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[aishah] 23/11/2010 11:49

Focus Solutions launches focus:360° for iPhone and Android

[felix99] 22/11/2010 17:49

My moneys - on who ever pays the most :-)

Not bothered which continent they are from lol

[jakleeds] 22/11/2010 17:02

My money's still on one of the Indian co's.

[johnv] 22/11/2010 16:21

thx for the answers, decided to top up

[simon gordon] 22/11/2010 16:17

If it turns out to be Unisys we'll be very happy bunnies. The dream scenario is if a couple of the below get into a bidding war:

360 resellers:

~Mastek
~Tieto
~Unisys

360 system integration partners / technology partners

~IBM
~Mastek
~Microsoft
~Tata
~Wipro

[cockneyrebel] 22/11/2010 16:13

I still fancy Unisys as th bidder, just looks right imo.

Results just a fortnight tomorrow so we might not have long to find out :-)

CR

[sportbilly1976] 22/11/2010 16:11

johnv,

The mkt may have an idea, in the same way we have an idea, but it doesn't know.

[felix99] 22/11/2010 15:57

mkt discounting price for fact bid not yet a done deal and may not happen?

[lomax99] 22/11/2010 15:45

I certainly hope not, I have been adding around this level and will be somewhat disappointed if the take-out price is not some way north of £1.50.

[johnv] 22/11/2010 15:39

Got a few of these sometime ago. Does anybody think its worth topping up. I get the feeling with takeovers that the market knows and has moved it up to near the approx offer price.

[nurdin] 21/11/2010 21:21

doh..lol

But thinking about it, it makes Unisys a front runner in the biders list imo..as I think CR mentioned it here...

[simon gordon] 21/11/2010 21:19

Nurdin,

Sorry, I made a mistake on post 340, the agreement was signed in 2009 not 2010. I've corrected it.

[nurdin] 21/11/2010 21:08

That deserves a....wow ! :o)

[simon gordon] 21/11/2010 19:51

29/9/09:

New strategic alliance with Unisys UK

Focus Solutions, (AIM:FSG), a leading provider of proven enterprise solutions to the financial services market, is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Unisys, a worldwide information technology consulting services and solutions company.

The partnership will provide Unisys with innovative technology from Focus Solutions for use on their multi-channel mortgage origination platform. Unisys selected focus:technology after a strategic review of the leading technology suppliers in the market.

Based on Focus' experience of creating sales automation and advanced web based applications, Unisys is set to tap into this expertise to create a powerful straight-through processing model aimed at the major banks and building societies across the UK and Ireland, selling high volumes of mortgage related business.

Lenders for many years have been looking for a single solution from a single supplier in order to reduce the overall cost of ownership – this new partnership between Focus and Unisys will provide an innovative alternative.

Focus' technology is currently being used to power Trigold's Electronic Trading Centre and this partnership deal now enables a lender to develop an e-application process and deploy this across multiple channels including;

~Branch
~Intermediary portal
~Trigold
~Call-Centre
~Consumer portal

The same data is transferred directly into Unisys origination platform avoiding the need to re-key.

Richard Stevenson, Chief Executive, Focus Solutions Group plc, comments;

"We are delighted to be working with Unisys as we look to grow our brand further in the mortgage sector. The latest version of focus:technology dramatically reduces the associated costs for developing intermediary and consumer portals in an intelligent and dynamic fashion. Our clients want fast and adaptable solutions delivered with change in mind. We are currently actively engaged on several significant deals together."

Steve O'Loughlin, Unisys Head of Sales for Mortgages in the UK added;

"The Unisys origination platform (UMO) works seamlessly with the award winning UFSS mortgage and banking system and the partnership with Focus will improve further the ability to deliver true end to end process optimisation and business agility. UFSS is already a key business component used by half of the top UK lenders. We have a good relationship with Focus, based upon their can do attitude, technology and domain knowledge and this relationship will continue to help us maintain our market leading position."

[simon gordon] 21/11/2010 18:59

Tieto is one of the largest IT solutions and services companies in Europe with 16,000 experts across nearly 30 countries. Tieto has a range of focused offerings, specialising in business solutions, consulting, development and hosting of its customers' business operations. We have experience of working in across multiple industries over the last four decades with a unique combination of capabilities in IT, R&D and digital services.

