UK firms named in top software and services listing

British Flag

A handful of UK firms flew the flag as top suppliers of software and IT services in the world, but US firms still dominate the top 20, according to figures from Pierre Audoin Consultants (PAC).

When combining both software and IT services suppliers, Christophe Chalons, chief analyst of the PAC group, said it was "not a surprise to see IBM at the top," and Microsoft leading in pure software supplies. However, only one UK brand, Sage, managed to break into the top 20.

Chalons told IT PRO that he doesn't think the UK is behind when it comes to services, though.

"The UK is quite advanced in IT services so the market is very mature," he said. "This means growth rates during the recession are slow."

He does concede there are other problems, however. "Maybe in software, the UK is lagging behind as there are more developed markets elsewhere," he said.

Both Capita and Logica made appearances in the top 20 outsourcing suppliers, reaching 15th and 17th places respectively.

Misys sneaked into the top 20 for application software product suppliers, while Sage performed the best of the UK companies, reaching fourth place globally.

Jennifer Scott

Jennifer Scott is a former freelance journalist and currently political reporter for Sky News. She has a varied writing history, having started her career at Dennis Publishing, working in various roles across its business technology titles, including ITPro. Jennifer has specialised in a number of areas over the years and has produced a wealth of content for ITPro, focusing largely on data storage, networking, cloud computing, and telecommunications.

Most recently Jennifer has turned her skills to the political sphere and broadcast journalism, where she has worked for the BBC as a political reporter, before moving to Sky News.