delivers enterprise solutions, UI/UX design, mobile and web applications, and DevOps integration. Location: Warsaw, Poland Founded: 2009 Major Clients: Tipser, Knip, Flexys Number of Employees: 50-249 Industry Presence: Finance, IT, Energy, Ecommerce Website: https://softwaremill.com/ 30. Tivix Specializing in Agile development of cloud-connected web and mobile applications, Tivix is a US-based company housing 65+ experienced developers across six offices worldwide. The company’s expertise in outsourcing software development includes API, database, Django, Angular, and React development. Location: San Francisco, CA Founded: 2008 Major Clients: Apple, Tesla, SolarCity, Zoetis, VMware Number of Employees: 50-249 Industry Presence: Finance, IT, Consumer Services, Healthcare What Does the Future Hold for Outsourcing Software Development Companies? As time passes and businesses start looking for new technologies such as cognitive computing and RPA, some of these vendors can start lagging or cease delivering outsourcing at all. To keep the listing current and help you keep tabs on in this ever-changing market, we’ll continue monitoring the best outsourcing software companies. Stay tuned. ) (Find out more about Explority and our ranking methodology, click here and here

Top 30 Outsourcing Software Development Companies in 2020

It’s hard to imagine a business that doesn’t need any IT services today: whether you are to deploy cloud solutions, go online, or improve your data security, hiring a couple of specialists is unlikely to be enough for delivering all the necessary services on time and budget. The best solution will be to hire a team of experienced experts who will promptly devise what you need, providing solutions that fit your particular business perfectly. In 2021, the worldwide spending on IT services is expected to , which is impressive. This again proves the fact that even the most conservative companies that were unwilling to change until recently have now realized the essential benefit of new technologies, and are seeking professional IT help. reach 1.14 trillion dollars How to Choose a Perfect Partner Among IT Consulting Companies? Luckily, the market is incredibly rich with IT consulting providers—since the beginning of the 2000s, more and more companies each year try to succeed by offering their IT-related services. Still, quantity doesn’t equal quality, so those who are looking for a perfect team to work with should learn to differentiate companies and find the one that is experienced and skillful enough. If you are the one who’s in need of such a tech partner, don’t worry—we would like to ease this time-consuming challenge for you. After a thorough market analysis, we have identified the best IT services providers based on five criteria: Expertise Industries served Geographical strategy Major clients Online reviews The analysis resulted in the following list of 30 top IT consulting companies on the market that might be interesting for you. No Need to Google “Best IT Consulting Companies Near Me” — We’ve Found Them for You 1. Accenture Accenture is one of the leading IT consulting companies in the USA and worldwide. The company has offices and teams in 52 countries, including the US, Ireland, and Singapore. With more than 492,000 employees on board, Accenture was listed in Forbes’ Global 2000 and Fortune’s Global 500 in 2019. The company delivers consulting services in the fields of blockchain, technologies, supply chain, and other. They also specialize in cloud solutions and Microsoft, Workday, Oracle and Salesforce platforms. Throughout their existence, Accenture has served 6,000 clients in 120 countries. 2. Capgemini Capgemini was founded in France in 1967 to become one of the front-runners on the European IT market. Today, it’s a company of more than 211,300 team members and 200+ offices in 39 countries. In 2019, Capgemini was positioned as a leader in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Data and Analytics Service Providers and Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for CRM and Customer Experience Implementation Services. The company provides a number of IT services of various types: artificial intelligence, cloud solutions, digital services, and other business solutions. Capgemini focuses mostly on Banking and Manufacturing domains. 3. Tata Consultancy Services An Indian company, Tata has been providing consulting services for more than 50 years now. Its team comprises 446,600+ professionals in 46 countries who have already worked with such enterprises as Marks and Spencer, Panasonic, and Mother Dairy. The IT-related solutions delivered by Tata range from consulting to blockchain and cybersecurity services. In addition to this, the company provides their proprietary platforms targeted at automation, blockchain and Agile solutions. Tata Consultancy Services focuses mostly on Finance, Media and Retail domains. 4. Cognizant Established in 1994, Cognizant is now one of the top IT consulting companies in the world, with headquarters in Teaneck, NJ. Cognizant has offices in 40 countries, including the US, UK, Brazil, China, Canada, and United Arab Emirates. The company provides a wide range of services, including AI, automation and cloud solutions, quality assurance, and more. Their major targets are Banking, Healthcare, Insurance and Education industries. 5. Infosys In 1981, Infosys, a small company of six engineers with nothing but 250 dollars, began its existence in India. Today, it’s a team of 243,000+ experts operating from 46 countries, the US, Spain, China, Brazil, Australia, and Russia among them. Infosys expertise comprises AI and automation, blockchain technology, data analytics, IoT, cloud solutions, and more. Infosys works with both startups and established enterprises, focusing on such domains as High Technology, Healthcare, Public Sector, Manufacturing, and other. The company’s client list includes such renowned companies as Marvell Technology Group, The Hershey Company, and Cisco. 6. Wipro Founded as a part of Western india products in Bengaluru, India, in 1945, Wipro shifted forty years later to focus on the IT industry. The company went public in 2000 and has grown 25 times since then. With 175,000 dedicated team members on board, Wipro delivers high-quality IT solutions to clients from around the globe. Wipro provides a number of services: consulting, data analytics, DevOps, and many more. Still, the company focuses mostly on cybersecurity and cloud solutions. Wipro has vast experience in working with various industries, such as Education, Insurance, Oil and Gas, and many others. 