equaterra was acquired by kpmg effective february 18 , 2011 .

as a member of kpmg ’s network of member firms , equaterra continues to provide global sourcing advisory services in information technology ( it ) , finance and accounting ( f&a ) , human resources ( hr ) , supply chain management and other business processes .

equaterra

glassdoor has 2 equaterra reviews submitted anonymously by equaterra employees . read employee reviews and ratings on glassdoor to decide if equaterra is right for you .
equaterra provides advisory services in information technology and business process transformation . equaterra is headquartered in houston , texas . equaterra has a revenue of $ 78 . 5m , and 300 employees . equaterra has 31 followers on owler .
equaterra provides advisory services in information technology and business process transformation . equaterra was founded in 2003 . equaterra ' s headquarters is located in houston , texas , usa 77056 . equaterra has an estimated 300 employees and an estima . . .
owler has collected 9 screenshots of equaterra ' s website since jun 2014 . the latest equaterra website design screenshot was captured in sep 2016 .
sridhar vedala , former managing director - global sourcing at equaterra , inc . - relationship science
timothy p . flynn , chairman , kpmg international , said :
equaterra is an ideal fit for kpmg and we look forward to welcoming the equaterra team to the kpmg network family .
equaterra and tpi , inc . today announced the signing of their merger agreement . closing is anticipated later in february 2006 .
equaterra , the top ranking full service outsourcing and offshoring advisor in 2007 , has earned the lead position due to its continuous focus on educating current and prospective buyers on how to evaluate internal it and business processes , and successfully engage and manage outsourcing relationships . equaterra
equaterra is ranked no . 2 on the international association of outsourcing professionals ' recent 2010 list of the world ' s best outsourcing advisers
yes - that happened . we just had the biggest shakeup in the outsourcing advisory market since kpmg ' s acquisition of equaterra in 2011 .
equaterra ' s advisors are defined by their ability to work collaboratively with clients to reduce costs and improve performance in their internal business support functions .
[ . . . ] equaterra + kpmg – a new era , or a new miscalculation & # 10 . . . [ . . . ]
may 2 , 2005 ( plansponsor . com )  equaterra , a outsourcing and insourcing advisory firm , has launched equaterra public sector llc ( eqps ) , a subsidiary to help public sector organizations evaluate outsourcing , shared services or a blended sourcing model for hr , finance & accounting , it , crm and procurement .
[ . . . ] by cliff justice , finished in second place – a strong showing and justification of their 2011 acquisition of equaterra . click to [ . . . ]
today equaterra ' s clients include a mix of the global 1 , 000 , multinational corporations , local companies , and large public sector and not - for - profit organisations .
equaterra , houston jolie newman , 407 - 677 - 8404 jolie . newman @ urltoken or gina blackie , + 44 ( 0 ) 7775 521 487 gina . blackie @ urltoken
* equaterra was founded by mark toon , mark hodges en david karabinos , in houstonin 2003 . between 2003 and 2011 the consulting firm grew quickly to become one of the leading global players in the area of sourcing and business process excellence . in februari 2011 equaterra was absorbed by kpmg , approximately 300 advisors stepped over to the big 4 office globally .
[ . . . ] week’s outsourcing advisory bombshell wedding between kpmg and equaterra may well prove to be a turning point in the way buyers are serviced in [ . . . ]
equaterra 150 minories london ec3n 1ls united kingdom + 1 713 470 9812 ( americas ) + 44 845 838 7500 ( europe ) + 44 845 838 7600 infoeuapac @ urltoken www . urltoken
prior to his new role , giles served as senior vice president at waypoint , a strategy and management consulting firm . between 2007 and february 2009 he was vice president of client services at equaterra ( in february 2011 kpmg advisory bought equaterra ) . in the years before , he was chief operating officer at the district of columbia and held senior positions with idea integration and ernst & young .
through objective , independent advice , equaterra delivers sustainable value with a return on investment that usually occurs within three to six months of your improvement initiative launch , with payback often exceeding 20 times the investment .
equaterra recently completed its second - quarter pulse surveys with those on the front lines of the bpo industry—its own global advisors and the industry’s service providers , and the results are surprising for the hro market .
equaterra is an ideal fit for kpmg and we look forward to welcoming the equaterra team to the kpmg network family ,
said timothy p . flynn , chairman , kpmg international .
through this acquisition , clients of kpmg member firms will benefit from the addition of a market - leading sourcing adviser to help them transform their organizations into more flexible enterprises in a way that meets today ' s complex market demands .
equaterra sourcing advisors help clients achieve sustainable value in their business and it processes . with an average of more than 20 years of industry experience in over 600 global transformation and outsourcing projects , our advisors offer unmatched industry expertise . equaterra has deep functional knowledge in finance and accounting , hr , it , procurement and other critical business processes with advisors throughout north america , europe and asia pacific . we help clients achieve significant cost savings and process improvement with outsourcing , internal transformation and shared services solutions . for more information on equaterra , please contact lee ann moore at 713 - 669 - 9292 ; leeann . moore @ urltoken ; www . urltoken .
equaterra has prior experience in the public sector market , having previously advising groups such as the us navy , us army , california state university and the new york city department of education , on a range of sourcing matters .
equaterra sourcing advisers help clients achieve sustainable value in their it and business processes . their advisors average more than 20 years of industry experience and have supported more than 2 , 000 transformation and outsourcing projects across more than 60 countries .
equaterra provides expert advisory services in information technology ( it ) and business - process transformation . we help companies significantly reduce costs and improve effectiveness and efficiency through internal process delivery improvements , shared services , outsourcing and global sourcing solutions .
kpmg’s recent acquisition of equaterra signals some new dynamics in the market for outsourcing advisory services . the acquisition creates an intriguing combination of capabilities encompassing high - level consulting services for tax , supply chain management and it strategy with equaterra’s proven outsourcing transaction strengths . moreover , it confirms a mini - wave of industry consolidation following tpi parent company’s information services group ( isg ) acquiring long - time benchmarking specialist compass ( more recently , isg acquired public sector specialist sta consulting ) .
equaterra is an ideal fit for kpmg and we look forward to welcoming the equaterra team to the kpmg network family
, said timothy p . flynn , chairman , kpmg international .
through this acquisition , clients of kpmg member firms will benefit from the addition of a market - leading sourcing adviser to help them transform their organizations into more flexible enterprises in a way that meets today ' s complex market demands .
mark toon , former chief executive officer of equaterra and current kpmg llp principal , said that the deal adds value for clients of both organizations .
joining a network with kpmg ' s capabilities and global scope provides great opportunities for our employees and clients
, toon said .
kpmg ' s extensive sourcing experience , its big four market presence , and its reputation for relentless execution is an ideal complement for equaterra ' s business transformation capabilities and highly respected reputation in the shared services and sourcing advisory sector .
[ . . . ] her trade with kpmg’s shared services and outsourcing advisory group , having come across with the 2011 equaterra acquisition , having earned her stripes in the pharmaceutical , chemicals and life sciences industry with ibm [ . . . ]
[ … ] in grand rapids michigan . the firm has done an impressive job developing the ip and technology acquired from equaterra and coupling its governance consulting talent to its clients , as and when they need it , under its [ … ]
[ . . . ] team from 10 people to 65 professionals including myself . that’s when we acquired equaterra ( see post ) . we brought in about 250 consulting professionals around the world in 2008 and since then we’ve [ . . . ]
equaterra provides support across the entire process improvement lifecycle , from strategy and assessment through to solution design and implementation , benefits realisation , and ongoing improvement and governance . we can guide clients through the entire journey , or any step along the way .
mark toon , former chief executive officer of equaterra and current kpmg llp principal , said that the deal adds value for clients of both organizations .
joining a network with kpmg ' s capabilities and global scope provides great opportunities for our employees and clients ,
toon said .
kpmg ' s extensive sourcing experience , its big four market presence and its reputation for relentless execution is an ideal complement for equaterra ' s business transformation capabilities and highly respected reputation in the shared services and sourcing advisory sector .
now , we see kpmg llp ( us ) , kpmg holdings limited ( uk ) and kpmg international now aquiring outsourcing advisory firm equaterra in an effort to create a broad global sourcing and shared services advisory offerings across the americas , europe and asia pacific .
[ . . . ] in grand rapids michigan . the firm has done an impressive job developing the ip and technology acquired from equaterra and coupling its governance consulting talent to its clients , as and when they need it , under its [ . . . ]
we cannot find any source for valuation of equaterra but would imagine that the transaction was in the hundreds of millions of dollars . that leaves tci still operating in the f & a , hro and bpo space , which we hear deloitte is very interested in .
