Deloitte Digital has announced the launch of Ethos, which is designed to bring together societal issues specialists with business leaders and executives to develop scalable programs, products, and campaigns related to global issues such as racial and gender equity, sustainability, climate change, and social justice. The new offering builds on the consulting firm’s ambitious aspiration of transforming how clients interact with the world, driving them towards building sustainable value for both themselves and society as a whole.

By leveraging its extensive talent pool of customer strategists, designers, technologists, ethnographers, and DEI specialists, the company looks to complement its existing offerings in the ESG, DEI, purpose, and sustainability spaces through client collaboration. The overall level of demand is staggering: more than 83% of consumers expect that companies should be actively shaping ESG practices, 91% of business leaders believe that their company has a responsibility to act on global issues, and 86% of employees express a preference to support or work for companies aligned with their concerns.

"Today, employees and consumers are showing up as activists and expecting businesses to commit to and follow through on societal issues," said Stacy Kemp, principal in Deloitte Consulting and Ethos offering leader for Deloitte Digital. "Our new Ethos offering presents a gateway to CMOs, CXOs and heads of product to access Deloitte's services to help develop their customer-facing purpose agendas and actionable solutions."

The firm is already engaged with over a dozen Fortune 100 companies on projects embracing Ethos’ five core capabilities: polycultural research, brand purpose strategy, inclusive innovation, equitable experience, and sustainable design. By helping brands better understand and engage with their audiences and develop sustainable products and experiences, in addition to assisting clients in taking a leadership role on issues that can help create a more just and equitable future for the world, Deloitte is looking to make an impact that matters.

The new strategy is complex, but unified in its goal of fostering ESG awareness. The company will establish five dedicated ESG Hubs focused on helping businesses meet their net-zero commitments. The launch of three KPMG Regional ESG Hubs in Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Americas will further support clients in their ESG endeavors; KPMG is also setting up ESG training for its entire 227,000-strong workforce around the world. Among the company’s many other planned ESG-promoting initiatives is the launch of a new campaign called “Voices for a Sustainable Future,” which will provide a platform to amplify voices on critical issues surrounding a more-sustainable future.

Bill Thomas, the Global Chairman & CEO of KPMG, said, “The world faces crises on multiple fronts, which is why we’re putting the Environmental, Social, and Governance agenda at the heart of everything we do… from empowering our people to become agents of positive change, to the services with our clients and our partnerships with critical stakeholders. KPMG has the global scale, expertise, technology, and relationships that give us the ability and responsibility to use our position to provide solutions and services to overcome the challenges facing our planet and society.”

With more and more businesses choosing to make long-term investments in ESG, KPMG’s move comes at a time when clients, investors, policymakers, and the general public are realizing the necessity of addressing matters of global import. This latest investment is sure to help provide world-class assistance to clients and associates looking to do their part.

Grant Thornton is no exception, posting revenue growth of 2.6% for a total of $1.97 billion in the fiscal year ending July 31st 2021—a respectable increase from FY 2020’s revenue of $1.92 billion. Its efforts to lean into the uncertainty and embrace disruption have not only paid off, but are likely to continue to contribute to solid returns into the future.

In the previous year, the company provided its 8,500 employees spread across 50 U.S. offices with a variety of benefits, including extra support for mental health, childcare, and tutoring to support remote learning. It introduced a hybrid work model to enable employees to work safely and conveniently from home, and is continuing to provide flexibility in working arrangements—a smart move given the recent trend of employees strongly preferring to work for companies that do so.

Brad Preber, CEO of Grant Thrornton, said, “In a changing and uncertain environment, we continue to remain agile and perform with excellence across our entire firm, including our services lines, industry groups and internal services teams...“We’ve combined flexibility and innovation with quality and value to realize record revenues. Because of this approach, we’re well-positioned for continued growth.”

In addition to internal adaptation, the firm has provided advice to clients dealing with their own pandemic-related challenges, offering tailored solutions and services geared toward supporting operations, strategy, workforce management, and technology. It has reinforced its commitment to environmental, social, and corporate government initiatives by pledging to donate a combined $600,000 to organizations focused on racial and social justice and committing to reducing its carbon footprint by 55% by 2030. These strategic decisions have clearly demonstrated that Grant Thornton is ready to embrace the “new normal” and continue to provide value and quality to its clients, staff, and communities.

Deloitte, one of the largest professional services networks in the world, has recently published a book titled “The Transformation Myth: Leading Your Organization Into An Uncertain Future” in an effort to debunk the common misconceptions that have prevented businesses from successfully navigating digital transformation and coming out on top of the odds.

Rich Nanda and Anh Phillips, working with Gerald C. Kane of Boston College and Jonathan R. Copulsky from Northwestern University, have compiled this book aimed at helping readers learn how companies can use disruption as an opportunity for innovation, see insights into leadership traits and business principles used by leading organizations to navigate disruptive situations, and broaden their understanding of how technology enables essential capabilities for survival.