7. Datamatics Datamatics is one of the leading technology consulting companies on the market, with more than 15 years of experience in delivering finest IT solutions. Operating in seven countries—the US, UK, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Philippines, Switzerland, and India—they have already worked with 200+ clients worldwide. Datamatics offers consulting and advisory services, business management, technology and big data solutions, as well as engineering services. The company also provides their proprietary platforms aimed at automation and data analytics. Datamatics has rich experience in working with Finance, Healthcare, Insurance and Transportation industries. 8. Bain & Company One of the top IT consulting companies, Bain has 45+ years of advisory experience. The company has 58 offices in 37 countries, including the US, UK, United Arab Emirates, Norway, Nigeria, China, and more. Bain provides consulting on sales and marketing, strategy, organization, transformation, digital delivery, and Agile. The company also has their proprietary platform, created for analytics, digital marketing, and design. Bain focuses on Manufacturing, Chemicals, Energy, Gas and other domains. 9. BCT Consulting BCT Consulting was founded in 1996 as a one-member firm to become one of the leading technology consulting companies on the market. Today, this American company comprises more than 70 experts working with both startups and large enterprises, such as McDonald's. BCT Consulting’s expertise includes IT, web and mobile development, maintenance, accessibility, and structured cabling. The company’s major targets are Retail, Technologies and Hospitality industries. 10. Itransition Itransition is one of the front-runners among IT consulting companies around the world. Since it was established in 1998, the company has been recognized by numerous industry ranking bodies, including as one of the fastest growing and most successful private companies of the USA by Inc. Magazine. With a team of 2,000+ specialists, Itransition is an expert in technology consulting, software engineering, UX design, QA, and DevOps. Operating from their offices in the US, UK, Poland, and Belarus, they have successfully completed 1,500+ projects for a number of clients, including such enterprises as adidas, Toyota, and Expedia. Working with startups, mid-size companies, and Fortune 500 leaders, Itransition has served such industries as Media, Retail, Manufacturing, Healthcare and more. Other technology consulting companies to keep an eye on in 2020: 11. McKinsey & Company The oldest consulting company on the list, McKinsey is almost 100 years old. Since it was established in 1926, McKinsey has been focusing on providing consulting services of the highest quality to clients in the US and abroad. With 30,000 team members, the company operates in 130 cities on six continents. McKinsey & Company’s expertise comprises design, analytics, strategy, transformation, marketing and sales, and other services. The company works mostly with Electronics, Chemicals, Healthcare, Automotive, and Agriculture domains. 12. BairesDev BairesDev was founded in 2009 by a devoted team inspired by the lack of professional IT services on the Latin American market. As a result, it became one of the top IT consulting companies with a team of more than 1,000 experts. The company has offices in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Spain, and the USA. The services provided by BairesDev include cloud computing, QA, blockchain consulting, IoT, data analytics, and software development. Among their major targets are Finance, Healthcare, Manufacturing and Telecommunications industries, though the company has rich experience in working in many other domains. The most notable clients of BairesDev are Univision, Rolls-Royce, and Instructure. 13. Trigent Software A 25-years-company, Trigent is one of the leading IT consulting companies in the USA. The services provided by the company include digital transformation, QA, cloud solutions, software engineering, data analytics, and AI. With offices in the US and India, Trigent has developed more than 400 products for companies around the globe. The most renowned names on their client list are Oracle, Navistar, Aon, and eBags. Trigent’s major targets are Finance, Education, Manufacturing, Transportation and Healthcare industries. 14. Sykes Sykes is an IT consulting company that was founded in 1977 to become one of the leaders in the area, with representatives in 23 countries, including the US, UK, Brazil, Canada, India, and China. Though having experience with various types of clients, today Sykes focuses primarily on Global 2000 companies. The industries they serve include Communications, Travel, Insurance, Finance, and other. Sykes provides solutions in such areas as human resource management, customer experience, sales, and brand extension. In particular, these are risk management, AI, data analytics, social media, and customer acquisition solutions. 15. Sitel Sitel was established in 1985 and has grown into a team of 75,000 devoted experts since. The company has offices in 27 countries, including the US, Brazil, and Australia, from where they deliver high-quality IT solutions to clients from 70 countries. Sitel delivers digital, technology, training and consulting solutions. The latter mostly comprise customer experience consulting. The company has been providing its solutions to a number of enterprises, L'Oréal, PayPal and HSBC among them. 16. Attract Group Attract Group is a Ukrainian IT company founded in 2011. Throughout these nine years, Attract Group has been growing and evolving, employing more technologies, and has become a leading B2B company in Ukraine. The company specializes in software development, marketing, DevOps, UX design, QA, and project management. Attract Group works mostly with startups and mid-size businesses, focusing on Finance, Retail and Education industries. 17. Neebal Neebal is one of the top IT consulting companies on the local market. With offices in the US, India, and Australia, Neebal serves businesses from around the globe, which are mostly startups and mid-size companies. The company’s major targets are Finance, Information Technologies and Healthcare domains. The team of more than 60 experts provides cloud migration services, IoT consulting, blockchain and AI chatbot development among their services. In addition to this, Neebal offers their proprietary platforms that automate planning, management, and data analytics. 