Weekly round-up of news and views from within our industry, week commencing 26 August 2008

‘OUR WORLD’ OF CIS – latest innovations, trends and contract win

Zebra wins repro contract for Co-operative magazine
Zebra, the London-based pre-press specialist, has won the repro contract for the launch of The Co-operative's new quarterly customer magazine.
http://www.printweek.com/PreMediaWeekly/News/839831/Zebra-wins-repro-contract-Co-operative-magazine/?DCMP=EMC-PremediaWeeklyBulletin

HP's IPG bucks trend with 10% rise in net revenue
Growth in HP's Imaging and Printing Group (IPG) has led to a 10% increase in the company's net revenue to $28bn (£15bn) in its third quarter results.
http://www.printweek.com/PrintWeekDaily/News/840663/HPs-IPG-bucks-trend-10-rise-net-revenue/?DCMP=EMC-PrintWeekDailyBulletin

Barclays'bumper print contract up for grabs
Print management firms are currently tendering for one of the largest contracts in the business, following Barclays' decision to review its transactional print spend.
http://www.printweek.com/PrintWeekDaily/News/840448/Barclays-bumper-print-contract-grabs/?DCMP=EMC-PrintWeekDailyBulletin

TCS may buy Citigroup BPO
Citigroups attempt to sell its captive BPO arm Citigroup Global Services CGSL is gathering momentum.
http://www.offshoringtimes.com/Pages/2008/BPO_news2222.html

Indian BPO enters Guatemala
Indian business process outsourcer Genpact said Monday that it has acquired a back office services delivery centre in Guatemala City from GE Money, a division of General Electric GE.
http://www.offshoringtimes.com/Pages/2008/BPO_news2219.html

OUTSOURCING/OFFSHORING

Scotland – the next big outsourcing hub?
A new initiative may soon see Scotland rival Eastern Europe as the UK's primary near-shore outsourcing destination.
http://www.sourcingmag.com/offsite.asp?A=Fr&Url=http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2224221/scotland-big-bpo-hub

Offshoring R&D to India rises
India is the top choice for companies looking to outsource R&D with an offshoring business there expected to grow 23 percent to USD21 billion by 2012.
http://www.offshoringtimes.com/Pages/2008/offshore_news2224.html

Tekes to set up Indian innovation centre
Finlands state run technology research and innovation funding agency Tekes is planning to open an innovation centre in India to tap the vast human resource pool there.
http://www.offshoringtimes.com/Pages/2008/offshore_news2221.html

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT – Banking & Financial Services

JP Morgan Private Bank increases allocations to alternatives
Nick White, international head of alternatives, said equity allocations had fallen from between 40% and 80% to nearer 25% to 50% during the past five years.
http://www.wealth-bulletin.com/portfolio/content/2451553248/23545/4CBBCMzg5NzM2OjQxNjEwMjoxODMyOQ%3D%3D

Credit Suisse thinks the very rich can help it surpass UBS
Ten years ago Credit Suisse was the most prominent bank in Switzerland, overshadowing its troubled rival, UBS.
http://www.wealth-bulletin.com/home/content/2451553316/23545/014F3Mzg5NzMxOjQxNjEwMjoxODMyOQ%3D%3D

Credit Suisse launches gay wealth initiative, others tone down efforts
Credit Suisse has launched a new initiative to target gay clients in the UK, believing it can gain a competitive edge in the market for the pink pound.
http://www.wealth-bulletin.com/portfolio/content/2451556313/23553/2C056Mzg5OTA4OjQxNjEwMjoxODMzNw%3D%3D

Brevan Howard tops hedge fund table
Europe’s ten largest hedge fund managers have taken advantage of superior operational infrastructures to grow their assets under management by almost a fifth in the 12 months to the end of June.
http://www.wealth-bulletin.com/portfolio/content/2451553190/23545/EC5B7Mzg5NzMzOjQxNjEwMjoxODMyOQ%3D%3D

Arch revenues increase as other firms struggle
The alternative investments boutique Arch Group, has produced strong revenues at a time traditional asset managers are struggling with turbulent markets and banks continue to face writedowns in the wake of the credit crunch.
http://www.wealth-bulletin.com/portfolio/content/2451553146/23545/0D88BMzg5NzQyOjQxNjEwMjoxODMyOQ%3D%3D

Investment banking revenues face record declines
Investment banking revenues are expected to have their highest year-over-year decline when US broker-dealers start reporting third quarter results.
http://www.wealth-bulletin.com/portfolio/content/2451584738/23588/F7FC5MzkwNjM0OjQxNjEwMjoxODM3Mg%3D%3D

Top Chinese bank posts robust wealth results amid record profit
Industrial & Commercial Bank of China declared robust earnings from its wealth management operations as it unveiled a world-record 57% rise in first-half net income to 64.5bn yuan (€6.3bn), according to a Bloomberg report.
http://www.wealth-bulletin.com/wealth-business/content/2451595721/23608/FC5C6MzkxMDYyOjQxNjEwMjoxODM5MA%3D%3D

Norwich Union ups direct activity email article to a friend
Norwich Union is boosting its direct marketing activity to position itself as the number one provider of equity releases.
http://www.precisionmarketing.co.uk/Articles/257556/Norwich+Union+ups+direct+activity+.html

Axa launches Estate Planning account
AXA Wealth Management has launched an Estate Planning account via its Isle of Man subsidiary.
http://www.insurancedaily.co.uk/2008/08/21/axa-launches-estate-planning-account/

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT – Legal

Eversheds kicks off leadership contest as chief exec Gray steps down
Eversheds chief executive David Gray is relinquishing his position at the helm of the firm as a leadership contest gets underway at the national giant.
http://www.legalweek.com/Articles/1155737/Eversheds+kicks+off+leadership+contest+as+chief+exec+Gray+steps.html

Simmons shakes up international group heads
Simmons & Simmons has appointed London corporate chief Mark Curtis as the new head of its corporate international practice group (IPG).
http://www.legalweek.com/Articles/1156291/Simmons+shakes+up+international+group+heads.html

Duane Morris cuts marketing and BD staff
US law firm Duane Morris has cut around 18% of its marketing and business development staff, making staff reductions that echo moves at other firms in recent months.
http://www.legalweek.com/Articles/1156924/Duane+Morris+cuts+marketing+and+BD+staff.html

DPWN News

Deutsche Post may pay further three-digit mln dollar sum in U.S. revamp
Deutsche Post AG. may pay an additional three-digit million dollar sum in the announced restructuring of the company's U.S. DHL business.
http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/08/21/afx5344404.html

DHL launches packaging compliance scheme
DHL Exel Supply Chain has launched a packaging compliance scheme to help its customers conform with packaging waste regulations.
http://packagingnews.co.uk/worldnews/news/841243/DHL-launches-packaging-compliance-scheme/

BHS signs £3.6m deal with DHL
British Home Stores has extended its relationship with DHL after signing a three-year contract worth £3.6 million with DHL Exel Supply Chain to provide logistics e-fulfilment warehousing services.
http://www.logisticsmanager.com/Articles/9957/Bhs+signs+36m+deal+with+DHL.html