French integrator-cum-outsourcing biz Atos confirms bid for DXC Technology

French integrator-cum-outsourcing biz Atos has launched a bid, reported to be in the region of $10.1bn, to buy IT infrastructure services biz DXC Technology. Word on the acquisition came first from Reuters on Thursday, which claimed Atos is eyeing up ways to further boost its presence in America, following the $3.4bn cash deal …

[Dwarf]

Is there anyone left at DXC any more ?

I assumed they had gone the way of the dinosaurs with their constant culling of staff.

Perhaps if anyone goes out in the coming months and passes one of their buildings, then check if the lights are still on.

Actually, on second thoughts, that won't help because everyone else's light will be off as well due to COVID

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Is there anyone left at DXC any more ?

I took VR a few years back. Oddly they asked me if I'd go back as a contractor about 12 months later, as they were now so short of people due to the 'headcount reductions' they could no longer deliver to the client. I'm there again now, as a contractor, on almost 3 times the pay, doing basically the same job I did before I took redundancy! It's a strange World! (Although I don't thing this is going to last much longer!).

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Is there anyone left at DXC any more ?

138,000 left according to DXC's last Annual Report.

I left what I felt was a slowly sinking ship in 2018.

Interestingly I am now working in a role which involves using DXC services and it isn't a great experience. Shame as there were some good people there.

[sanmigueelbeer]

reported to be in the region of $10.1bn

I'd be asking Deloitte to conduct a thorough audit first before putting a price like that.

Who knows, the auditors might find an army of skeletons in the closets.

[Denarius]

my thoughts sounded like

gurgle, gurgle, slurp...silence

[Anonymous Coward]

Make Fujitsu look competent.

[Anonymous Coward]

Nice to see that El Reg hasn't forgotten about DXC entirely

[WhereAmI?]

Some of our internal services are outsourced to DXC. Log a problem; if we then realise it's going to end up in DXC's in-tray, we promptly set about trying to find a workaround/decide if we can do without whatever-it-is, because their response time is frequently measured in weeks.

[Anonymous Coward]

Service Level Agreements - DXC has heard of them...

[DilbertDonkey]

But why?

I mean, what's in it for Atos? DXC are seen as a bit of a dying/dead horse and $10bn isn't exactly a fire sale.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: But why?

I assume it is deemed more expedient to buy DXC's lunch than to attempt to steal their lunch.

Especially when the lunches are handed by large public bodies and only to companies they recognise.

[sanmigueelbeer]

Re: But why?

DXC are seen as a bit of a dying/dead horse and $10bn isn't exactly a fire sale

The people working for DXC have a value of bugger-all.

What every surviving entity in a merger/buy-out want is the (long) list of clients. That, apparently, is worth $10bn.

[Anonymous Coward]

Ugh

Awful company to buy awful company that used to be two awful companies.

Yes, I did work for a number of those

[well meaning but ultimately self defeating]

Two dodo's cannot give birth to an eagle

But I'm sure there will be money and careers be made on transaction fees so who cares.

[macjules]

Atos

This would be the same company that Ian Duncan Smith used to remove genuinely disabled people from incapacity benefit and hand it over the scroungers simply because they know how to play the system?

Turning up to an Atos "interview" constituted a failure as it meant you were capable of going out to work, even if you were in a wheelchair.

[Vometia Munro]

Re: Atos

Yeah. An Atos disability assessment was pretty much like a witch trial. Slightly surprised the author didn't flag what they're better remembered for: as much as their sub-Crapita IT competence is certainly its own thing, they're primarily evil bastards.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Atos

Technically it's Independent Assessment Services (delivered by Atos) who provide the PIP assessments to DWP, rather than Atos IT Services.

I'm still astounded that Atos haven't completely cut all ties with PIP due to the negative press it's attracted over the years. Having worked there for 10+ years I'd be very wary of telling people that I worked for Atos.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Atos

Yep - I'm currently contracted to a gov department through Atos, and I keep the Atos connection very quiet because of the PIP fiasco (which had nothing to do with IT).

Actually all the Atos people I deal with are competent and decent, so I hope this works out for all concerned.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Atos

Correct. Atos bought out Siemens, and that benefits thing was part of that. Funny how no one gave Siemens stick for running it.

I'm told one person working for Atos IT Services got a brick through his windscreen.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Atos

Lots of staff who were visiting the UK from foreign Atos companies, whilst working at the London Olympic Games, were also attacked in 2012 outside their digs.

Recently tuped Atos staff member to Atos Syntel. What a f' up its been.

[Anonymous Coward]

Not at all surprised...

...that DXC may be about to be bought. A little surprised that it's Atos who are interested; I expected DXC to be bought by one of the Indian outsourcing outfits.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Not at all surprised...

Atos sort of are an Indian outsourcing outfit now they own Syntel.

[Ken Moorhouse]

Atos

By the sounds of it they do not give...

[Anonymous Coward]

Please, don't.

Laptop provision in my biz has only just transitioned from DXC to Atos; there's a reason we got rid of the former.

[sanmigueelbeer]

The deal is off

Atos abandons plans to scoop up DXC Technology