PM News From Industry - December 2006
- Microsoft Announces MS Office Project 2007 First-to-Market Partner Program
- Another Acquisition in the PM Marketplace - PinacleOne goes to ARCADIS
- Meridian Project Systems to be Acquired by Trimble
- IT Project Failure Costs Irish Organizations at €350m
Microsoft Announces MS Office Project 2007 First-to-Market Partner Program
Microsoft Corporation has recently announced a First-to-Market Partners program for its Office Project 2007 product line. According to Microsoft, "As we move closer to the launch of Microsoft Office Project 2007, we are generating tremendous momentum among partners and customers. We are excited to announce that we have 15 partners who have committed to building on the Office Project 2007 Platform Solution".
Some of the First-to-Market partners announced by Microsoft so far include the following:
- Compulink Systems Ltd, a pioneer in the Services Execution Management (SEM) space in North America and Asia Pacific, for its 'WhizibleT 2007', an Integrated Services Execution Management application for Quality, Process, People and Project Management that is tightly integrated with Office Project 2007.
- DecisionEdge, Inc., a leading provider of business intelligence software for project managers, in recognition of the Microsoft Office Project 2007compatibility in its project reporting and graphics software.
- EPK Group LLC, a leader in Enterprise Portfolio, Project, and Resource Management, for several new products in their EPK-Suite product line which support Microsoft Office Project 2007.
- INS, a leading global provider of business-driven information technology consulting and software solutions, for three of its Enterprise Project and Portfolio Management (PPM) solutions-Program Management Applications, Collaborative Product Development and Continuous Improvement.
- QuantumPM, for its EVM, QSA and QSA-Portfolio products integrated into Microsoft Office Project 2007.
- Safran Software Solutions, a Microsoft Independent Software Vendor (ISV) based in Stavanger Norway, for their earned value measurement and reporting add-on product for Microsoft Office Project 2007.
- Tenrox, a leading provider of workflow-driven Project Workforce Management Solutions, for its Project Workforce Management solution for Office Project 2007
For more information on these and other Microsoft First-to-Market partners,
visit the Microsoft Office Virtual Pressroom.
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/2007office/default.mspx.
Another Acquisition in the PM Marketplace - PinacleOne goes to ARCADIS
ARCADIS, an international consulting and engineering firm based in The Netherlands, has announced that it has acquired PinnacleOne, Inc., a Phoenix, Arizona based company that provides program, project and construction management services throughout the USA, with a focus in the southwestern and northeastern United States. PinacleOne has about 230 employees and estimated gross revenues of $35 million for 2006. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
PinnacleOne serves both public and private clients with complex capital investment projects including buildings, water systems, ground transportation and airports. The acquisition by ARCADIS will provide PinnacleOne with access to more Fortune 500 industrial clients, expanded market presence, and financial strength for broadening their services and competitive position.
According to their press release on 2 November, the acquisition fits into ARCADIS' recently established Worldwide Project Consulting (WwPC) initiative, that is focused on creating benefits for clients through cost effective global delivery of project management expertise. The acquisition strengthens ARCADIS' position in the U.S. market and increases the company's U.S. presence to about 3,500 people. The PinnacleOne acquisition is expected to help ARCADIS respond to the growing demand for project and program management services for complex investment projects in both the facilities and infrastructure market.
ARCADIS is an international company providing consultancy, engineering and management services in infrastructure, environment and facilities, to enhance mobility, sustainability and quality of life. ARCADIS develops, designs, implements, maintains and operates projects for companies and governments. With more than 10,000 employees and over $1 billion in gross revenue, the company has an extensive international network that is supported by strong local market positions. Additional information can be found at: www.arcadis-global.com
Meridian Project Systems to be Acquired by Trimble
Meridian Project Systems, Inc., of Folsom, California, USA is to be acquired by Trimble Corporation in an all-cash transaction, which is anticipated to close by the end of this year. Meridian Systems provides enterprise project management and lifecycle software for real estate, construction and other physical infrastructure projects. Building owners, construction contractors, engineering firms, and government agencies use Meridian technology to reduce capital construction costs and improve project productivity.
The Meridian Systems acquisition provides Trimble with an information platform for growth in the enterprise project management market. The acquisition provides Meridian with financial backing and the organizational infrastructure to penetrate vertical markets and to expand globally. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Meridian Systems is a market leader in construction project management technologies for building owners and architecture, engineering and construction companies. Construction project management software from Meridian Systems allows building owners, construction and engineering firms, and government agencies to manage their capital projects, programs and facilities. According to their news release on October 31, 2006, Meridian has pioneered Infrastructure Lifecycle Management (ILM) technology that automates the Plan-Build-Operate project lifecycle, enabling building owners and operators to improve top-line revenue growth, while reducing capital project costs and schedules. Users of Meridian software include Webcor Builders, Turner Corporation, Fluor Corporation, Procter & Gamble, Target, and DFW Airport. For more information, visit: http://www.meridiansystems.com.
Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, Trimble is a provider of advanced Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. Trimble also develops and provides other positioning technologies as well as wireless communications and software to create complete customer solutions. Trimble has more than 2,400 employees in more than 18 countries worldwide. Meridian Systems will operate within Trimble's Engineering and Construction business segment. Trimble expects the acquisition to be accretive in 2007. Most recent quarterly revenues for Trimble were reported to be US$234.9 million. Additional information can be found at Trimble's Web site at http://www.trimble.com.
IT Project Failure Costs Irish Organizations at €350m
I.T. Alliance, an Irish outsourcing provider, has produced a study that estimates that as much as €350m could be wasted on IT projects in Ireland this year. The amount of wastage on technology projects due to failed implementation could actually be much higher, the study found. Moreover, this figure does not include projects that come in late or over budget. Another study by the research firm iReach estimates the amount of IT spending in Ireland at €2.35bn for 2006. On that basis, I.T. Alliance then calculated the estimated waste on the basis of international research that between 5% and 15% of IT projects fail. This may actually be a conservative estimate.
According to Terence O'Donnell, a project management expert in Ireland who heads up the Project Management Centre at I.T. Alliance, the problem of failed IT projects is not restricted to the public sector. There is little evidence that the private sector is much better than the government in successfully implementing major projects. The private sector may just be more skilled at killing off such programmes," he said.
The I.T. Alliance study estimated that up to €5bn of public money in Ireland alone could be wasted as a result of poor implementation of projects. Up to €70bn is due to be invested in the next Irish National Development Programme. In its report, I.T. Alliance outlined several common reasons why projects fail: badly defined requirements and poorly stated objectives; poor or non-existent governance structures; poor stakeholder management; inadequate communications planning; inaccurate initial estimates; or poor project management.
O'Donnell was formerly director of the Centre for Project Management at the University of Limerick and continues to work there in a consulting role. He previously worked at Compaq/Digital and previously held a post with North Eastern Health Board. Terence holds a BSc from University College Dublin, a Masters in Project Management from the University of Limerick, and was founding member of the Project Management Institute (PMI) Ireland Chapter, of which he is a past president.
More information about the I.T. Alliance study can be found at http://www.italliancegroup.com/index.asp. The above was reported in a Siliconrepublic.com article on November 15, 2006.