Rich Nanda, a principal in Deloitte, stated, "Transformation isn't a one-and-done event. Rather, it is a continuous process of adapting to a volatile and uncertain environment… Sustaining an environment of continuous change requires a growth mindset and a belief that innovation is a key to growth. In 'The Transformation Myth' we provide organizations with a guide for acquiring the capabilities required to thrive through disruptions."

With businesses facing an increasingly fraught playing field, attempting to ‘weather the storm’ often leads to missed opportunities and competitive disadvantage as other enterprises embrace and adapt to new situations. As many of the global disruptions to the business environment look to carry on into the foreseeable future, the book could prove invaluable to leaders seeking to forge their own paths into the unknown. By learning a growth mindset, companies can drive digital transformations that serve them effectively in even the most challenging circumstances.

According to Paul Brody, EY Global Blockchain Leader, “Working with Polygon provides EY teams with a powerful set of tools to scale transactions for clients and offers a faster roadmap to integration on the public Ethereum mainnet. We discovered our shared priorities around open system and networks and the Ethereum ecosystem would make collaboration in this area much easier.”

EY has integrated the main Polygon commit chain into its flagship blockchain services, with clients able to connect their own business operations into Polygon’s main network—as well as their test and development networks—with a minor configuration change. By adopting Polygon’s commit chain solutions, EY provides clients utilizing blockchain technology with increased transaction volumes coupled with predictable costs and settlement times, with the additional option of moving transactions onto the public Ethereum network.

Additionally, the Polygon Nightfall joint project seeks to enable EY clients to conduct private transactions on the Ethereum mainnet in what is known as a Rollup. Rollups seek to perform transaction execution services outside of the main Ethereum chain, but ultimately post transaction data there. The end result is an avenue for transactions to be performed privately, securely, and rapidly without encountering the network congestion and variable transaction costs (known as “gas fees”) typical of processing transactions entirely on the Ethereum mainnet.

One of the co-Founders of Polygon, Sandeep Nailwal, stated, “The EY commitment to the public Ethereum ecosystem and to open standards was a big driver in evolving shared approaches. No other organization has made the same scale of commitment to the ecosystem and to open systems, or brings the depth of technology that the EY organization has in this space.”

Both organizations are working on a common roadmap to prioritize the development of enterprise-friendly, scalable features that can support high-end cases coupled with regulatory compliance.

KPMG, a global provider of professional services made up of independent firms in 146 countries and territories with over 227,00 employees worldwide, has a presence of 28 offices in 25 cities in China, employing around 12,000 partners and staff.

Laiye, proffering rich experience in AI, offers an integrated suite of artificial intelligence solutions such as Natural Language Processing, Intelligent Document Processing, Machine Learning, and Chatbot. The firm has gained worldwide recognition in the Intelligent Automation sector and is committed to growing its capability as a supplier of Intelligent Automation platforms and services. Focused on helping businesses become more agile, efficient, and successful, its goal is to free people to focus on meaningful and innovative initiatives.

Guanchun Wang, Chairman and CEO of Laiye, stated, "We shall join force[s] to develop the most comprehensive solutions for customers from both the business and technology perspectives… Laiye has also gained international recognition in Intelligent Automation and is selected as a new entrant in Gartner '2021 Magic Quadrant for Robotic Process Automation.' We are committed to becoming one of the top intelligent automation platforms worldwide and this strategic alliance with KPMG will surely accelerate this journey."

With KPMG China declaring the financial sector one of its top priorities, it has been assisting an increasing number of financial companies with digital transformation in industries such as banking, insurance, and asset management. By combining digitization with technology to provide innovative services, both companies hope to work together to expand their presence in the market. As each company leverages the advantages of the other, China is likely to see a continuing growth of customer-centered Intelligent Automation solutions for financial industries and beyond.

With that in mind, there have been several IT-related mergers and acquisitions between companies looking to combine their resources and expand their reach in the market. Trace3 is one company that has been making deals to boost its innovation and emerging technology.

Founded in 2002, Trace3 is a technology solutions provider, building end-to-end cloud, data intelligence, security, DevOps, and data center solutions. Headquartered in Irvine, California, the company is a portfolio company of H.I.G. Capital (H.I.G.), a leading global private equity and alternative asset firm, and has additional offices in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, Boise, Salt Lake City, Denver, Phoenix, and New Jersey.

In 2018, it merged with Michigan-based Data Strategy to create a nationwide provider of cloud, data intelligence, security, DevOps, and enterprise IT solutions. And now Trace3 has set its sights on expanding its reach in Silicon Valley, announcing that it has acquired Groupware Technology to grow its market position in Northern California and Arizona. Headquartered in Campbell, California, Groupware serves several Fortune 500 companies.

“Groupware has a very like-minded focus of putting clients first,” Rich Fennessy, CEO of Trace3, said in a statement. “Both organizations strongly believe that our product is our people and have invested heavily in elite engineering teams. Now, together, we will offer clients in Silicon Valley and the greater northern California region the absolute best technical consulting and services capabilities available.”