18. EPAM Established in Belarus in 1993, EPAM has evolved from a team of three young tech geeks into an international IT company with 36,000 professionals on board. With offices in the US, Canada, China, France, and 20+ other countries, EPAM delivers high-quality IT solutions to all kinds of clients, from startups to Fortune 1000 companies. EPAM’s services include design, software engineering, and consulting, which comprises automation, cloud transformation, agile development, pricing strategy, and other solutions. The company is experienced in helping businesses in many industries, but focuses mostly on Finance, Telecommunications, and Retail. 19. Luxoft Luxoft is sure to be mentioned among the best technology consulting companies due to the exceptional quality of the services they have been delivering since the company’s establishment in 2000. Operating in 15+ countries, including the US, Russia, Australia, and China, the number of the company's employees exceeds 12,900. Among the services provided by Luxoft are digital strategy development, engineering, and consulting on data analytics, software development, and technology implementation. The company focuses on Automotive, Travel and Energy domains. 20. Brennan IT Brennan IT was founded in Melbourne in 1997 to become one of the leading IT companies in Australia. Brennan IT specializes in working with mid-size companies and enterprises, mostly in Hospitality, Finance, Health and Manufacturing industries. The company delivers data-related solutions, security and cloud services, and helps enterprises with software deployment. 21. KitelyTech Established in the US in 2009, KitelyTech is a consulting, design and development company specializing in software development, QA, data analytics, AI, blockchain development, and graphic design. KitelyTech operates in five US cities: Detroit, Austin, New York, Phoenix, and Charlotte. The company’s major targets are Healthcare, Retail and IT industries. Their customers range from startups to Fortune 500 companies. 22. DLabs Started as a project aimed at helping people with diabetes, DLabs has grown into a company specializing in data science, machine learning, and AI. Since it was officially launched in Poland in 2015, the company has grown to employ 20 data science and AI experts. The services provided by DLabs include AI-related solutions, from consulting to AI-powered software engineering. The company works with startups, mid-size companies and enterprises, aiming at Marketing, Healthcare and Finance industries. 23. MicroscopeIT MicroscopeIT is a Polish data-oriented company established in Wroclaw in 2011. Since then, their small but devoted team has served a number of startups and mid-size companies in Healthcare and Finance industries. The company specializes in computer vision, machine learning, and image analysis. MicroscopeIT also provides a proprietary platform, developed to collect, process and manage data and automate all data-related business processes. 24. PSL Corp. PSL deserves to be mentioned among top IT consulting companies for the high quality of IT services they have been providing since 1986. Operating in the US, Colombia, and Mexico, the company has delivered more than 1,200 projects from clients around the globe. The services provided by PSL include DevOps, blockchain and cloud technologies, UX design, data analytics, and AI-based solutions. The company works with mid-size firms and enterprises, primarily in Government, Insurance, Financial and Law Enforcement sectors. 25. Alorica A 20-years company present in Europe, North and South America, and Asia, Alorica is an IT consulting company with more than 100,000 employees on board. The company provides services in analytics and finance, customer experience management, and healthcare customer service solutions. Healthcare is one of the major industries Alorica focuses on, alongside Telecommunications, Retail, and Finance. The company works with mid-size businesses and enterprises—70% of their clientele are Fortune 500 companies. 26. Alight Alight is a company specializing in wealth, health and HCM solutions, and financial management. They have offices in the US, Canada, Australia, India, Hong Kong, and seven other countries, where Alight has worked with 3,200+ clients in total throughout 25 years of their existence. Alight helps companies deploy navigation, management, administration, and cloud technologies. Their client list comprises both startups and enterprises, with focus on the latter, especially in Healthcare and Public Sector domains. 27. ValueCoders This is an Indian IT outsourcing company helping businesses to evolve since 2004. With a team of 450 experts located in the US, UK, India, and Australia, the company has successfully served 2,500 customers, providing solutions related to blockchain technology, AI, digital transformation, and IoT. From startups to enterprises, ValueCoders works with various types of companies. The list of the company’s clients includes such well-known names as UNESCO, Capgemini, and Thomson Reuters. ValueCoders’ major targets are Healthcare, Education, Travel and Retail industries. 28. Basefarm One of the leading European IT consulting companies, Basefarm provides their services to clients from around the world. Since it was founded in 2000, the company has launched offices in the UK, Switzerland, Spain, Austria, France, Germany and six other countries. Today, the Basefarm team includes 550+ professionals. Basefarm’s expertise comprises data analytics, cloud technologies, security and management services. They focus mostly on Finance, Retail and Public Sector domains. 29. 3i International 3i International is a US company launched in 2000. With a team of more than 70 experts, the company provides IT consulting and support in such domains as security, cloud and VoIP services, business continuity and management. 3i International focuses on Architecture, Hospitality and Finance industries above others. The company works primarily with startups and mid-size companies. 30. SADA Systems Another IT consulting company founded in 2000, SADA specializes in cloud solutions and IT strategy consulting for mid-size companies and large enterprises. The services provided by the company include infrastructure modernization, application development, asset management, and managed cloud services. Their major targets are Healthcare, Education and Entertainment industries.