Tieto's Financial Services division provides global information technology solutions, including e-Banking, payments, cards, mortgages and savings, instalment credit and collections. With 2,500 employees dedicated to financial services across 14 countries, our solutions provide unique, competitive advantage to over 400 customers worldwide.

[simon gordon] 21/11/2010 18:23

360 resellers:

~Mastek
~Tieto
~Unisys

360 system integration partners / technology partners

~IBM
~Mastek
~Microsoft
~Tata
~Wipro



*Bar Mastek, the above have very deep pockets.

[cockneyrebel] 20/11/2010 10:41

I think charts are pointless on a stock that's in a bid situation imo.

The other point here is the big leap in earnings from this year to next year. Many small private investors look at historic earnings as their PE which in my view is wrong, you need to value fwd rather than back. So some are working on the 5.7p eps of last year.

Many investors look at the current year for their eps which is pretty reasonable and they are probably looking at the 8.2p eps for this year to base their valuation. But as Jim Slater points out in the Zulu Principle book, the time to look at a co is when the interims come out because that's the point a lot of investors start looking at the next years eps for their guide. With 12.2p eps forecast next year off of 8.2p this year I believe many investors uninitiated with FSG will see that as cheap for 50% earnings growth. Many investors don't realise that the 12.2p eps for next year is pretty much bolted on too with the recent £25m contract win. On that basis I expect FSG to rate up higher come the results on Dec 7th.

One other thing. With £10m sales last year, they have since won that £25m contract which comes in over 5 years. To my mind if you justs averaged that out you're expecting to add £5m a year on average so the broker forecasts of £13.4m and £16.8m sales in the next two years looks very conservative imo. And as a co, if you'd just won a huge contract like that would you really guide brokers to an EPS forecast that was going to be tight to achieve? If I was FSG I'd guide to a number that was going to be a doddle to achieve over the next 18 months and give myself an easy life.

On that basis I think the forecasts are very conservative which not only means upgrades if there was no bid but but means any bid would probably have to made higher than expected for the management to want to take it.

All in all I don't see these this cheap come Dec 7 results myself.

CR

[cupra kid] 19/11/2010 22:46

Fingers interpretation of the chart:

[nicedude1976] 19/11/2010 14:48

And I can't imagine people weren't buying when it was in the 30s ;)

[simon gordon] 19/11/2010 12:02

Been on the trumpet, spoke to a source in the industry, source doesn't reckon it's Standard Life, but didn't know who the bidder/s could be.

[dasv] 19/11/2010 11:49

CR - there may be some who have waited 7 years in loss and now get the opportunity to sell for a profit. It can be tempting to exit a perfectly good share at break even or modest profit because of a bad entry point.

[cockneyrebel] 19/11/2010 11:26

Can't imagine who sells here - worth this valuation without a bid and with results in a couple of week I'd have thought the market is going to see just how cheap these are then imo.

CR

[cockneyrebel] 18/11/2010 15:29

The market is re-rating today while FSG sit's still - in a firm market like this FSG are just going to command a firmer price from any bidder imo.

CR

[jakleeds] 18/11/2010 08:13

edging up, should be news any day

[jakleeds] 17/11/2010 23:09

My money is on at least one Indian company entering into the bidding for FSG. If it's not Mastek thenTata and Wipro are also technology partners with FSG, and are looking for acquisitions in Europe.

July 23,2010 - 11:05 AM

Transaction Note
Azim Premji's Wipro Technologies Limited provides comprehensive IT solutions and services, including systems integration, information systems outsourcing, package implementation, software application development and maintenance, and research and development services to corporations globally.

In Dec'08, Wipro Technologies acquired the Indian operations of Citi Technologies in a $127 Mn all cash deal. It also got into a five year contract with Citi for offering back office services. Wipro also bought Infocrossing in 2007 for $600 Mn.

It acquired loan origination software vendor - Gallagher Financial Systems Inc. in Sept'08, followed by the acquisition of Nokia's enterprise mobile unit in April'09.

Other Indian IT majors are also looking for overseas acquisitions. Earlier in the month, HCL Infosystems acquired 60% stake in Dubai based NTS Group for $6.5 Mn.

Infosys Technologies is also looking for small acquisitions in France and Germany to expand its European Footprint.