With the deal, Groupware clients will have access to Trace3’s advanced technology portfolio, including expertise in security, data intelligence, artificial intelligence, and advanced data centers. In turn, Groupware will strengthen Trace3 offerings in cloud optimization, data center infrastructure, first-call support, hardware integration, and configuration, and global shipping and logistics.

Groupware’s leadership team will continue to oversee the business in the Northern California region.

It’s not surprising that IT and back-office functions within major corporations are also accelerating the move to the cloud. As a result, companies are trying to find ways to help their clients move through the process more smoothly.

With that in mind, West Monroe, a national business and technology consulting firm, announced it has acquired Pace Harmon, a Washington, D.C., area-based IT and business services transformation and outsourcing advisory firm. The deal is the largest acquisition in West Monroe’s 18-year history and gives the company new capabilities in IT strategy and business process outsourcing, procurement, and vendor management.

Founded in 2003, Pace Harmon works with Fortune 500 companies and other large firms on finding the optimal service delivery model to optimize performance, cost, responsiveness, and service quality.

Its full suite of services includes IT optimization and outsourcing advisory; business process optimization and outsourcing advisory; enterprise software and integration advisory services; enterprise network services; strategic sourcing; transition management; and vendor management and governance. In 2014, it transitioned to a 100% employee-owned firm.

“Pace Harmon’s expertise in value creation and cost takeout are both complementary and additive to West Monroe. Their depth and decades of experience in this space make them highly effective partners, and we are excited to bring our combined capabilities to market and help companies meet these challenges,” said Doug Armstrong, Chief Operating Officer at West Monroe.

West Monroe will be establishing a new office in McLean, Virginia, where Pace Harmon is located. Pace Harmon’s co-Executive Managing Directors Steve Martin and David Rutchik, who led the firm from inception, will be departing to pursue other interests.

Cognizant already offers technology relevant in the age of the IIoT, providing its industrial clients with a connection to their devices and data. Cognizant’s clients are provided with transformative plans focusing on the ongoing digitalization of the market, which allow companies to receive data, make accurate and faster decisions, and have a more efficient business process.

Cognizant recently announced that it will be acquiring Bright Wolf, a privately-held technology services provider, in the fourth quarter of 2020. Bright Wolf connects industrial equipment, optimizes operations, integrates enterprise data, and leverages proprietary accelerators for IIoT deployments. Bright Wolf is also a Microsoft Gold Partner and has been named an AWS Advanced Technology Partner in IoT Competency.

"Combining Bright Wolf's experience in production-class IIoT deployments with Cognizant's expertise in foundational IIoT technologies will increase our clients' resiliency, operational efficiency, and competitive advantage," said Cognizant’s President, Malcolm Frank.

Bright Wolf offers IIoT solutions and specializes in architecting and providing services such as design consulting and digital transformation. Bright Wolf is now widely used for its organizational, data driven systems, and connection to leading corporations. Bright Wolf will further enhance Cognizant’s smart equipment to allow for predictive maintenance, improved resource planning, and customer relationship management.

With the acquisition, Cognizant will also establish its newest IoT innovation lab in the Raleigh-Durham, N.C., Research Triangle, which will be led by the Bright Wolf team. By acquiring Bright Wolf, Cognizant will be able to offer clients further customized access to IIoT along with architectural services to expand the connection of their company and increase efficiency.

Yet a 2019 report found that 73% of companies aren't prepared for a cyberattack. So it’s not surprising that firms like Arctic Wolf are working to fill in the gap. The Sunnyvale, California-based company provides security operations as a concierge service, with experts acting as an extension of an organization’s internal team.

Arctic Wolf’s primary offering is Arctic Wolf Managed Detection and Response, a solution that enables organizations to detect, respond, and recover from advanced cyber threats. The company has seen strong growth, with its customer base surging over 130% and a doubled security team to over 400 employees across four North American offices.

In March, Arctic Wolf raised $60 million in Series D funding, led by Blue Cloud Ventures and Stereo Capital, with additional participation from several new and existing investors. And now the company has announced that it has raised $200 million in Series E funding at a valuation of $1.3 billion—becoming the first MDR vendor to secure a valuation of over $1 billion.

The funding round was led by Viking Global Investors, with additional participation from DTCP and existing investors. This latest cash infusion will enable Arctic Wolf to accelerate the introduction of new security operations offerings and enter into new markets.

“Every year, businesses continue to make significant new investments in cybersecurity tools, yet we still see breaches in the headlines. The rapid growth of Arctic Wolf is being driven by organizations realizing that they don’t have a tools problem, but an operational one, and that they can’t solve their security operations challenges on their own,” said Brian NeSmith, CEO and Co-Founder, Arctic Wolf.

In addition, the company is relocating its global headquarters from California to Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The new funding will allow Arctic Wolf to make significant investments in its new headquarters by the end of 2021, including adding more than 150 new jobs and the construction of the company’s third security operations center. The company also has its sights set on growth outside the U.S. and plans to use the capital to facilitate expansion into the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), APJ (Asia Pacific and Japan), and Latin America markets.