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Vodafone Global Enterprise Hooks Bluefish for UC Professional Services

| Dec 5, 2011 | Voice and Unified Communications Services
| Analyst: Sandra O'Boyle

Event Summary

December 5, 2011 – Vodafone Global Enterprise (VGE) has acquired IT and communications consultancy, Bluefish Communications Ltd. Bluefish is headquartered in Reading, UK with offices in Australia. Vodafone gains a team of 46 Bluefish specialists in consulting, resourcing and outsourcing, and access to a network of 210 partners and associates. They will become part of a new UCC practice within VGE. The value of the gross assets being acquired is GBP 3.14 million.

Quick Take


Analytical Summary

• Current Perspective: Positive on Vodafone Global Enterprise’s (VGE) Bluefish acquisition, because it’s a good move to acquire professional services talent as the company seeks to move beyond managed mobility and sell unified communications (UC), security and application management solutions. UC is a more complex sale, particularly to large enterprises, and all service providers are investing in professional services skills, with both technical and vertical expertise highly sought after.

• Vendor Importance: High to VGE, which has the luxury of being a leader in global managed mobility, but without the legacy portfolio baggage of many other competitors. VGE has acquired the people skills it needs to compete in the UC space, but will need to scale resources locally across key markets in the US and Asia. Vodafone has beefed up its professional services capabilities in telecom expense management (TEM) through acquisitions and in a similar way will develop a UC “practice”.

• Market Impact: Moderate on global MNC competitors, because most have already established UC professional services practices. Telefonica O2 will feel some pressure to expand its UC portfolio and professional services capability across key global markets. VGE does have an opportunity to win business as customers begin to consolidate and unify their mobile and fixed communications and move into delivering applications securely to any device via cloud services.


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9/30/2011
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Vodafone Acquires Bluefish Communications

01 December 2011 - Vodafone Global Enterprise – the business within Vodafone which manages the communications needs of its largest multinational customers – is strengthening its professional services arm through the acquisition of European IT and communications consultancy, Bluefish Communications Ltd.

Bluefish will form the nucleus of a new Unified Communications and Collaboration practice within Vodafone Global Enterprise, which will focus on advising multinational companies on how to get the most from their mobile, fixed line and IT services, as well as offering guidance on the adoption of cloud services.

The practice will also advise large corporate customers on how new collaboration services, such as video conferencing and presence awareness, can boost their business’s performance. Unified Communications seeks to make fixed and mobile communications more efficient, optimise and reduce costs, and enable better collaboration between employees, business partners and clients. Bluefish has been recognised as one of the fastest growing technology companies in both the UK and Europe. The acquisition will expand Bluefish’s geographical reach as it becomes part of Vodafone Global Enterprise’s global team.

Further services on offer to Vodafone’s multinational customers will include:
• An audit of existing infrastructure and future communication needs.
• Advice on moving to a communications strategy that spans mobile, fixed line and IT.
• Management of system integrators and vendors to ensure an effective and unified communications network closely aligned to business strategy.

Nick Jeffery, CEO of Vodafone Global Enterprise said: “The acquisition of Bluefish further develops our expertise in unified communications and broadens the range of services we can offer to our multinational customers. Having the right information at the right time, in the right place, has never been more important to business success and this acquisition will enhance our ability to advise multinationals on how to maximise value from their communications.” The value of the gross assets being acquired is £3.14m.