Brit security services firm SecureData sold to France's Orange for an undisclosed sum

France Télécom's Orange has bought Brit-based infosec managed services provider SecureData to beef up its defences against the dark arts in the UK. The deal will see 200-plus staff and management continue "remain independent", operating alongside new sister company Orange Cyberdefense, Secure Data CEO Ian Brown told us. He …

[devTrail]

Conflict of interest

I can understand the need to secure access to some services that might be absorbed by excessive demand. But on the other hand a provider of security services is also an auditor of your systems and your network, doesn't the fact that they own the providers create a conflict of interest?

[Anonymous Coward]

Remaining independent for at least ten minutes

Like all medium sized corporate deals, it'll be progressively borged, the founders and capable senior managers and techies will leave, the new managers will be favoured appointees from the French parent company's "talent pool", and existing customers will find prices go up to pay a return on the acquisition goodwill costs that flop on to SecureData's balance sheet. Eventually Orange will decide that for the good of all concerned, SecureData's Birmingham office is the wrong place, and staff will be offered their P45 or a transfer to France. The statement that they want access to the UK security tech market is bollocks - look at the map of their business presence across Europe, the Uk is not a focus, and won't be any time soon.

Suggestion to SecureData staff: Start looking now. Finding the right job in the right place, and being offered it can take longer than you think. Even if you are indispensable, and plan to stay, start looking - they'll probably pay more to retain you.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Remaining independent for at least ten minutes

Like all medium sized corporate deals, it'll be progressively borged, the founders and capable senior managers and techies will leave, the new managers will be favoured appointees from the French parent company's "talent pool", and existing customers will find prices go up to pay a return on the acquisition goodwill costs that flop on to SecureData's balance sheet.

Totally agree, happens so often I still don't get why larger companies do it, other than to take out the competition.

[Will Godfrey]

Rental UK

Is there anything that hasn't been sold to France?

[druck]

Re: Rental UK

Military victories.

[devTrail]

Re: Rental UK

Cadbury, Jaguar, ARM and so on.

[Danny 14]

Re: Rental UK

cornwall?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Rental UK

Nissan ?

[phuzz]

Re: Rental UK

Wine and cheese?

[Anonymous Coward]

Brexit angle ?

Will the jobs stay in the UK ?

[Anonymous Coward]

ANOTHER company being sold to an EU Member State?

So should a minor miracle occur and Brexit does actually happen, what will become of all the "UK" companies that are little more than shells owned by companies from France, Germany, Spain etc?

Who owns most of our power generating capacity now? Our manufacturing? Our construction industry? Who paid 'our' farmers to stop growing food crops?

It's not paranoia when they really are out to get you.

[devTrail]

Re: ANOTHER company being sold to an EU Member State?

Who owns most of our power generating capacity now? Our manufacturing? Our construction industry?

You forgot to add to the picture the Indian tycoons owning a big chunk of what's left of British manufacturing. The American multinationals are the one most active in the reduction of the workforce, but still they have a significant presence and what about American/Australian tycoons owning a chunk of the vital media system? Furthermore I can bet that after Brexit Russian oligarchs will expand beyond properties, football clubs and financial institutions.

Who paid 'our' farmers to stop growing food crops?

You are just pointing to the money, but not to the lobbies that determined how the spend money. After Brexit, the budget will have a British signature, but I can bet it won't change anything.

It's not paranoia when they really are out to get you.

Yes, probably. It seems a different condition, something that is able to turn on a blind eye or even two.

[phuzz]

I can only imagine that 'cyber' sounds even more bloody ridiculous in French than it does in English.