Top 30 IT Consulting Companies on the Market in 2020

Over the years, my team and I have been involved in many types of M&A transactions, capital-raising assignments, and strategic undertakings for our clients. I thought it would be interesting to share some of the recurring themes and lessons learned from the perspective of the founders and CEOs whom we have worked with during the sale process. This touches on some of the biggest surprises that can arise when you decide to sell your company. Surprise #1: Deal Valuations Matter, but Legal Terms Can Be Equally Important and Sometimes More Important Than the Valuation Understandably, founders and CEOs place a significant focus on the valuation offered by the acquirer. However, it is not until they are well into the negotiation of the purchase agreement that they begin to really appreciate the importance of the deal terms. By deal terms, we are referring to representations and warranties (reps and warranties) and indemnification provisions contained in the purchase agreement between the buyer and the seller. Sometimes these terms might appear to be the exclusive domain of attorneys, and the part of the purchase agreement where deal terms are explicitly spelled out is sometimes referred to as “lawyer land,” but every CEO and founder needs to pay close attention. It is here where the buyer could come back after the deal has closed and ask for money from you and the other shareholders. For example, in one of our sale transactions, a private equity firm was insisting that intellectual property and employee benefit claims be a fundamental representation. That means that even if the statute of limitations had expired the acquirer could seek to obtain the entire purchase price from the sellers. When we could not resolve this issue through negotiations, we advised our client to terminate the proceedings. Within a week, the acquirer conceded the point and eventually closed the transaction. Key Takeaway: Your investment banker should take the extra time needed to negotiate a letter of intent carefully and thoughtfully with the final bidder that is appropriately detailed and fleshes out the key deal terms, especially with respect to the indemnification framework and representations and warranties. Doing so will ensure that you and the buyer are on the same page regarding both valuation and the other key deal terms. Surprise #2: The “Best Buyer” May Not Really Be the Best Buyer at All and May Not Even Participate in Your Sale Process We often say that we wish we had a nickel for every time the supposed “best buyer” or “most logical buyer” ended up not buying our client, despite the initial hope that the buyer would be the ultimate winner in the sale process. By “best buyer” or “most logical buyer,” we are referring to the idea that a particular buyer is viewed by the company’s management as being an ideal acquirer of the selling company for any number of reasons, including, for instance, that our client believes that it would be a strategic, profitable, and highly synergistic add-on to the acquirer’s business. But, sadly, very frequently the “best buyer” ends up: not even being interested in the company; not being willing to pay an equal or higher price that other buyers are willing to pay; being distracted by internal priorities such as integrating a previously acquired company; or being busy evaluating other acquisition opportunities. In addition, it is important to know that very frequently the first parties to express interest in buying your company are often not the ones to ultimately acquire your company at the end of the day. Key Takeaway: You never really know who is going to buy your company, so it is wise to make sure that your banker does not just focus solely on the “best buyers” or “most logical buyers” during the deal outreach process. Do not let your ideas about the “best buyers” cause you to allow those parties who may have contacted you earliest to get too far ahead of other potential buyers. Doing so will result in a disjointed, poorly synchronized, and potentially unsuccessful sale process. Surprise #3: The Variety and Range of Bids and Other Deal Terms Can Be Very Broad and Different Many founders and CEOs have expressed surprise at the range of valuations offered by different buyers for their companies. It is critical to think broadly about the different buyer types and to tailor the company story to each group of buyers. Furthermore, creating the most comprehensive list of “hidden” company assets creates more opportunities to generate interest from different groups of buyers. Finally, remember to customize your synergy model for each buyer as one size does not fit all. Key Takeaway: To maximize your chances of getting the best deal for your company, your investment banker should take several key steps. First, they should think broadly and strategically about the universe of potential buyers with particular attention paid to those buyers that could pay a high valuation for your company. This list could include strategic buyers directly in your industry as well as strategic buyers in adjacent industries and private equity firms looking to make acquisitions in your industry. Second, your banker should sequence outreach to buyers in such a way that allows all the interested parties sufficient time to participate in the M&A process. This may mean contacting international buyers ahead of