In a test of how closely it can collaborate with its US consulting subsidiary Gemini Consulting, Cap Gemini Sogeti SA has created an autonomous division where staff from the two companies will concentrate on winning contracts in the travel and tourism industries. Chief executive Geoff Unwin said The privatisation of national railways, the obligation of airline companies to drastically reduce their costs or the merging of hotel chains represent opportunities to take advantage of. As it stands, Cap Gemini is not taking enough advantage – last year it earned approximately $163m in a sector that was worth $1,000,000m. If the test suceeds, co-operation will be extended to other sectors, the company said. Within the context of its Genesis programme, which has aimed to transnationalise its service offerings, Cap Gemini says it is attacking new niches in banking client risk management, petro-chemical industry service station automation with AT&T Corp, and telecommunications installation of mobile networks or customer management systems. To further globalise these offers, it has appointed Philippe Donche-Gay, formerly with IBM Europe, to push even more rapid project execution. Clients are asking us for faster implementations which means going from a delay of nine months to nine weeks and then ultimately to nine days, declared Unwin.
