IT Consulting

The IT Consulting industry comprises companies that help businesses design and implement information technology (IT) systems and infrastructure. Due to the low capital requirements of this industry, a modest number of operators are small nonemployers or independent contractors. Over the five years to 2022, shifting technological trends toward cloud computing and data analytics have caused larger operators to acquire smaller companies and develop new products to stay relevant. For example, Accenture PLC (Accenture) completed its acquisition of Orbium, a technology consultancy for financial services providers, in February 2019. Similarly, International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) completed its largest acquisition in company history in July 2019 with the purchase of open software company Red Hat Inc. for $34.0 billion, signaling the company's rising interest in developing hybrid cloud systems.