Andersen Consulting decides on new name
Chicago: Three months after its final split from sister firm, Arthur Andersen, consulting major, Andersen Consulting, is now set to begin its new life after January 2001, with a new name.

It may be recalled that Andersen Consulting lost its right to use the name, following an arbitration award made by the international aribtrator. A search for a new name has been on, since then.

The world's largest consulting firm has decided to place an accent on the future, and with this, decided on the name, Accenture.

The $8.9 billion global management and technology-consulting organisation also is considering a partial public offering as part of its transition.

It is believed that the consulting major will spend approximately, $170 million, on an advertising campaign being launched January 1 to promote the new name. According to Mr. Joe W Forehand, managing partner and chief executive officer, the new name also highlights the firm’s logical next step as a bridge-builder between the traditional and new economies.

The new name was coined by Mr. Kim Petersen, a Dane and a business consultant for Andersen Consulting. The firm’s 2,500 partners preferred the name by more than 2-to-1 to any other candidate.

Mr. Petersen and his wife will be rewarded with a January trip to Melbourne, Australia, where Accenture sponsors the World Match Play Championship golf tournament.
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Fourth player alters cell circle valuations
Calcutta: With the telecom regulatory authority, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), allowing the entry of the fourth player in all the cellular circles, the valuation of existing players are likely to depressed. First to be affected by this move would be the 49 per cent stake of RPG Cellular's Chennai operation, which is currently being sold through bidding.

Five leading players, the Birla-AT&T-Tata combine, Hutchison, BPL Mobile, Escotel and Spice Telecom are pitching for the licence.

They have submitted their indicative bids with Rabo Bank, which has been given the mandate by the RPG group and Vodafone Airtouch - partners in the business - to find a buyer for the stake.

However, with Trai’s new diktat, the bidding companies are more cautious in the valuation of the RPG stake, besides toying with the idea of putting in an application for a fresh license. These factors have depressed the valuation of the 49 per cent stake of RPG Cellular, as compared to the other circles like Gujarat or Madhya Pradesh, which were sold in the recent past.

Before the Trai decision to allow a fourth licencee in a circle, the sole method of valuation of a cycle was on the basis of capitalisation of average revenue per customer in the circle. According to industry sources, now an alternate model for valuation has emerged with the actual cost of wiring up the city for commencement of new operation, than factors like subscriber base, and scope of business growth, taking precedence over number of subscribers.
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