[ . . . ] this post was mentioned on twitter by naomi bloom , ronfriedmann , phil fersht , phil fersht , theanalystunion and others . theanalystunion said : equaterra + kpmg - a new era , or a new error for outsourcing advisory ? urltoken via [ . . . ]
combining kpmg ' s practice and equaterra , two of the world ' s top - ranked global sourcing organizations , the transaction is consistent with the kpmg network ' s growth strategy , focusing on organic and inorganic opportunities in select high - demand market sectors . terms were not disclosed .
kpmg llp ( us ) , kpmg holdings limited ( uk ) and kpmg international today announced the closing of an agreement to acquire the business of advisory firm equaterra . the acquisition creates one of the broadest global sourcing and shared services advisory offerings across the americas , europe and asia pacific .
equaterra was the top ranking full - service outsourcing adviser in 2007 , in part for the houston , texas , company ' s well - defined outsourcing governance best practices . virginia - based paceharmon was ranked as the top adviser among boutique firms , which support clients with highly specialized services .
equaterra advisors and service providers were in agreement , however , on which of the process areas within hr ranked the highest : payroll ( 79 percent of advisors ; 64 percent of service providers ) , benefits ( 78 percent versus 43 percent ) and hrit ( 53 percent versus 71 percent ) .
these quarterly surveys , which commenced in 2004 , offer in - the - field insights into sector trends and projections . each quarter , nearly 100 equaterra advisors and approximately 20 service providers answer our questions on the ito and bpo markets on a proprietary and confidential basis . here are the latest findings .
after five consecutive quarters , the moderate , sequential decline of outsourcing market demand has stopped . more than half ( 55 percent ) of equaterra’s advisors cited demand as increasing ( versus 40 percent in the previous quarter ) as did 67 percent of service providers ( versus 59 percent in the first quarter . )
the mini - wave of consolidation may seem paradoxical given that growth has returned to the outsourcing marketplace . forrester believes the overall market for such services will grow 7 . 1 % to $ 254b this year . if the outsourcing market is again growing , why are the winds of industry consolidation blowing ? although the opportunity is broadening , large mega - deals that firms like tpi and equaterra grew to prominence on are getting scarcer and scarcer . moreover , clients are taking a more holistic view of outsourcing alongside evaluating shared services and other organizational dynamics , creating the need for a broader value proposition extending beyond transactional services . although many outsourcing advisory firms have gone down this path with strategy and research services , the kpmg - equaterra combination creates an unusually strong combination . kpmg , which heretofore had lagged principal competitors pwc and deloitte in the scale of its outsourcing advisory service , should benefit substantially from the addition of equaterra’s resources and capabilities .
recently kpmg announced it launched a fund aimed at investing in new technologies , like big data and analytics . with the move it embarks ground that no other big four firm has gone before – the land of technology investment . meanwhile it is known that kpmg capital will be led by former equaterra ceo mark toon .
big four firm kpmg has announced the closing of an agreement to acquire the business of advisory firm equaterra . according to a company announcement , the acquisition is consistent with the kpmg network ' s growth strategy , focusing on organic and inorganic opportunities in select high - demand market sectors . terms of the acquisition were not disclosed .
the name
equaterra
means
level ground ,
which aligns well with kpmg ' s philosophy of providing an objective sourcing and shared services advisory approach . this is also consistent with kpmg ' s focus on bringing clients and service providers together in a collaborative environment to create innovative delivery models and provide sustainable value to the business .
equaterra is ranked no . 2 on the international association of outsourcing professionals ' recent 2010 list of the world ' s best outsourcing advisers . it serves clients throughout the americas , europe , middle east , africa and asia pacific , providing deep functional knowledge in finance and accounting , hr , it , procurement and other critical business processes .
outsourcing pricing in the second quarter was cited as “stable” by 63 percent of equaterra’s advisors , while 15 percent cited pricing as more favorable to service providers . this pricing environment has allowed service providers to be less reliant on dropping their prices to win business . this pricing equilibrium between buyer and provider is healthy for the industry as a whole .
equaterra is ranked no . 2 on the international association of outsourcing professionals ' recent 2010 list of the world ' s best outsourcing advisers . it serves clients throughout the americas , europe , middle east , africa , and asia pacific , providing deep functional knowledge in finance and accounting , hr , it , procurement , and other critical business processes .
glenn giles , an alumnus of equaterra , has been appointed as ceo of privia . privia is an american - based company that supports customers with proposal management services and solutions for the public sector . giles will be responsible for the company ' s full operations and will focus specifically on growing the firms ' market share in the u . s .
with offices throughout north america , europe and asia pacific , equaterra has deep expertise in finance and accounting , hr , it , supply chain management and other critical business processes . our advisors , who have on average more than 20 years of industry experience , have supported more than 2 , 000 process transformation and outsourcing projects across more than 60 countries in 19 languages .
the name
equaterra
means
level ground
, which aligns well with kpmg ' s philosophy of providing an objective sourcing and shared services advisory approach , according to the company announcement . this is also consistent with kpmg ' s focus on bringing clients and service providers together in a collaborative environment to create innovative delivery models and provide sustainable value to the business .
equaterra , inc . provides advisory services in information technology ( it ) and business process transformation . it offers advisory services in the areas of finance and accounting , human resources , information technology , real estate services and facilities management , supply chain , procurement , business processes and shared services . the c ompany was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in houston , tx .
the delve brand index for human resources outsourcing also contains information on the ever - important sourcing advisors as well as articles written by insiders at important hro players such as accenture , hewitt , excelleratehro , equaterra , and alsbridge . because this report is built on getting key market constituents to frankly discuss the industry , the report is likely to raise more than a few eyebrows .
as organizations transform their operations to compete in today ' s complex business environment , equaterra ' s highly experienced professionals , combined with the kpmg network ' s deep market presence and objective shared services and outsourcing advisory team , will provide clients with a full life - cycle of capabilities - from strategy through to optimization - for companies seeking to reduce costs and improve effectiveness and efficiency .
but cutting to the chase , these firms have some seriously experienced fellows who know this business inside and out . they know what they are doing and i would be highly surprised if we see a repeat of the now infamous
veritage
, when equaterra and tpi failed to tie the knot after some very expensive offsites ( and had chosen the lovely name
veritage
) .
as organizations transform their operations to compete in today ' s complex business environment , equaterra ' s professionals , combined with the kpmg network ' s deep market presence and shared services and outsourcing advisory team , will provide clients with what kpmg is calling a full life - cycle of capabilities - from strategy through to optimization - for companies seeking to reduce costs and improve effectiveness and efficiency .
equaterra is known for its collaborative approach and culture . we recognise that our clients have complex business issues and requirements , which is why we have a flexible methodology and a solution orientation that enables us to focus on the unique needs of our clients , never looking for a one - size - fits - all solution . we simplify the complicated to help you focus on what is most critical to your business .
in contrast , among service providers , hro remained the leading process area ( cited by 53 percent ) , followed by fao ( 24 percent ) , and procurement ( 12 percent ) . the disparity of rankings between equaterra advisors and service providers is a function of marketplace demand , the focus areas of the advisors , and service providers polled , and a slightly different ranking methodology required by advisors versus service providers .
john griffith - jones , co - chairman , kpmg europe llp , said the acquisition will allow kpmg member firms to help clients manage large scale , cross - border transformation efforts .
kpmg member firms provide a full suite of services for enterprise executives seeking to optimize their organization . the acquisition of equaterra complements these existing capabilities and deepens kpmg member firms ' shared services and sourcing expertise , intellectual property and services .
so there are the usual statements on strategy / presence / client service / capabilities urltoken the press release from timothy p . flynn , chairman , kpmg international ; mark toon , former chief executive officer of equaterra and current kpmg llp principal ; john veihmeyer , kpmg llp ( u . s . ) chairman and ceo ; and john griffith - jones , co - chairman , kpmg europe llp , which we will skip .
john griffith - jones , co - chairman , kpmg europe llp , said the acquisition will allow kpmg member firms to help clients manage large scale , cross - border transformation efforts .
kpmg member firms provide a full suite of services for enterprise executives seeking to optimize their organization . the acquisition of equaterra complements these existing capabilities and deepens kpmg member firms ' shared services and sourcing expertise , intellectual property , and services .