other potential buyers so that they have sufficient time to analyze your company and make a compelling offer. If your banker strategizes, customizes, and tiers their outreach to potential buyers, they will be maximizing your chances of getting the best valuation and the best deal terms. Surprise #4: It Can Sometimes Take a Long Time for International Buyers to Come to the Table We once had a brilliant CEO tell us that he was getting tired of waiting for a group of foreign buyers to decide whether they were interested in buying his company. These buyers had asked for information and were analyzing it, but were not moving fast enough in our client’s opinion. He suggested that we “draw a line in the sand” and tell the various international buyers that if they did not express interest by a certain date, they would be excluded from our sale process. Fortunately, we were able to convince him that doing so would not be in his best interests or those of the other shareholders because we believed that the foreign buyers were sincerely interested and would eventually prove themselves to be excellent potential buyers. These buyers simply needed more time to evaluate and understand the company. As it turned out, a foreign buyer offered a significantly higher valuation for our client than any of the domestic buyers in the process and acquired them. Key Takeaway: Your banker needs to have global relationships with potential international buyers and must include them in the process in a thoughtful way, which often involves early outreach so that all the buyers, both international and domestic, are ready to submit bids for your company at (approximately) the same time. Doing so will ensure that you have the best bids from the broadest range of interested parties and maximizes your chances of getting the most favorable terms. Surprise #5: Cash is King, or Is It? If all of the legal terms were identical, would you rather accept an offer of $80 million in cash for your company with no earn-out or an offer of $70 million in cash and a $30 million earn-out? When bidding on a company, buyers often offer a combination of cash, stock, and contingent consideration; the latter term refers to structures like earn-outs that offer additional compensation that may be earned if certain agreed-upon targets are achieved in a period of time after the transaction is completed. These earn-out targets may be based on metrics such as revenues, gross profit, operating profit, number of units sold, or any of a range of other metrics that the buyer and seller agree to as part of the sale transaction. Certainly, some CEOs and shareholders want only cash, and we totally understand that, but consider how you would answer the question at the beginning of this paragraph if you and your team felt that the $30 million earn-out could definitely be achieved within 12 months after you had been acquired. In that case, you would receive a total of $100 million with the earn-out compared to a total of $80 million with the other offer. We would note that this is of course a decision for the CEO, major shareholders, and the board and that there are a range of factors to consider. But we would also point out that a number of former clients have done exceptionally well by deciding to take offers that had contingent considerations such as earn-outs in them. Key Takeaway: We advise CEOs and founders to keep an open mind about the various offers the company receives and to carefully consider the different components of the overall valuation because the “best deal” may not be the all-cash offer you receive. Surprise #6: The Buyer of Your Company Might Actually Want You to Stay for a While After the Deal Is Completed To be sure, most buyers will want senior management and key personnel at the acquired company to stay on for a period of time, usually six to 12 months, after the acquisition. However, if you are leading a high-growth, disruptive company, then the “standard” rules may not apply. I would advise your company to be prepared for this possibility. For example, we have found that a number of buyers of our clients actually want certain key personnel, often the CEO and CTO, to stay on well beyond the typical six- to 12-month period (like two to three years) and take leadership of the business unit inside the acquirer after the deal. In one of our sale processes, the buyer wanted to combine our client with an internal business unit and have our CEO run the combined business. In another one of our sale transactions, the buyer offered the CEO of our client a very senior job running all of the e-commerce operations for the global business, which included our client’s former company and a great deal more. Key Takeaway: You and certain key members of your senior team may well be wanted by the acquirer for your leadership, know-how, and skillset. The acquirer may make it worth your while to stay on longer at the combined company than CEOs and founders typically do after M&A transactions are completed. I hope that this article provided insight into some of the biggest surprises experienced by the CEOs and founders our team has worked with during the M&A transaction process. Understanding these potential factors and being prepared to address them will position your company to be successfully acquired under the best possible terms and valuations. Stephen Day is the Co-Founder and Managing Director at Navidar .

