Consumerization of IT Leads Enterprise to Embrace App-Store Model

May 15, 2012 - by Debbie Stephenson

Recent technology developments and trends, most notably cloud computing and the emergence of mobile devices in the workforce, is raising the expectations from end users for new levels of service from enterprise IT. The ‘consumerization’ of IT has led to users demanding not only the sophisticated technologies that they enjoy on their own devices, but also the flexibility and on-demand convenience to which they have grown accustomed to with app stores. That’s why many big enterprises are now leveraging the popularity of app-stores within their business.

Generic vs. Specialized Document Sharing in the Cloud

May 9, 2012 - by Phil Adrien

There has been a lot of buzz around the new entrant into the cloud-based document sharing space with the recent announcement of Google Drive. But not all cloud-based document sharing is the same. Specialized document sharing solutions address a fundamentally different set of business problems than a generic document sharing solution does.  So where do generic document sharing solutions end and specialized document sharing solutions begin?

Report Reveals Increasing Appetite for Cross-Border Deals

May 8, 2012 - by Debbie Stephenson

A new survey by Clifford Chance has found that there is increasing appetite for cross-border deals, as businesses seek growth outside their home markets. The multi-regional report surveyed nearly 400 companies, each with revenues of more than $1 billion. Respondents were asked to rank their top strategic drivers and perceived risks to cross-border M&A.

Promising Signs for Life Sciences M&A Activity in April

May 3, 2012 - by Debbie Stephenson

April proved to be a big month for M&A activity in the Life Sciences industry as companies announced more than $29 billion in agreed upon transactions, the bulk of which occurred during the final week. This stood in stark contrast to the IPO market, which saw no completed Life Sciences offerings in U.S. markets during the month.

State of the M&A Markets - First Quarter 2012

May 1, 2012 - by Michael Poole

We often highlight articles from our customers that would be interesting and relevant to the Firmex community. Enjoy this in-depth report by Michael Poole of PCE Investment Banking, on the state of the M&A markets for Q1 2012.

M&A Trends in the Industrial Services Sector

Apr 24, 2012 - by Mike Rosendahl

We often highlight articles from our customers that would be interesting and relevant to the Firmex community. Enjoy this in-depth report by Mike Rosendahl of PCE Companies, on M&A Trends in the Industrial Services Sector.

Trends in Technology M&A and Outlook for Remainder of 2012 - Webinar Recap

Apr 17, 2012 - by Debbie Stephenson

Today we enjoyed an in-depth discussion on Trends in Technology M&A and Outlook for the Remainder of 2012 with Cyrus Lam, Managing Director of KPMG Corporate Finance LLC in New York. Cyrus not only took attendees through the current state of the M&A market, but also outlined the key drivers for technology M&A activity for the remainder of 2012. With the market flush with investable capital, he then provided some advice on how technology companies could make themselves more attractive to potential acquirers.

Audit Firms Turn to Virtual Data Rooms to Help Improve Audit Process

Apr 12, 2012 - by Debbie Stephenson

Disappointing results from a recent inspection report by the Canadian Public Accountability Board (CPAB) are driving audit firms to find new solutions that challenge the traditional audit process.

The CPAB, which oversees the work of Canadian audit firms, said it was “disappointed” in the progress being made on improving audit quality. Its concerns were directed toward both smaller regional firms and the “Big Four” national accounting firms, which audit about 94% of Canada’s publicly traded companies by market size. CPAB found deficiencies between 20 -26% of the audit files it reviewed at the Big Four firms and 47% of the audit files it reviewed from 10 smaller firms.

Consumer Industry Primed for 2012 Recovery

Apr 10, 2012 - by Debbie Stephenson

A new report from KPMG International suggests that a global recovery in M&A activity in the food, beverage, consumer goods and retail sectors slowed in the second half of 2011. Findings suggest that macroeconomic forces, such as euro zone instability and challenges in arranging financing, were the main contributors.

Health Care M&A Trends and Drivers

Mar 31, 2012 - by David Jasmund

We often highlight articles from our customers that would be interesting and relevant to the Firmex community. Enjoy this in-depth report by David Jasmund of PCE Companies, on Health Care M&A Trends and Drivers.