@ jd - never really saw either isg or alsbridge as powerhouses in bpo - which was why equaterra was originally formed . in my view , the new isg would be better served focusing on rpa at this stage , which is the
new bpo
for so many clients . they will need to add to their process and technical capabiities to really move this forward ; rpa is murky , and technical and plagued with misinformation .
equaterra was founded in 2003 by mark toon , mark hodges and david karabinos . this is a number two ranked company in the international association of outsourcing professionals’ 2010 list of the world’s best outsourcing advisers with global clients and providing deep functional knowledge in finance and accounting , hr , it , and procurement . the firm’s highly - experienced sourcing advisers help clients achieve sustainable value in their it and business processes ; having helped 2 , 000 transformation and outsourcing projects in 60 countries .
ito , hro and…procurement ? demand trends by process area shifted in the three months from april to june . among advisors , demand for hro slipped to third ( marking the first time in six quarters that hro wasn’t cited as the no . 1 process area ) , with ito taking the leading slot and procurement bpo moving into second place . equaterra advisors’ citings on these three process areas were 28 percent for ito , 25 percent for procurement , and 20 percent for hro .
sales - cycle lengths vary significantly by deal , depending on process areas , clients , service providers , and whether sourcing advisors were involved . sales cycles should not be confused with “time - to - contract , ” which is defined as the period from the release of the rfp to actual contract signing . in the quarter , 26 percent of equaterra advisors ( compared with 30 percent in the previous quarter ) cited a lengthening sales cycle , and 64 percent of advisors said the cycles remained the same .
great article , phil . i appreciate the insights and historical perspective of the advisory business . having had the pleasure of working with quite a few folks from equaterra over the years , i agree whole - heartedly that the experience they bring to the table is the real value . nothing replaces the knowledge / perspective that comes with having lived through outsourcing deals from all sides ( buyer , provider , advisor ) , which the folks i worked with all had . thanks again and keep up the great work !
the firm touts synergies : equaterra’s highly experienced professionals can leverage kpmg network’s deep market presence to provide clients with a full life - cycle of capabilities – from strategy through to optimization , especially for organizations who want to reduce costs and improve effectiveness and efficiency . in addition , equa terra’s broad geographic and industry - specific footprint will enhance kpmg’s own professionals help clients transform their service delivery models and address change management issues , centralize and optimize capabilities , outsource functions , and create a sustainable governance and performance management model .
note that equaterra is not the outsourcer itself , as far as we can gather . it is the quintessential ( but very successful ) middle - man consultant . it provides advisory services in information technology ( it ) and business process transformation helping clients reduce costs and improve effectiveness and efficiency through internal process delivery improvements in data center consolidation , application optimization and rationalization , cloud and saas computing , shared services , outsourcing and global sourcing solutions . so they tell clients what to do , but not do the doing themselves .
john veihmeyer , kpmg llp ( u . s . ) chairman and ceo , noted that the acquisition helps address changing client needs as the outsourcing services market continues to evolve .
equaterra ' s tools and capabilities speak directly to clients ' desire to move beyond one - off outsourcing activities and develop comprehensive sourcing strategies that deliver real value across their organizations ,
veihmeyer said .
this is part of our strategy of building large - scale transformation capabilities to help organizations as they address the realities of a new global marketplace .
john veihmeyer , kpmg llp ( u . s . ) chairman and ceo , noted that the acquisition helps address changing client needs as the outsourcing services market continues to evolve .
equaterra ' s tools and capabilities speak directly to clients ' desire to move beyond one - off outsourcing activities and develop comprehensive sourcing strategies that deliver real value across their organizations
, veihmeyer said .
this is part of our strategy of building large - scale transformation capabilities to help organizations as they address the realities of a new global marketplace .
formally kpmg capital is based in london , yet its final control will be led by mark toon , who is based in houston , usa . the choice for houston as a headquarters primarily has more to do with toon’s location . he has his roots in houston ( in 2003 toon was co - founder of equaterra in houston * ) and will also in the coming period continue to operate from the american city known for the lyndon b . johnson space center of the space agency organization nasa . this city brings a competitive advantage to the fund .
what was amazing , was the sheer speed with which eq caught up their industry to become , initially , the leading advisor for hro and f & a bpo engagements , while quietly developing its competency in ito . from there , the firm had excited glen davidson so much , he publicly resigned from his accenture job during an awards dinner acceptance speech to announce the establishment of
equaterra ' s public sector
organization . from that moment on , the firm knew no bounds , establishing its software process evaluation tool , equasiis and taking over morgan chambers ' european advisory organization . they even reached the spectacular heights of doing some research with us !
equaterra , or
eq
as they are commonly known in the trade , has formed part of the heartbeat of the sourcing industry over the last eight years . when three frustrated tpi consultants had finally despaired of their employer ever
getting
bpo , they snuck off to set up their own shop , coined a goofy name , convinced all their buddies to take a leap of blind faith with them , before stripping off at a luau and shaking their booties at their unsuspecting followers . yes , these guys were clearly on a path to building a multi - million dollar global advisory outfit that would be submerged into a highly respected auditor and management consultancy .
some really good comments in terms of the article as well as the responses . each of us has our pet favorites but any wise person will make use of all data points in order to glean the current realities . from my workings with equaterra & kpmg , they have held my respect on both a quantitative and qualitative base . whereas others treat analysis as a commodity and in a changing market place this creates a weak foundation for expert advisory . the issue is that you can have an office in a foreign location but that does not mean is has a keen sense on the local pulse . . . especially when hindered by western command and control operations .
djfii is right that advisory for most places means anything outside of audit and tax , but all of the big 4s do have some sort of a strategy practice that is embedded within sector teams , i . e . o & g , healthcare , etc . e & y and kpmg also have a strategy consulting practice that is housed within
performance improvement
group or risk . also some people would consider performance improvement to be
strategy
and all of the big 4 offer that service . kpmg , pwc and e & y are on an acquisition spree right now to rebuild their consulting arms after they cut them loose in the 90s . e & y acquired partake consulting and isa consulting , kpmg acquired analytica and equaterra , and pwc acquired diamond . if you do go the big 4 route , make sure you get staffed in a group you like that shows you ' re interested in strategy work etc .
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meanwhile , the leading management consultancies were still raking in so much coin selling shared services advisory engagements , it was easier for many of them to advise their clients against outsourcing , than actually help them through a sourcing evaluation process . why risk your $ 20m - a - year engagement doing shared services improvement for a $ 1m project to look at outsourcing ?
so the management consultancies realized they need to poach the specialists from the boutiques , but were in for a rude awakening when they discovered how much the top talent at alsbridge , eq , everest , tpi et al . were raking in . plus , these guys were a unique breed - they actually liked the boutique culture , along with the specialism and ip their firms were generating . bottom - line , these boutiques didn ' t fit their compensation models or their cultures . add to this the fact that
outsourcing
had always been something of a dirty word , and poorly understood by the other consulting practices . hence , it was pretty clear , as long as five years ' ago , that the best route into the outsourcing game for some of the management consultants was to do the unthinkable and actually acquire one of these boutique firms .
they have persisted with the mba - model , which just doesn ' t work with complex outsourcing deals . several management consultancies have struggled to understand why they can ' t stick a team of 26 - year old mbas onto their clients to crunch through a deal , while the boutiques have a cost structure that enables them to put experienced
workmen
with genuine deal experience , whose rates are often cheaper . and while you can get away with some juniors on ito deals , with bpo you actually need experienced process experts - not kids .
outsourcing is still something relatively new and foreign to their classical consulting practices . outsourcing of it , and more recently business processes , has grown rapidly over the last decade and many of the consultancies have been slow to adjust . only now are they recognizing they need this competency , or risk getting edged - out of long - standing clients who are morphing into global outsourcing operating models .
the
hire the leader
tactic to build competency has largely failed . in years gone buy , if niche consultancies were overpriced , the large shops would simply hire the top one or two partners , safe in the knowledge their main delivery guys would follow . this just hasn ' t worked too effectively with boutiques , as the top outsourcing advisory talent is well - paid and happy in their boutique environment . plus the fact there are literally only a couple of dozen real
market makers
in the outsourcing advisory space worth hiring .
the boutiques have wanted too much money . some of the boutiques today will be wishing they took offers on the table before the recession , as the consolidating and commodotizing market has knocked down the market value considerably . however , with eq now out of the frame , there are only a small handful remaining with sufficient scale and ip , and these firms will have renewed hope they can cash - out sometime soon .
* the outsourcing advisory business is all about talented people , experience and relationships . what has impressed me most about this deal is the fact that kpmg has created 17 new partners from the eq organization . these people have stuck together for years , have considerable ip , experience and relationships , and are moving over to this new environment together .
* it would have been extremely messy if kpmg had tried to hire away these folks one - by - one . they have retained the top talent and have created careers for them within their organization .
* quite simply , there is a really bad ( and worsening ) talent shortage in our industry , and kpmg has just snapped up a good portion of it in one full swoop .
* now their challenge is to integrate eq and create a culture the new partners and their teams can get used to . retaining the core team is critical to the success of this venture . if they can do that well , they will likely have recouped their investment in a few short years , not to mention the new client relationships they can forge as a result of their extended competency .