6 Surprises Founders and CEOs Find Out After Selling Their Startup

When you work remotely, having the freedom to travel is a big part of the appeal for many. Colombia is a popular destination on the circuit and the recent introduction of a is likely to boost its appeal further. But sometimes, connectivity and internet access can be a problem, especially in locations that are slightly off the beaten track. digital nomad visa Let’s explore why digital nomads are drawn to Colombia, what the digital nomad visa offers and which locations offer the most reliable internet connections. Why digital nomads are drawn to Colombia Colombia is known as one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, with incredible landscapes, such as the Sierra Nevada and Andes mountain ranges. This country is also home to several iconic nature reserves including Tayrona National Park and Chiribiquete National Park, considered World Heritage by Unesco. And the country also offers plenty of cultural attractions too. Barranquilla, a city on the northern coast, hosts the second largest carnival in the world (after Rio de Janiero, Brazil) and travelers can also enjoy a number of festivals throughout the year, including “Feria de Cali” and “Feria de las Flores” in Medellín. Colombia Cost of Living The cost of living is typically low compared to other countries in South America, the official currency is the Colombian Peso (COP), and for an individual is about USD $800, adding to the attraction for many international workers. the average monthly living costs So, it comes as no surprise that Colombia is a big tourist destination, attracting in 2022. Most travelers enter on a tourist visa that offers three months on arrival with the option to extend your stay for a further three months once in the country. However, this visa is meant for leisure purposes and doesn’t properly support those wishing to work remotely in the country. While other visas are available, they’re often time consuming and complicated to obtain. 3.5 million tourists For this reason Colombia has been issuing new regulations in order to improve communication and make the application process more welcoming to remote workers and digital nomads who wish to stay in the country for a longer period. The Launch of the Digital Nomad Visa After a long legislative process, . The new visa will allow foreigners to live in the country for 24 months and access a state ID known as “Cedula de Extranjeria” which is needed to access many services in the country. Without this ID it can be difficult to obtain a cellular phone service contract or rent an apartment to name a couple of examples. Colombia launched its Digital Nomad Visa in 2023 The proposal was presented by Ilana Milkes, the CEO of Tech World, at the last Mobile World Congress, after two years of working on it alongside the government agency, . This represents a massive step for the country, considering the growing tech scene in major cities like Bogotá and Medellín and digital nomads’ preferences of having Colombia as one of their moving options. Procolombia The initiative is expected to facilitate the arrival of at least 45,000 digital nomads to the country in the first 18 months. However, considering the visa targets remote workers who need optimal internet speeds, how does Colombia fare when it comes to reliable connectivity? Colombia’s connectivity: Stats and facts According to several surveys, the South American region has been expanding its internet penetration, . Additionally, Colombia is currently in the fourth position of fastest growing internet right after Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil. coming in fifth behind North America Colombia now counts over 39.34 million internet users, and its internet penetration was at . The country is also improving its Network Readiness Index faster than the world average due to from Colombia’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (MinTic). 75.7% at the beginning of 2023 initiatives So, while Colombia’s connectivity rates are slightly behind some of its close neighbors in Latin America, its government’s various development initiatives to improve internet connectivity may be paying off with internet penetration increasing steadily for the past three years. Regional internet providers and coverage across Colombia The country has a fixed broadband speed offering a minimum of 25 Mbps downstream and 5 Mbps upstream. In addition, internet providers offer fiber-optic internet as an option and mobile broadband speeds of up to 4G. As for the internet provider options available for digital nomads in Colombia, the four, main providers offering the following speeds, according to : speedtest.net Movistar with the fastest median download speed at 141.32 Mbps ETB with a download speed of 74.47Mbps Claro with a download speed of 88.86Mbps Tigo with a download speed of 75.88 While these speeds are the average, they do vary from region to region across Colombia. Let’s take a closer look at how some of the most popular cities across the country fare with their . fixed broadband speeds Larger cities: Bogotá: 51.92 Mbps Medellín: 46.9 Mbps Cali: 51.18 Mbps Bucaramanga: 52.81 Mbps Smaller cities: Santa Marta: 36.77 Mbps Villavicencio: 42.52 Mbps Sincelejo: 33.53 Mbps Montería: 32.79 Mbps With this data it’s clear that Colombia offers many reliable places to work from for the growing number of digital nomads. But what about those who want to get away from the cities? Working reliably in rural Colombia As mentioned, the country has a lot to offer in terms of places to visit; beaches, jungles, mountains and vast, lush plains are some of Colombia’s biggest attractions. Major Colombian cities have a lot to offer, but many digital nomads often begin to look outside the city after a while of living in the country. Here, connectivity becomes even more important to consider. If you’re hoping to work remotely from one of Colombia’s many natural beauty spots it’s important to be aware that Wifi coverage may not be as reliable so you can plan accordingly. For example, if you head just outside of the cities of Medellín or Santa Marta to little mountain getaways like Guatapé or Minca, then connectivity can quickly become harder to guarantee, despite their close proximity to the cities. Equally, there are many rural locations that are popular with nomads such as Salento, Salamina, Villa de Leyva, and Valle del Cocora that are likely to have slower internet speeds. While Wifi is standard in hotels or hostels, it’s advisable to have the back-up of a local network provider if you’re planning to work remotely in rural Colombia. Movistar may offer the fastest speeds in urban areas but its coverage in rural areas is limited. If you’re planning to use your mobile network to support your connectivity, then Claro is a safer bet, offering coverage across more rural locations. The rise of fiber optic and 5G across Colombia Looking ahead, Colombia already has the most extensive fiber optic network in South America, and is on its way to offer fiber optic broadband to by the end of 2023. 4 million homes and businesses As for the future of mobile services, Colombia is still in the process of . Once in place, 5G coverage will drastically improve internet coverage in rural areas and is noted as a going forward. adopting 5G 5G mobile networks top priority for MinTec Overall, the launch of Colombia’s new digital nomad visa is likely to attract many more remote workers to the country. While big cities offer internationally competitive internet speeds, these rates aren’t guaranteed across the entire country. Yet with a little forward planning and knowledge on Colombia’s network coverage it’s possible to work remotely without issue. This article was originally published by Stefania Troncoso on The Sociable.

