Finance and banking

There are mixed messages coming from the financial services markets with some companies remaining higly profitable and others preparing for a potential downturn.

The sub-prime crisis and resulting stock market fallout have certainly resulted in tougher market conditions. Falling profits have focused companies' attention on long-standing operational inefficiencies and senior executives are putting more emphasis on improving business performance and efficiency.

The industry has endured waves of regulatory change over the last five years and many organisations are now looking to invest in other areas, including outsourcing and IT.