* if kpmg can ' t keep it ' s new partners happy and there is a mass exodus , then this acquisition will have failed . having hired a close - knit group , it does run that risk , and needs to work hard to integrate the eq people . this merger is all about talent and ip - and they are intertwined .
* kpmg is also very excited about this and took a long , hard look before they took the plunge - it is a big , big deal to them and they have put a stake in the ground to show how serious they are about this business . the firm has clearly chosen this space as the one they want to lead , and should be applauded for making a bold move that none of their competitors have ( so far ) chosen .
the one
prize
boutique left on the market is tpi , even though it can hardly be called a boutique anymore , with its new - found alignment with compass . the outsourcing market will have a solid year and its valuation should start to pick up , so i would surprised if any of the large consulting firms , such as deloitte and pwc , makes a serious move this year .
my prediction for 2011 : we now have 4 major players , and they ' re no longer boutiques : deloitte , kpmg , pwc and tpi . providers will have to re - evaluate their influencer strategies , as more intricate and finessed relationships are required . the old
referral
model is pretty much dead . the remaining boutiques , namely alsbridge and everest , should be able to pick off more business , now they have less competition , and can take better advantage of their more flexible cost structures . yes , we have a sea - change in the industry , but the buyer still has choice and we have better integration of the traditional consulting model and the boutique methodology .
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what are ur ideas about my career track ? please help me & # 8230 ; & # 8230 ; . . ? | business outsourcing
phil - good article on eq and kpmg . . and one point that you might want to think about which you aluded to at the start of your article is the
capative shared service versus outsourcing
. . . as if you are doing the advisory work up front - like the case for change , and you are inside an organisation like kpmg - there is pressure to go with a
make
decision - as then you get follow on consulting work . . if you recommend
outsource
. . then where does kpmg make its money ? one of the things i worry about . . . good thoughtful article - thanks for writing
providers will have to re - evaluate their influencer strategies
. . .
not always , if providers influence end - users directly with repeatable success . . .
this is the best - and most well thought - out - synopsis of the advisory business i ' ve ever read . thanks for putting together !
essentially , some clients are going to outsource regardless , and advisors who want to
stay
with them post - transaction need to sufficiently up their game to provide ongoing value to clients . the consulting opportunity for a client after outsourcing is huge :
think about the impact on their processes , people and technology ; think about the potential to introduce cloud computing ; think about the opportunity to help the client focus on core value , and less on administrivia ; think about the opportunity to develop smarter service integration strategies ; think about the chance to help them develop innovation roadmaps ; think about the ongoing support to help them develop effective social business models in a globally distributed environment .
both eq and tpi ( as examples ) have put investment and talent into developing governance and relationship management services for their clients . however , they ' ve learned quite quickly that it ' s hard to monetize these services without providing real
business support
beyond help around the contract itself . this is why the potential of integrating the traditional consulting world and the niche knowledge of the outsourcing boutique is potentially dynamite ( if they can get the integration right )
mary sue asks - where do advisory firms make their money post outsource decision ? great question - particularly if you have just bought one .
there are many opportunities for advisors to add value to both service consumers and suppliers post deal .
service delivery needs to me more flexible than even the best contractual based relationships can provide for .
cloud means sourcing models are becoming more ' open ' - not a case of either outsourcing or build but bits of both plus some enhanced technology and automation .
what may be difficult for the bigger players is these change management opportunities may well be more suited to the rising group of niche players coming through to take on the established specialists - especially beyond the traditional us / uk heartland of bpo advisory .
just wanted to chime in with alain . . . this was fantastically well written piece . it ' s a breath of fresh air to get this kind of detailed analysis .
one of your best ever posts , phil . this made my day - such a good analysis of the situation ,
you couldn ' t have nailed this one any better . a big sea change is happening with the consulting business and this is a bold move by kpmg to exploit the expertise needed to take advantage of it .
so . . . where does this leave advisory ? ? ? i believe that the consumers need to start demanding more from those that are providing insight and guidance . maybe be willing to engage qualified boutique organizations that don ' t simply measure what is happening but can engage at both a tactical and strategic level . at the end of the day buyers have a business to run and do so in a sound and responsible fashion .
i have a slightly different take on 2 aspects of this article : 1 ) i dont think advisory firms make the margins from putting together outsourcing deals as they used to be able to . the buyers are much more sophisticated than they used to be , and the suppliers too are better at demonstrating greater value to prospective buyers directly . the role of the advisor is more limited , especially in the current round of contract renewals which form a fair chunk of new outsourcing work . i think it is too simplistic to believe the advisory firms want a bigger chunk of the growing outsourcing pie , and therefore , the justification for this and potentially other mergers . 2 ) i dont believe advisors in this space can afford to be either only outsourcing or only shared service advisors as this article and some comments seem to suggest . in fact advisory in this space is evolving to help clients think of the wholistic service portfolio approach of how to best deliver services . it is about helping the client develop and manage the operating and delivery model that is best for them , and use shared services and outsourcing as elements of that model , not just one of the other . so , good advisors will continue to play a role whether clients outsource or build shared services , and is happening in many cases , do both .
it will be interesting to see if kpmg can leverage this model to asia pacific . to date it has been a very difficult market for outsourcing advisors . several have entered , most have left . even australia one of the most mature ito markets globally has struggled to sustain providers . if they can get the model correct , kpmg may have a chance .
@ av : completely agree on both points . the boutiques are overly - focused on the transaction ( even though some of them claim not to be , but that ' s how they make more of their money ) . the consultants need to offer the blended expertise of all sourcing areas across shared services , captive , outsourced and inhouse operations . plus they need the finessed client skills of the classical consultants blended with the hard - nosed operational knowledge of the outsourcing experts .
the big problem is that as the contractual process , ( the price benchmarks , the tc and cs etc ) becomes increasingly standardized , and the skills of the buyers ' procurement and governance staff increase , the fees the advisors can command go progressively down . for example , why bother using an advisor when outsourcing a very established outsourced service such as payroll , or even adm ? all the providers have standard service cards now - it ' s more a case of the buyer having decent negotiation skills…
@ pf exactly . in fact , i think the demand for advisors as this space evolves will continue to blend with the more traditional performance improvement , and business effectiveness consulting , with shared services , outsourcing , insourcing , being tools in the consulting toolkit . i think we will continue to see the big 4 build strategy and performance improvement skills , and the traditional strat firms get better at using the sourcing toolkits . i believe there is a lot more to come in this space .
well summarized article phil , i have always wondered why i don ' t see big four firms on many of the outsourcing deals in my space . this proposes at least one motive for them to not push for outsourcing services and connected advisory services . i ' ll give you another one they might not have though of : how many large enterprise businesses want extremely well networked big four leadership and board members to know how much and what they are sending offshore ? if i innovate with partners that is my secret sauce and i don ' t want to share how and who is doing it with me , so the answer is , i think , not many . it may be interesting for clients to use small and private boutiques for that exact reason , the old adage : if a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound ?
phil - great article and dialogue on this key topic ! as i look at this i wonder when the advisors will realize that the next goldmine is for them to also take on change management programs to help their client drive the huge change opportunities outsourcing offers to them . this is so under valued and missed by many . as this marketplace continues to evolve with increasing speed , those that can execute on the many improvement initiatives teed up by outsourcers and keep pace with the continued advancement in innovation and maturity will find not just cost savings but better ability to compete and grow !
[ . . . ] became the only “big 5″ management consultant to buy a boutique sourcing advisor… the outsourcing advisory business is all about talented people , experience and [ . . . ]
blog post : join us for the 2018 state of industry webcast next week . the pace of change just went up a gear !
join 24 , 000 other horses in our linkedin community . follow the horses on twitter .
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john veihmeyer , kpmg llp ( u . s . ) chairman and ceo , noted that the acquisition helps address changing client needs
acquisition reflects kpmg growth strategy to identify service opportunities for high demand market sectors .
the company is also led by a management group with extensive sourcing industry experience supported by a deep bench of global leadership talent . these are invaluable attributes crucial to succeeding in this competitive market segment ,
added griffith jones .
this broad geographic and industry - specific footprint will enhance the ability of kpmg professionals to help companies transform their service delivery models and address change management issues , centralize and optimize capabilities , outsource functions , and create a sustainable governance and performance management model .
gavin houlgate kpmg llp ( europe ) t : + 44 20 76943902 e : gavin . houlgate @ urltoken
kpmg is a global network of professional firms providing audit , tax and advisory services . we operate in 146 countries and have 140 , 000 people working in member firms around the world . the independent member firms of the kpmg network are affiliated with kpmg international , a swiss cooperative . each kpmg firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such .
this article represents the views of the author only , and does not necessarily represent the views or professional advice of kpmg in the uk .
