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An unmistable		in Valtech US
	sense of optimism

newsletter n°1, february 2002

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In Valtech in the United States, there is an unmistakable sense of optimism. Something that at first can be difficult to understand for an outsider, considering the uncertainties stemming from recession and the way of the world in general. We met with the COO of North America, Curtis Hite, and Marketing Director Dennis Holland, to gain insight into the reasoning of the U.S. operation.

"We fully expect to see improvements in the U.S. economy by the end of Q2 or early in Q3," says Curtis Hite. "While the recovery may not be happening as quickly as we'd like, our strategy is to be strongly positioned to capitalize on the opportunities created when it does turn around."

In fact, all energies in the USA are focused on gaining momentum in the market before the industry as a whole recovers. Improving Valtech's visibility in the U.S. market, rapidly gaining market share through aggressive and provocative selling efforts, and creating the ability to quickly draw from the vast pool of technology experts currently available - all are key elements of the Valtech North America strategy.

"We plan to have the advantage of being first," Hite explains. "First to 'package' offerings in ways that make the buying decision easy for clients as their budgets open up again. First to capture significant market share, based on the value we deliver to clients through these packaged offerings. And first to tap the very large pool of superior technical talent currently on the market as we deliver these offerings and serve the long-term business needsof our clients. Pre-empting our competition in this way will make all the difference in our market where speed, agility and a well-defined offering are critical to rapid, yet sustained growth."

The "packaged" offerings he refers to are clearly defined solutions that leverage Valtech's core competencies and focus on solving a specific customer issue. Dennis Holland points to a recent survey in CIO Magazine, a leading U.S. publication that tracks the IT industry, which notes that "offering generic services" will be one of the leading causes of failure among U.S. consulting companies over the next two years.

"By creating packaged solutions that fully leverage our competencies, from assessment to skills transfer, Valtech can quickly sell high-quality, proven solutions into such high-growth markets as 'financial services' and 'energy'," Holland explains. "In addition, these offerings are targeted at solving a very specific business issue, and provide us with a springboard into future engagements within the clients' enterprise." Packaged offerings currently deployed by the U.S. team range from Exchange Integration Solutions, to Enterprise Portals to Continuous Integration.

"It's very powerful to sell a $50,000 solution that, within a very short timeframe, has a direct impact on the productivity and efficiency of an enterprise - more so, than say, a large complex project where the client will not see an immediate ROI. The ability to rapidly demonstrate value is key, especially in these days when ROI is king," he continues.

Valtech singles out
Both Hite and Holland also put great trust in one aspect of Valtech that singles us out from the rest: the notion of skills transfer. Valtech constantly competes against providers whose business models are built on making clients dependent on them.

"Skills transfer is a significant differentiator for us in our market. No major players focus on skills transfer to the extent that we do," says Holland. "Our ability to deliver 100% self-sufficiency to our clients allows CIOs to truly retain control of their IT initiatives, a critical selling point at both the executive and the technical levels of an organization. This approach to skills transfer has enabled us to get into new accounts that otherwise would have been difficult, at best, to penetrate. Our packaged solutions are designed to reinforce this clear Valtech differentiator."

Global commitment
For Curtis Hite, it is also reassuring to see the true commitment from the global Valtech organization in recent times.

"From a global perspective, Valtech has very visionary senior management. We have had, and still have, the ability to predict where the market will go in the future. Offshore is a good example," Hite says. "It's evident that Valtech has reached a level of maturity and mass where we are able to support each other in specific actions. Valtech's focus on CRM is a good example. Recently, we had the opportunity get business in the CRM area with a new client. To rapidly address our clients' needs, we leveraged our European expertise by bringing three colleagues in from Denmark and France. The client was very impressed with their work; we proved ourselves to be an agile and highly experienced global company; and we have since secured more business with this client. That is a good example of global commitment."

Dennis Holland adds his own experiences in the six months he has been with Valtech: "The people here in North America are extremely committed and incredibly talented. I have seen, not only the management team, but all individuals rise to the occasion and grow as a team. I have also had the opportunity to go out and meet several of our clients, and have been so impressed with the commitment they have to us, based on the value we have brought them. Clearly, we have not only the talent, but also the spirit needed to flourish in our industry."

It is not difficult to see why the U.S. operation feels fairly comfortable with the outlook for 2002.