Wipro Technologies: Balancing Power with Responsibility as Technology Makes for a Richer, Simpler World

The debate is widening on whether technology is making our lives simpler or more complicated. Technology is certainly putting more power in the hands of users, allowing them to work faster and safer, and cut costs. Yet, technology can also be a treadmill that is hard to stop, and it can have potential adverse impacts on health, safety and the environment. In this white paper, Anurag Srivastava, chief technology officer of Wipro Technologies in Bangalore, India, and Shawndra Hill, Wharton professor of operations and information management, offer insights into how to use technology responsibly.

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Wipro Technologies: AkzoNobel’s CIO Pieter Schoehuijs

Rugby is the sport that best defines the style of Pieter Schoehuijs, the CIO of AkzoNobel, the Dutch multinational maker of decorative paints and specialty chemicals. Schoehuijs, 47, likes rugby because it is a team sport whose members bring different skills. “Some people are very strong, some are very fast and some kick well,” he says. “They have to work together in a concerted effort and need to be very dedicated to be successful.” In this article he shares his insights into what drives him on the job.

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Ernst & Young: Private Equity Buys Time with Major Refinancings

In the boom years of 2006 and 2007, European and North American private equity firms acquired significantly larger businesses, financing the deals with record levels of debt. The borrowings often consisted of four- and five-year term loans. When the credit freeze followed the banking crisis in 2008, many predicted a flood of defaults when the “wall of maturity” arrived in 2011 and 2012. Fast-forward to today and it appears as if the industry has sidestepped a crisis. Most PE firms proactively addressed the problem by paying down debt, renegotiating terms, or turning to the high-yield bond market and other sources to refinance, extending debt maturity dates by several years. But that begs a new question: How will the industry fare if economic and sovereign debt problems in Europe and the United States drag on?

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Wipro Technologies: State Street CIO Chris Perretta Brings Precision, Planning and Execution to IT Projects that Advance Business Strategy

Christopher Perretta likens a successful IT program to a beautiful golf shot. Achieving such a program calls for aligning the IT function with the business goals of the company. This in turn requires close cooperation with other departments and the ability to recognize customer needs. Such skills are particularly important in a financial services industry that currently faces pressures ranging from sweeping regulatory changes to diminished financial returns.

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Amwal AlKhaleej: Europe’s Financial Crisis and its Impact on the Arab World

Economies in the Middle East-North Africa region were already in trouble because of investor nervousness after the Arab Spring. Now large parts of Europe are in turmoil, and the road to recovery is likely to be long and hard. What does this spell for companies and investors in the Arab world? For guidance, analysts and investors look at demand for oil, trade volumes, and investment flows between the MENA region and Europe to gauge what will come.

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Wipro Technologies: IT Projects Are Like Marriages in the View of Malcolm Simpkin, CIO of Aviva UK General Insurance

Malcolm Simpkin, CIO of Aviva UK General Insurance, stresses the importance of "honest conversations" to ensure that all parties to an IT project understand their roles and can cope with any frictions or misunderstandings that develop. He draws on techniques ranging from cloud computing to offshoring to drive cost reductions, develop business opportunities, and enhance growth and profitability.

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KPMG: Executives Show Guarded Optimism about M&A in the Year Ahead

Merger and acquisition activity should hold steady or increase in 2012, due to low interest rates and record levels of cash on hand at corporations, according to a survey conducted by KPMG LLP and Knowledge@Wharton. In addition, interest rates remain low and sellers seem more willing to negotiate. However, some economic concerns continue to hamper deal-making. The U.S. jobs market, while improving, is still sluggish and the uncertainty in Europe has created a nervous global economic environment, while the U.S. presidential election adds additional uncertainty. In order to gain a better understanding of the current mergers and acquisitions marketplace and where it’s headed, KPMG LLP and Knowledge@Wharton conducted a survey of 825 decision-makers at U.S. corporations, private equity firms and investment funds.

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GE Capital: Advancing Sustainability -- from 1.0 to 3.0

Most forward-looking companies agree that corporate sustainability means creating value for shareholders, customers and communities while recognizing constraints on natural resources. But the path to achieving that end is often unclear for many finance executives. In this whitepaper, experts from GE, Wharton and elsewhere offer their insights on balancing those considerations, and explain why the business case for sustainability is compelling ― even for companies tightening purse strings.

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Wipro Technologies: New Business Options Spring up for Telecom, Media and Technology in the Digital Age

The business models for the telecommunications, media and technology (TMT) industries are being transformed. Power is shifting from the owners of scarce, proprietary resources to a ubiquitous Internet platform. Building on this shift are cloud computing, social networking, wireless mobility and the proliferation of devices. Information technology services providers are helping TMT companies navigate these changes. In this article, Ayan Mukerji, head of the media and telecom business group at Wipro Technologies, and Wharton professor Kevin Werbach, assess what it takes to adress the coming changes successfully.

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Wipro Technologies: Diversey’s Brent Hoag -- IT is a Brand unto Itself

Information Technology should function as a business unto itself, not as a support organization, says Brent Hoag, vice president and CIO at Diversey, a leading business-to-business provider of institutional cleaning and sanitation solutions. “We have our own IT brand that we hope will stand the challenges over time.” At Diversey, IT generates innovation and value through internal marketing campaigns that are tied to the company’s growth

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