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we have seen deloitte quite active in the m & a space , especially in the uk , and pricewaterhousecoopers doing the big diamond acquisition in 2010 . and accenture and capgemini have been prowling around and snapping up companies all over the world in 2010 .
kpmg says this acquisition says this is to grow its network both through organic and inorganic opportunities in select high - demand market sectors .


city carshare was founded as the first carsharing program in the san francisco bay area , and remains the only non-profit program in the metropolitan region .

it provides its members with the use of fuel-efficient vehicles by the hour .

city carshare

more than 180 city of berkeley employees are enrolled in the city’s carshare program , said the city’s transportation planner matthew nichols .
to become a member of city carshare visit : urltoken or call 352 - 0323 .
to see the program’s impact on city carshare members , testimonials can be viewed here .
membership in san francisco’s non - profit city carshare has jumped 20 percent in recent months .
here ' s city carshare in the
old days
, also back in 2002 .
the new van will be shared by city employees and disabled city carshare members monday to friday from 8 a . m . to 6 p . m . , and available to all city carshare members on evenings and weekends .
city carshare is a non - profit . because of that , it got the city to set aside special spots for their cars .
fleet . city carshare is adding one additional vehicle to berkeley and introducing two to the city of san francisco . in 2008 , city carshare introduced the nation ' s first wheelchair - accessible carsharing vehicle in partnership with the city of berkeley and berkeley’s commission on disability .
the new zio ziegler - designed electric fleet from city carshare will get you home in style .
for more information , visit urltoken . follow city carshare on facebook and twitter and google + .
city carshare & @ toyota urltoken launch new # carsharing program , # dash , at hacienda in pleasanton .
city carshare is adding three wheelchair - accessible minivans to its accessmobile fleet - - one additional vehicle to berkeley and introducing two to the city of san francisco .
i have used city carshare for quite a few years . i was able to overlook some of the difficulties for…
visit city carshare online urltoken follow ccs on facebook , twitter , instagram , google + and linkedin to stay connected .
city councilmember dona spring uses the accessmobile’s manual fold ramp to exit the van during a test drive friday evening . city carshare will launch the nation’s first wheelchair - accessible carshare van today ( tuesday ) in partnership with the city of berkeley at the martin luther king jr . civic center .
perlita p . , a tipster and city carshare member , is even more upset by the transition , as she ' s no longer able to book city carshare ' s wheelchair - accessible accessmobile vans—which she was planning to do this week .
founded in 2001 , city carshare is the original carsharing community of the bay area , and over the past 15 years , the nonprofit has grown to serve over 50 , 000 members . in june 2015 , city carshare partnered with mobility and transportation expert carma technology in a strategic alliance , and rebranded the bay area carsharing organization to city carshare powered by carma .
the city got rid of its fleet of 10 cars in 2004 and replaced it with hybrid city carshare vehicles . the cars are used by councilmembers , the city’s public health nurses , traffic engineers and environmental health and housing staff .
the recent getaround acquisition of city carshare means there ' s going to be some overlap of the two systems as they consolidate ,
thornley said . getaround is gradually re - branding city carshare vehicles and pods with getaround signage , but there will be dual - branded city carshare / getaround vehicles at some pods for at least a little while , thornley explains .
city carshare was originally founded in 2001 as the only nonprofit carsharing service in the san francisco bay area with a mission to reduce car ownership . in august of 2015 , city carshare merged operations with carma in a strategic alliance to combine and strengthen their shared mobility services .
darin ranelletti , an oakland city planner , said that these plans often include transit pass incentives , extra bicycle parking and an in - house car - share program such as zipcar or city carshare .
the two companies have already started to onboard city carshare ' s fleet of vehicles to getaround with an expected completion date monday , november 14th . existing city carshare members are able to easily migrate their accounts to getaround ' s platform by visting urltoken or through the carma app .
city carshare spokesperson anita daley said that disabled members of the community would not be subject to a screening process or required to have any prerequisites .
tipster mark w . was the first to alert us to the change , telling us that city carshare reservations from november 9th onward were no longer available . as of yesterday , the city carshare platform is no longer online , and users who try to log in are forwarded to getaround .
“since our initial partnership with city carshare four years ago , we’ve witnessed access mobile’s positive impact on the lives of hundreds of city carshare members who now have the freedom to decide where they want to go and how they want to get there , ” says tom bates , mayor of berkeley .
city carshare said it has cars available on site at 10 developments in san francisco and has agreements to go into eight others within the next year .
i was a member of city carshare before i worked there . one day i was out driving back in 2004 and i passed someone else in a city carshare car . there weren’t too many of them at the time , so we both noticed and kind of smiled and waved to each other .
update , 11 / 16 : since the announcement of the acquisition , getaround logos have been added to a number of city carshare vehicles , and many have wondered how the two companies will share their parking spaces in the city , some of which are on public property and city streets .
a disabled city carshare member will have to pay $ 6 . 50 per hour to use the accessmobile—which includes gas , insurance and maintenance , hutchinson said .
officials at the other car - sharing operations agree . city carshare ' s mission , hutchinson said , is not to make money but to reduce car ownership , and pollution , congestion and oil dependence . city carshare laid the groundwork and established the market that attracted the two for - profits , he said .
we ' ve enjoyed strong community support from the beginning and have partnered successfully with local transportation agencies and other community groups ,
city carshare said .
carshare now offering wheelchair - accessible vans . category : page one from the berkeley daily planet
carshare in the bay area has gone from zero to sixty in the last few years .
city carshare previously declined to comment on the fate of the accessmobile vans ; we ' ll follow up to see if we can get more information on their future .
about city carshare city carshare ( ccs ) is the only nonprofit carsharing service in the san francisco bay area . the mission of ccs is to improve the environment and quality of life in bay area communities by promoting innovative mobility options . since 2001 , ccs has had a measurable impact in the way communities live , breathe , work and play .
berkeley used $ 25 , 000 in award money from winning the 2007 national organization on disability’s accessible american contest to split the cost with city carshare , which matched the amount .
a 2006 study done by the university of california , berkeley , found that the city carshare program could save 25 million pounds of carbon emissions in a year in the bay area .
in 2001 , a group of californian transport activists launched city carshare with the help of several local non - profit companies and the cities of san francisco , oakland , and berkeley .
the third part of our target market is inner - city businesses .
when no city carshare spots are available behind the civic center at 2180 milvia st . to park the van , spring has given permission for the van to use her personal parking spot .
on thursday , car - sharing company getaround announced a new partnership with bay area car - sharing nonprofit city carshare and its owner - operator , carma . as the chronicle reports , city carshare will remain in business as an independent nonprofit , but it will lease its fleet of approximately 200 vehicles ( and associated parking spaces ) to getaround , which will take a commission .
“our mission is to provide convenient , affordable access to carsharing for everyone and that includes those with disabilities , ” says rick hutchinson , ceo of city carshare . “with more access mobiles available on both sides of the bay , the program illustrates our ongoing commitment to equity in transportation and city carshare’s drive to serve the needs of our community , not our bottom line . ”
“city carshare is pleased to introduce pleasanton’s first electric carsharing vehicles at hacienda , through our dash fleet , ” said rick hutchinson , ceo of city carshare . “by providing a carsharing option for commuters , we are working towards our goal to take 20 , 000 cars off of bay area roads by 2020 , while promoting and encouraging transit , walking , carpooling and cycling . ”
we ' ve asked getaround to continue operating city carshare ' s on - street pods unchanged , until we deliver our pilot evaluation and recommendations to the sfmta board ,
thornley said .
“city carshare is pleased to introduce pleasanton’s first electric carsharing vehicles at the hacienda , through our dash fleet , ” said rick hutchinson , ceo of city carshare . “by providing a carsharing option for commuters , we are working towards our goal to take 20 , 000 cars off of bay area roads by 2020 , while promoting and encouraging transit , walking , carpooling , and cycling . ”
rick hutchinson , chief executive officer for city carshare , estimates that about 13 , 000 people actively participate in bay area car - sharing operations . about 4 , 000 joined in the past year .