Colombia's Digital Nomad Visa Raises Internet Connectivity Concerns

কলম্বিয়ার ডিজিটাল যাযাবর ভিসা ইন্টারনেট সংযোগের উদ্বেগ উত্থাপন করেছে৷

Kolumbiens digitales Nomadenvisum wirft Bedenken hinsichtlich der Internetverbindung auf

La visa de nómada digital de Colombia genera preocupaciones sobre la conectividad a Internet

Le visa nomade numérique colombien soulève des problèmes de connectivité Internet

कोलंबिया के डिजिटल खानाबदोश वीज़ा ने इंटरनेट कनेक्टिविटी की चिंता बढ़ा दी है

コロンビアのデジタル遊牧民ビザがインターネット接続の懸念を提起

콜롬비아의 디지털 유목민 비자로 인해 인터넷 연결 문제가 제기됨

Visto de nômade digital da Colômbia levanta preocupações com a conectividade da Internet

Kolombiya'nın Dijital Göçebe Vizesi İnternet Bağlantısı Kaygılarını Artırıyor

Thị thực du mục kỹ thuật số của Colombia làm tăng mối quan tâm về kết nối Internet

哥伦比亚的数字游牧签证引发互联网连接问题

MWC 2018 has started with several announcements around Voice Assistants, the Smart Home and the war for the Home Operating system, like Telefonica’s Aura. The gathers the industry every year to present new products and initiatives (some of them never really getting to market). This year there have been several announcements both from telcos and Internet players like Google that are relevant in my ongoing . In particular I will focus on ; but also relevant aspects will be , jointly with Samsung’s SmartThings, and Google’s operator-specific functions in Google Assistant via their . Mobile Web Congress telco analysis for the Home Operating System space Telefonica’s announcements around their “Cognitive Intelligence” solution Aura Vodafone’s play in the Smart Home with V-Home Assistant Carrier Program Telefonica’s Aura: An assistant or a ‘skill’? Telefonica’s announcement is focused on their . Aura will allow the management of the operator services: mostly around billing or finding out the data left this month in your tariff, but in Spain it will also offer programming information for the operator TV offering. Other operators have announced assistants in the past, , but Telefonica’s Aura is already available in six of its markets. voice-enabled assistant called Aura like Orange’s Djingo To access this assistant, specific apps will be available in some countries like Argentina or UK, but in others like Germany or Chile the function will be available via Facebook Messenger or Google Assistant. During the presentation of Aura, Telefonica insisted in its open approach, considering a demonstration of Aura’s openness its availability in Google or Facebook’s platform. But considering the behavior seen in the demonstration video, Aura would actually be a , a third party app in the Google ecosystem, while . Which means . “Google Action” in Facebook Messenger it is a bot Aura is actually leveraging Facebook and Google’s open platforms by working on top of them It is here where Google’s announcement of their Assistant Carrier Program becomes relevant. : Google presents it this way Our Assistant Carrier program helps mobile carriers use capabilities in the Assistant to give their customers more insight and control over their service. . This gives carriers a new way to support their customers while reducing response time. This includes helping people learn more about their plan, add new services (like international data roaming), get customer support and more The functions that Google offers to carriers natively, without needing to invoke a specific action, are quite similar to the current capabilities offered by Aura. So my expectation is that Telefónica will eventually do this integration too, and Aura’s identity will become hidden within the Google Assistant experience. I also found very interesting that Aura’s announcement didn’t include the . Particularly considering that Telefónica (via their UK-based brand O2) is Skill: current main player in the Home OS Wars: Amazon already providing Aura-like functionality via an Alexa I guess there are two reasons for this: Alexa is not relevant in most of Telefonica’s markets, because it is only being available in two of them: UK and Germany (although these are precisely 2 out of the 6 markets Aura is available in). To showcase Alexa is difficult not to mention their main delivery channel: the Echo devices. And that would have created confusion when Telefonica announced their own connected speaker: Movistar Home. Movistar Home: Telefónica’s Echo Show A surprising announcement was Telefónica launching their own device to support their Assistant, . the Movistar Home Again, other operators have announced smart speakers previously, like or , but Telefonica’s approach comes with a screen (which makes me think of another past attempt in Telefónica in the connected device space: the ). This makes the device be more similar to the and allows one of the Show’s main functionalities: video-calls. Orange’s Djingo Deutsche Telekom’s Hello Magenta O2 Joggler Amazon Echo Show, The product is not yet available (it is expected this fall), but with the information provided it looks like Movistar Home functions will include: The same “utility account management” functions available from Aura: check your operator bills, data consumption, ability to top-up, etc. TV content management, including turning the TV on, changing channels by voice and recording shows. Some Smart Home functions (with the single mention of turning lights on). Communications: calling and video-calling. Communications in Movistar Home Telefónica is trying to recapture one of their basic services (“calling”) through a new device, and the way Movistar Home is being presented as a reinvention of the fixed phone line resonates in an interesting way. The idea of having a smart speaker becoming a hands-free option for your fixed line is already covered by Amazon with their for the Echo speakers, but Movistar Home promises some interesting differential features: Echo Connect accesory Turn a regular ongoing voice call into a video-call. Move video-calls to the TV. Move an ongoing call from Movistar Home to the mobile. It is unclear how these specific features will work and I’m particularly interested in some open questions (how will video-calls be transferred to a mobile? Will it need a specific app or will be some device-limitation? Can I send the call to any mobile, or only one in range? How will devices be identified? Will there be a previous registration and will they be assigned a name?) but some of these capabilities, in the context of cross-family communications (grandparents video-calling grandkids, for instance) seem like an interesting revitalization of the traditional fixed phone line. Also, being able to trigger emergency calls using a voice command (plus additional alternatives if the device is open to provide its own accesory ecosystem) feels like something that can be very useful for the elderly if the Movistar Home will support it. The Smart Home question The information currently available does not help