With the Internet market tightening over recent months, some niche consultants and designers are feeling the crunch. Beaverton, Oregon-based information technology consulting firm Anitian, has addressed these hard times by dropping the “consulting” from the company name and expanding to become a “supercenter” consultancy.
“The trend right now is away from specialized consultancies toward all-in-one service providers,” said Andrew Plato, President and Principal Consultant for Anitian. “Anitian will become a ‘SuperCenter’ where businesses can buy IT services in bulk at a discount. We’re kind of like the ‘WalMart’ of consultancies.”
The company will expand their services to include network security, systems integration, and technical content services.
While the increasing number of players in the IT outsourcing market is undoubtedly a factor, Plato does not doubt the impact of the ongoing economic slowdown.
The president, however, feels that the slowdown could be a source of revenue for the consultancy.
“The slowing economy means companies need cost-effective solutions. Outsourcing to a single source offers an economy of scale,” Plato noted. “Anitian can aggregate skills and capability in one vendor allowing our customers a greater level of control over costs. A lot of our clients already purchase two or three different services from us. This new model merely solidifies that as our core business.”
Anitian is also preparing to return to the investment community to secure three rounds of funding, totaling an undisclosed amount.
“While it might not be the best time to look for funding, we are bullish on our plan,” said Plato.