“city carshare is pleased to introduce pleasanton’s first electric car - sharing vehicles at hacienda , through our dash fleet , ” said rick hutchinson , ceo of city carshare . “by providing a car - sharing option for commuters , we are working towards our goal to take 20 , 000 cars off of bay area roads by 2020 , while promoting and encouraging transit , walking , carpooling and cycling . ”
that could change with today’s ( tuesday ) launch of accessmobile—the nation’s first wheelchair - accessible car share van—by bay area - based non - profit city carshare at the martin luther king jr . civic center .
so many people in the bay area are interested in car - sharing that two for - profit companies have joined nonprofit pioneer city carshare in the market - - and all three are surviving and growing .
this is the second city launch for viavan , following its launch in amsterdam last month .
update , 4 : 20pm : a press representative for getaround says that the city carshare users we spoke to misunderstood many elements of the transition , most notably the alleged transfer of credit card data without permission .
no city carshare users had their information or credit card details migrated to the getaround platform without their knowledge . . . [ using getaround ] was an opt - in process only ,
she said .
in partnership with toyota motor sales usa inc . , city carshare , a nonprofit car - sharing organization , recently launched a new car - sharing program called dash at hacienda business park in pleasanton , calif .
jones appeared with rick hutchison , chief executive officer of city carshare , a bay area nonprofit car - sharing organization , and sunil paul , chief executive officer of spride , a san francisco car - sharing startup .
“city carshare’s gift of mobility allows even more people , especially those with disabilities , the opportunity to live independently and become fully participating members of their communities , ” says dmitri belser , president of ed roberts campus .
the sustainable commuting program offers incentives to city employees to encourage them to come to city hall each day by walking , biking , or car pooling , all funded through charging employees for parking .
in addition to car share pods in private and public garages and parking lots all over the city , there are around 140 on - street car share pods divided between city carshare , getaround , and zipcar as part of an sfmta pilot project that ' s testing the notion of using curb parking for car - share pods .
assembymember dave jones ( middle , d - sacramento ) was joined by spride ceo sunil paul ( left ) and city carshare ceo rick hutchison ( right ) to announce legislation allowing individual car owners to participate in . . . more
oakland city officials are launching a new tip line and reward fund for information leading to arson arrests .
sorry , no iconic green vw beetle on their home page at the time . ( comically , zipcar actually threatened city carshare with legal action claiming that zipcar had trademarked the green beetle , even though citycarshare started using them first . )
we partner with toyota to offer corporations an innovative high - capacity commute and carshare service for employees to reduce parking and carbon emissions .
the city , which pays the standard carshare rate of $ 5 per hour and 40 cents per mile for the service , has saved a significant amount of money from the program , about $ 50 , 000 per year , he said .
city carshare’s dash® will provide battery powered transportation options to the nearly 20 percent of the park’s employees that use alternative transportation methods to get to work . the cars will allow employees to attend local meetings and run errands . dash’s launch at hacienda will also encourage single - car commuters to use public transit and / or join a carpool / vanpool and become carsharing members . employees who join city carshare will be able to use the electric vehicles by the hour for a low cost .
city carshare’s dash™ will provide battery powered transportation options to the nearly 20 percent of the park’s employees that use alternative transportation methods to get to work . the cars will allow employees to attend local meetings and run errands . dash’s launch at hacienda will also encourage single - car commuters to use public transit and / or join a carpool / vanpool and become carsharing members . employees who join city carshare will be able to use the electric vehicles by the hour for a low cost .
why own a car when you can share one ? that ' s the approach taken by san francisco city car share , a non - profit organisation which aims to reduce the number of vehicles in the city .
“city carshare’s dash will provide battery - powered transportation options to the nearly 20 percent of the park’s employees that use alternative transportation methods to get to work . the cars will allow employees to attend local meetings and run errands . dash’s launch at hacienda will also encourage single - car commuters to use public transit and / or join a carpool / vanpool and become carsharing members . employees who join city carshare will be able to use the electric vehicles by the hour for a low cost . ”
what ' s in all this for toyota ? the project is managed by city carshare , so it ' s unclear whether toyota will see any financial gain . however , according to toyota ' s craig scott ,
toyota is exploring new business models like the city carshare dash fleet to meet the future mobility needs of our customers . the scion iq ev fleet will help us understand how electric vehicles are used in an active car sharing program and the viability of this type of program for future technologies .
city carshare , a bay area nonprofit , that provides “ convenient , affordable access to shared cars in order to reduce individual car ownership and usage , ” together with toyota , announced a new carsharing fleet called dash at the bay area suburban business center .
“conversations with developers are definitely starting to become more green - oriented , ” said rick hutchison , ceo of city carshare . “in the last year , developers have seen that car sharing is not only good for communities but it makes sense for the environment . ”
“to prepare for the fleet consolidation announcement with getaround , the online reservation system underwent some changes , most likely causing glitches with bookings , ” city carshare spokesperson stephanie yang told us yesterday , adding that members should be able to reserve cars once they join getaround .
dash , a three - year pilot program , will offer short distance transportation options for both employers’ business needs and for their carpool , vanpool and public transportation commuters . according to city carshare , toyota is providing 30 scion iq electric vehicles to the dash fleet .
council has implemented an extensive program to reduce the environmental impact caused by the city ' s vehicles and heavy equipment .
representatives for both companies said the arrangement would benefit city carshare ' s 20 , 000 active users , allowing them to take advantage of getaround ' s superior technology ( which allows locking and unlocking of cars with a smartphone ) and lower , monthly - fee - free prices .
–the city of los angeles is reconsidering a strategy to incentivize car - sharing program growth through the use of public spaces .
in other words , while city carshare has eco - friendly goals like taking cars off the road and reducing co2 emissions , toyota aims to learn more about how electric - car drivers use their vehicles - - presumably so that the company can tailor future rides to meet consumer needs .
carshare portland is recognized as the first official car sharing operation in the united states . portland resident and car sharing expert ( and editor of the excellent carsharingus blog ) dave brook launched carshare portland in 1998 with one car and a few neighbors and the operation eventually grew to about 20 cars . in 2000 , a boston couple started zipcar . seattle ' s flexcar was also formed in 2000 and eventually bought carshare portland and in late 2007 flexcar and zipcar agreed to merge .
city carshare opened the first car - sharing service in the bay area in 2001 with a fleet of eye - catching green volkswagen beetles that have since been retired . in 2005 , the two national , for - profit firms - - zipcar and flexcar - - moved into the market .
for further details about city carshare please contact sheryl so at landis communications , inc . ( 415 ) 359 - 2313 ; sheryl @ urltoken or hilary burns at landis communications , inc . : ( 415 ) 561 - 0888 ; hilary @ urltoken . images and video are available at urltoken
since my last post , i ' ve used city car share about 6 times a year . usually i use the pickup truck…
the city’s paratransit services manager angellique decoud said she revised the taxi scrip program in 2005 to make it more available to disabled residents .
we couldn ' t find you quickly enough ! try again later , or search near a city , place , or address instead .
“city carshare , like carma , has been a pioneer in the shared mobility space , ” said lawrence mulligan , ceo of carma . “we’re delighted to join our families , as we take this next step towards extending the convenience and flexibility of our combined services to more people throughout the bay area . ”
assembymember dave jones ( middle , d - sacramento ) was joined by spride ceo sunil paul ( left ) and city carshare ceo rick hutchison ( right ) to announce legislation allowing individual car owners to participate in vehicle sharing fleets in san francisco , calif . , on wednesday , april 28 , 2010 . less
the difference is , dash ' s fleet consists entirely of electric cars - - specifically , 30 scion iq ev electric vehicles . that ' s nearly one - third of the 100 iq evs made to date . the vehicles will be rented for low , hourly rates to hacienda employees who join city carshare .
elizabeth sullivan , the first person to join city car share , says she got rid of her own car in order to save money .
we then have a second car market , which are inner - city couples with families with one car and occasionally need a second .
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city carshare powered by carma already has the greenest carsharing fleet in the u . s . —50 percent of the rides are electric , plugin hybrid or hybrid models—but now , as part of the new partnership , the company is unleashing a new electric fleet / art project on the streets of san francisco and berkeley .
“city carshare is pleased to introduce pleasanton’s first electric carsharing vehicles at hacienda , through our dash fleet . by providing a carsharing option for commuters , we are working towards our goal to take 20 , 000 cars off of bay area roads by 2020 , while promoting and encouraging transit , walking , carpooling and cycling . ”
car - sharing perks extend to parking , too . shared cars , trucks , and vans have dedicated parking spaces in private parking lots and on city streets . city bylaws also allow shared vehicles to park in
resident only
and
no parking except with permit
areas .
“we are delighted to have joined forces with city carshare , ” said sean o’sullivan , carma board chair . “we now have the platform to disrupt the transportation community in the bay area by not only offering a comprehensive and diverse set of transport options , but by extending options to meet demand in the more suburban communities . ”
“not only has city carshare proven to be a leader in offering green transportation , but it also is leading the way in giving people with disabilities a new way to get around , ” said edwin m . lee , mayor of san francisco . “this is a great step towards ensuring san francisco is accessible to everyone . ”
–zipcar and the city of pasadena are collaborating on a new pilot program which builds on the operator’s success with an on - street pilot program .