to understand to what extent Movistar Home will help to provide a control elements from the Smart Home. Yes, the videos show the device being used to turn on and off lights, but which devices are compatible? Will the Movistar Home include some sort of hub like the does? Or is the device only linked to some specific provider API (like )? Too many questions on what the strategy will be to expand the usage to more devices or to create a Smart Home strategy. Amazon Echo Plus the one for Philips Hue Users that already have some kind of smart devices will probably have a solution to control them already, so the advantage here for Movistar Home is unclear. And the drive to buy additional connected devices after a smart speaker acquisition is not a clear path. Amazon has faced the same issue, and that is why their , so that it can jumpstart users into the connected devices space . Echo Plus option, not only includes a Smart Home Hub but it also adds a Philips Hue bulb This is why I find quite interesting. Vodafone is providing a kit of devices (security cameras, smoke detectors, water leak sensors, smart lighting and smart heating) managed via a home hub (the ), an alarm system service and cloud storage for video security recordings. Vodafone’s play with V-Home Samsung SmartThings Wifi hub The Operator’s advantage This space, providing kits for the Smart Home and supporting them, is where I see the operators having an opportunity in the Home OS. Because operators like Vodafone and Telefónica not only provide a billing channel and connectivity to customers. They also have people trained to go to customers’ homes and install the connectivity and devices required for their fiber or DSL lines. So providing kits and support for their set-up and usage may be a key factor to break the adoption of the Smart Home in some markets. And mixing Telefonica’s Aura/Movistar Home approach with Vodafone’s V-Home we could see customers getting more value from an assistant-enabled speaker that allows them to manage their home environment with a connected thermostat and smart lighting that has also been provided and installed by their operator. This could work as a fidelization tool, as customers will become more cautious of changing provider if they are unclear on how this will affect how they control their home lights or temperature, and . open a path for operators to become the ultimate utility provider for their customers The Operator’s disadvantage But supporting it with an operator-specific device like the Movistar Home can make it harder to create this kind of ecosystem. Telefónica may launch soon in Spanish-speaking markets and Brazil, which can give them an advantage while Amazon or Google are still not selling their devices there. But they will eventually, and when Amazon lands in Spain it will come with their backing of already available and over 40 million devices worldwide for potential network effects. over 15,000 Alexa skills with applications and new associated devices. An operator-specific device like Movistar Home has limitations here: The value of a connected device is not just its availability but its capability to create an ecosystem in which developers will want to provide additional value It of the user base, as at most operators cover at most 40–50% of a specific market, usually much less. reduces the potential reach It as you can only reach those operator’s customers that also have the device. That doesn’t necesarily fit any of the target audiences for the developer’s app. provides an artificial segmentation It ( ). Amazon is trying to create said network effects with , and Movistar is aiming for the same thing with their video calling function… but in both cases it requires both parties in the communication to be part of the network. In Amazon case this can be solved by just buying an Echo device, but for the Movistar Home it will not only require buying a device but also being a Movistar customer. Other apps built for the device and dependent on netwok effects will suffer the same limitation. reduces opportunities for network effects if there is such a thing of network effects in the smart speaker market Alexa Calling and Messaging services On top of this, to get engagement a key element will be to provide good development programs and tools to create applications for the devices. Amazon has a . Will Telefónica be able to do something similar for Aura and the Movistar Home? developer program that rewards developers that build skills for their Alexa ecosystem All of this will be considered by a developer when they decide wether to create an application for Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Aura (and this is always a decision, because resources to develop applications are always limited), and an operator-centric offering will have a hard time in this context. Partner rather than compete So while I see Movistar Home as a great initiative to expand the awareness of the potential voice-control functions for operator services and a great initiative to evolve the fixed communications, I think this will prompt other operators (like Vodafone) to push generic devices through their channels and try to support similar functions leveraging those pre-existing ecosystems. I expect someone like Vodafone to start selling Amazon Echos and Google Homes, and provide access to their services via skills in those devices. But there is still an opportunity for operators if they can also become enablers of the Smart Home, and they can seriously influence the Home OS wars based on: Helping their customers to get and connect additional Smart Home devices, leveraging their home-installer workforce. Exclusivity or preferred partnerships approaches, that will give preference to one speaker or another. Ability to link their services and communication offering into these devices (that is, providing the turn call to video-call and move to TV functions but on top of any connected speaker). So we may end up seeing Telefonica’s Aura working on top of an Amazon Echo ( ) or a Google Home rather than just in the Movistar Home. But exposing these capabilities across more devices, and leveraging some of their exclusive advantages in the “last mile to the customer” can turn them into very relevant actors in the Home OS. which we sort of do today

NAVISTAR INTERNATIONAL

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NAVISTAR INTERNATIONAL

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Navistar International WIKI

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NAVISTAR INTERNATIONAL

navistar.com

10K+ employees

Since 1902

COMPANY RANKING

NAVISTAR INTERNATIONAL

EVERGREEN INDEX #7576

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STORIES ABOUT NAVISTAR INTERNATIONAL

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Navistar International WIKI

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