“pleasanton and hacienda are extremely excited about the launch of this program which will offer more convenience to the thousands of commuters into our city each day , ” said pleasanton mayor jerry thorne . “the opportunity for exposure to the new scion iq ev should bolster program appeal and dovetail with the city’s goals . ”
linda johnson , 40 , director of a nonprofit arts organization , is equally satisfied with city carshare , which has a different rate structure , charging $ 10 monthly dues , $ 4 an hour and 44 cents a mile . the per - mile charge , hutchinson said , is designed to encourage shorter trips so more members can use the cars .
for further details about city carshare’s dash or to schedule an interview , please contact camille priselac at landis communications , inc . : ( 917 ) 703 - 1660 ; camille @ urltoken or donna berry glass at landis communications , inc . : ( 415 ) 561 - 0888 ; donna @ urltoken . images and video are available to download at urltoken
for further details about city carshare’s dash or to schedule an interview , please contact camille priselac at landis communications , inc . : ( 917 ) 703 - 1660 ; camille @ urltoken or donna berry glass at landis communications , inc . : ( 415 ) 561 - 0888 ; donna @ urltoken . images and video are available to download at urltoken
cold summers , thick fog , and beautiful views . welcome to the subreddit for the gorgeous city by the bay ! san francisco , california , usa .
assembymember dave jones ( middle , d - sacramento ) was joined by spride ceo sunil paul ( left ) and city carshare ceo rick hutchison ( right ) to announce legislation allowing individual car owners to participate in vehicle sharing fleets in san francisco , calif . , on wednesday , april 28 , 2010 . example of a spride car in background . less
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we believe strongly that getaround is an ideal match for city carshare ,
said lawrence mulligan , ceo of carma .
not only does getaround share our mission and community values , but it also brings amazing new benefits for our members . joining up with getaround is a great local solution to what we believe is a growing national need for access to shared cars .
access mobiles are minivans which can hold up to two people using mobility devices and up to three more passengers and a driver . the vehicles are available 24 / 7 to any city carshare member . the cost is $ 8 . 25 / hour or lower during night owl hours ( midnight – 8 a . m . ) , or $ 64 per day , plus mileage .
i use a wheelchair full - time . with the access mobile , i’ve been able to travel outside of san francisco to visit many places - now i have an option , ” says gary parent , city carshare member since 2010 . “if i see something i’d like to do or a place i’d like to go , there’s nothing stopping me . that feeling is priceless .
“we specifically have a city carshare membership to be able to use the wheelchair vans ,
she said , noting that getaround ' s website makes no reference as to when they will return .
this is a vital service for people with disabilities , and we found out that the vans were being discontinued when we were going to alter a reservation that we had had for many months now .
also , the bikes will all be co - located with city carshare cars , which is important because we want to provide an option that’s very convenient . it will be almost a passive decision making process – you don’t have to learn a new system . just go online and reserve a vehicle like you normally do , except you’ll now have an option to pick a bike instead of a car .
carma , a world leader in commuter solutions , and city carshare , the original bay area carsharing network , have announced their partnership . this strategic alliance allows the organizations to merge operations ; creating new services that will transform the way users travel in cities and across the region . through the integration of technologies and systems , a new organization , will provide expanded commuting , carsharing , and other shared mobility services .
the profile is inner - city working professionals who don ' t own a car and catch public transport to work ,
ms conheady , flexicar ' s chief executive , said .
“it just made sense , ” city carshare ceo rick hutchinson said . “we were looking at how to expand our services to senior centers , low - income and moderate income families , and this seemed like a great first step . but we don’t want to compete with public transportation . before people jump into any of our cars , we make sure they have explored other alternatives , such as biking , walking or the bus . ”
the scheme aims to ease city congestion , parking hassles and environmental abuse by giving current car owners a reason to give up their vehicles while still being able to drive when they need to .
car - sharing has been around for almost 15 years in california , beginning with the founding of city carshare in san francisco back in 2001 . in recent years , southern california has become a proving ground for new shared mobility models , with developments in bike - sharing and ride - sourcing popping up so quickly that it can be hard to keep track . meanwhile , however , progress in neighborhood - based car - sharing has been slower to advance .
this coming summer city carshare will be launching an e - bike program in san francisco and berkeley that , as far as we know , will be the first of its kind in the nation . the bikes will have pedal assist with a motor in the back wheel , which will be helpful since the areas we’re launching in have a lot of hills . we’ll also be introducing cargo bikes . both will be customized and built specifically with sharing in mind .
city leaders hoped the ordinance would encourage residents to drive less , and lawrence badiner , zoning administrator and assistant planning director for san francisco , said most developers are eager to provide access to alternative transportation .
carshare _ 0004 _ db . jpg tara hunt of san francisco , gets inside a nissan versa , one of many zipcars she uses from the car share service at a parking lot at 2nd and howard streets in san francisco , ca , on . . . more
carshare _ 0003 _ db . jpg tara hunt of san francisco , holds the zipcar card she uses to unlock the zipcar inside a nissan versa , one of many zipcars she uses from the car share service in san francisco , ca , on . . . more
carshare _ 0007 _ db . jpg tara hunt of san francisco , walks away from a zipcar space in a lot on 2nd and howard streets , after returning the nissan versa she drove , one of many zipcars she uses from the car share . . . more
like other developers , forest city enterprises , the firm behind the uptown , is incorporating green into its developments as environmental sustainability becomes more popular and alternative transportation options for residents are key features for many potential residents .
forest city worked with zipcar , a massachusetts - based car sharing service , to offer a free annual memberships to residents . users pay only an hourly use fee , which can be as low as $ 7 .
this lack of progress may be partly due to car - sharing’s tumultuous history in the city of angels . car - sharing began in la a decade ago with a fleet of 40 vehicles launched by mobility provider flexcar .
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city car share was fine while it existed , but its descent into carma - - and its horrible afterlife of never returning membership fees to anyone , after promising to do so - - deserves a special place in yelp hell . when i reported city car share to the better business bureau , the bbb told me that there was already a pile of similar complaints against them , and that some higher regulatory authority would eventually have to step in .
chiming in with my own sad tale of woe since ccs merged with carma . i too have had major trouble attempting to cancel , even after jumping through their hoops . they accepted my fob and did nothing . to make a long story short , 83 days later , i have seen no check for my refundable deposit promised me by city carshare - - whom i used frequently and was loyal to for a decade ! run far away . don ' t give carma a dime . they deserve to fail spectacularly .
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in the early days , members also used to leave notes in the cars for the next driver . people would leave cards , haikus , things like that . a few months later i got in a car and found a note from the driver i had passed , about how we recognized each other and waved , and how fun it was . that was a nice experience . it felt like being part of a community . it was one of the reasons i felt so good about city carshare before i ended up working there .
for people living in east oakland who have to own a car , peer - to - peer carshare offers them a way to earn money ( up to hundreds of dollars a month ) by lending their car to neighbors when they’re not driving it . additionally , with peer - to - peer carshare , people will have more options to choose how they get around , increasing their ability to reliably get to jobs , school , and other critical needs . along with bus rapid transit and bikeshare , adding carsharing into the mix makes east oakland a place where people will truly have many affordable and reliable choices of how to get around .
americans love their cars . more than 213 million vehicles clog the nation ' s freeways , city streets and rural byways . but a hi - tech scheme in san francisco aims to persuade drivers to give up their beloved vehicles , writes maggie shiels .
with funding from plan bay area’s initiatives program , transform will bring these new transportation options , including a form of peer - to - peer carshare , to east oakland residents . most importantly , we will conduct dedicated outreach to help educate neighbors and business owners on how they can use , and benefit from , carsharing .
city car share ' s annie bourden then hands out electronic key fobs that beep members into the car when they reserve it . down at one of the pods , as the garages are known , annie shows the new recruits how to use the fob .
dash uses a fleet of electric scion iqs and charging stations . we have 24 of 30 vehicles in place now and are still working on putting in some infrastructure . city carshare currently has more electric vehicles ( evs ) than any other round - trip carsharing operator in the country . i think evs will only become a bigger part of carsharing in the future . right now the infrastructure is expensive , and dealing with it can be time - intensive , but that will change once it gets up to scale . it won’t be a totally smooth transition , but it will happen .
can i rent a car in one city and return it in another ? i am looking for a share - ride from jfk to ohio . would you please let me know what companies can i contact ? something like blablacar in europe ? thanks ! a .
this is the only city in the country - - possibly in the world - - that has three car - share companies operating at the same time ,
said dan shifrin , regional vice president for zipcar .
it speaks volumes about san francisco .
car - sharing networks spread the use of a few vehicles between a number of drivers . carpooling and ride - sharing help to reduce the number of cars on the road . choose sustainable driving habits to help vancouver become the greenest city in the world by 2020 .
“you are seeing a generation of people who have a sense of public consciousness about their carbon footprint , ” said susan smartt , senior vice president of forest city residential west . “it’s good regional planning to offer amenities that will resonate with the lifestyle of these people . ”
we want to make car sharing more hip , more fun and more sexy than owning a car ,
says kate white , co - founder and deputy director of city car share .
this programme is a real , viable and convenient alternative to owning a car .
to address the inequality of current carsharing opportunities in certain communities , transform has teamed up with the city of oakland to create a pilot program to expand carsharing to east oakland . this pilot program has the potential to be replicated in other places and with other modes of shared mobility .
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“toyota is exploring new business models like the city car share dash fleet to meet the future mobility needs of our customers . the scion iq ev fleet will help us understand how electric vehicles are used in an active car sharing program and the viability of this type of program for future technologies . ”
oakland has also jumped on the alternative transportation bandwagon . as of september 2008 , the city requires all developers of projects with more than 50 units and / or 50 , 000 square feet of non - residential space to submit a “transportation demand management” plan , which includes strategies to increase bicycle , pedestrian , transit and car - share use .
“anything that includes the disabled is good but this just seems a bit elitist , ” said dan mcmullan of disabled people outside , who gets around berkeley on a wheelchair . “i would like to see the city use the money to reign in on the services they already have , such as the taxi scrip and discount fares for bart and buses . ”
carshare _ 0004 _ db . jpg tara hunt of san francisco , gets inside a nissan versa , one of many zipcars she uses from the car share service at a parking lot at 2nd and howard streets in san francisco , ca , on wednesday , january , 17 , 2007 . photo taken : 1 / 17 / 07 darryl bush / the chronicle * * tara hunt ( cq ) mandatory credit for photog and sf chronicle / - mags out less
i am a bike mechanic and really prefer getting around with pedal power , but occasionally life calls upon us to get jobs that require cars to get to work . because of this , i had to search for a car service . in the bay area , the competition was pretty much between zip car and city car share . i took a social media poll of my 1000 + friends and city car share came out ahead , so i joined up last week . when i checked it out , i found that ccs had pods of cars all around me . . . i had always seen them here and there , but never realized the sum totality of their presence ! they ' ve got cars practically on every other corner of oakland .
“toyota is exploring new business models like the city car share dash fleet to meet the future mobility needs of our customers , “ said craig scott , advanced technology vehicle manager for toyota motor sales usa inc . “the scion iq ev fleet will help us understand how electric vehicles are used in an active car sharing program and the viability of this type of program for future technologies . ”
“toyota is exploring new business models like the city car share dash fleet to meet the future mobility needs of our customers , ” said craig scott , advanced technology vehicle manager for toyota motor sales usa inc . “the scion iq ev fleet will help us understand how electric vehicles are used in an active car sharing program and the viability of this type of program for future technologies . ”
@ adelina , it is certainly possible to rent a car in one city and return it in another , but that is more likely to be found with a major car rental company like hertz or avis rather than a car - sharing company . the rental companies have the ability with their larger organizations to shuffle cars whereas most car - sharing operations are more locally based . – @ ed .
carshare _ 0003 _ db . jpg tara hunt of san francisco , holds the zipcar card she uses to unlock the zipcar inside a nissan versa , one of many zipcars she uses from the car share service in san francisco , ca , on wednesday , january , 17 , 2007 . photo taken : 1 / 17 / 07 darryl bush / the chronicle * * tara hunt ( cq ) ran on : 01 - 22 - 2007 tara hunt gets inside a nissan versa from car - share firm zipcar . less
the access mobile program’s administration is supported by bart and funded by the u . s . department of transportation federal transit administration , under the
new freedom
grant . the program is made possible through the support of several organizations including the city of berkeley’s commission on disability , the san francisco mayor’s office on disability , bay area transit ( bart ) , the ed roberts campus and the center for independent living .
one use case i can see for these lilliputian city cars is as courtesy cars at general aviation airports where pilots fly in solo or with co - pilot and just need a way to get “the last mile” to a meeting , hotel room , etc . ( pilots rarely need to go far from the airport . if they did , they would just fly into a closer airport , usually within 10 mi or less ) .
the idea of car sharing within residential buildings got a boost when san francisco passed an ordinance in 2005 requiring new residential buildings with more than 50 units to offer a car sharing either on site or within 800 feet of the building . at the same time , the city set strict limits on parking for new residential complexes in some parts of town , including the market - octavia neighborhood — in some areas only one car is allowed for every four units .
one million u . s . carsharing members will soon become 2 million as people save thousands per year owning one less car . university students , city dwellers , and fleets have new flexibility in getting the right vehicle when needed including roomy sedans , pickup trucks , and even electric cars . just as we are transitioning from owning expensive computers and software to mobile use of cloud services , transportation has moved beyond just owning a car to a rich menu of transportation services .
great concept , terrible customer service . yes , i know they ' re a non - profit . but that ' s no excuse for such a crappy billing system , and a lame way of handling problems . it ' s disturbing enough that an unauthorized person used a car and it was billed to my account . ( and i am the sole authorized user of the account . ) but then getting city car share to correct the error required not only an email , but a phone call and more .
we ' ve been members since our last car died - was it 4 years ago ? - a nd we ' ve thoroughly enjoyed the convenience , not to mention the cost - savings and being green . this idea soooo beats owning a car or any other transportation option in the city , i ' m surprised more people aren ' t members . i ' m glad , though , because i like the fact that there is always a car available when i need / want one . this couldn ' t be easier !
carshare _ 0007 _ db . jpg tara hunt of san francisco , walks away from a zipcar space in a lot on 2nd and howard streets , after returning the nissan versa she drove , one of many zipcars she uses from the car share service in san francisco , ca , on wednesday , january , 17 , 2007 . ( fyi : in the background is an ipod ad ; hunt called zipcar users similar to the first ipod users in the interview ) photo taken : 1 / 17 / 07 darryl bush / the chronicle * * tara hunt ( cq ) ran on : 01 - 22 - 2007 tara hunt gets inside a nissan versa from car - share firm zipcar . less
i agree that i wish i could give them a zero . i was a member of ccs for eight years and loved them , but since the merger with carma , it has been a billing nightmare . every month they come up with a different fine or fee . the latest was a $ 50 fine for not locking the car with a key fob . so an $ 8 rental goes to $ 58 and how do you prove that you locked the car when you know that you did ? you get charged a $ 10 a month fee , even if you didn ' t rent a car that month . ridiculous on so many levels . i ' ll try out the new enterprise carshare program and good riddance .
worried about renting an electric vehicle ? to combat range anxiety ( the fear that your battery will run out of juice before you reach your destination ) , there are plenty of charging stations throughout sf and the east bay including downtown berkeley , ucsf , cole valley , city college of sf , panhandle , china basin , mission , mission bay , and civic center . best of all , members don ' t have to fill up the car with gas at the end of the reservations ; users just return the car to its parking space , plug the vehicle into the charging station , and continue with their day . it ' s that easy .
i was an avid user and supporter of city car share for over 8 years . they do not exist anymore . swallowed by getaround . it sucks ! ! ! i went to zipcar and am very very happy , though i do miss the local homey feeling of ccs and my buddies on the customer service lines hi ian , kerry , tenise etc , we miss you . the only thing i miss with zipcar is its size so you don ' t seem to get to know anybody and are speaking with people far away for where you are , but that is the way the world turns , until it spins off it ' s axis - lol . zipcars are good and their app is the bomb .
“we’re delighted to join our families , as we take this next step towards extending the convenience and flexibility of our combined services to more people throughout the bay area . ”
over the next eight weeks , the new carma will increase the number of operating locations by 25 % , invest in newer technologies to enhance the user experience , and expand improved services to more areas . by consolidating operations , the new company aims to be the most innovative and efficient shared mobility provider available .
about carma carma is a carpooling network that connects commuters with similar routes to share rides through a free smartphone app . carma’s main goal is to make ridesharing easy and flexible . carma has programs in ireland , norway , washington d . c . , san francisco , and austin .
visit carma online urltoken follow carma on facebook , twitter , instagram , google + and linkedin to stay connected .
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it works along fairly simple lines . members pay a $ 300 refundable deposit and a $ 10 monthly fee to join . for $ 2 . 50 an hour and 45c a mile , they can drive a new vw beetle , four - door family car or station wagon based at one of 11 locations around san francisco . insurance and petrol is included in the price .
at an orientation meeting in the company ' s downtown office , 10 new members are shown how to make reservations online .
can everyone see the red light flashing on the side of the door ?
she asks .
just hold your key fob in front of it . the door will spring open when it recognises your fob number .