Technology >> Sector Roundtables >> January 31, 2000

Roundtable Forum: Information Technology Services

WILLIAM R. LOOMIS is a Managing Director and Group Head of the Technology Research Group at Legg Mason Wood Walker, Inc. His coverage includes companies that provide data processing, custom software development, and systems integration services primarily to large corporate customers. Prior to joining Legg Mason, Mr. Loomis followed the IT Services industry for Ferris, Baker Watts, Inc. for seven years. A Chartered Financial Analyst, a member of the Baltimore Security Analysts Society, and a member of the Association for Investment Management Research, Mr. Loomis is a graduate of the University of Maryland. Profile
STEVEN M. ASHLEY is a Senior Vice President with Robert W. Baird & Company, Inc., where he covers the Information Technology Services industry. A financial analyst for 17 years, he was previously associated with Cleary Gull Reiland & McDevitt and with Blunt Ellis & Loewi. Mr. Ashley holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Profile
MARK ALLEN is a Managing Director in the Equity Research Department of SunTrust Robinson Humphrey Capital Market. His area of research coverage is business and technology services, primarily human capital management including temporary staffing, executive recruiting, human resources outsourcing, and employment advertising. Mr. Allen has been in research for 17 years at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, co-founding the business services group in 1993. He has been quoted in national publications including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Investors' Business Daily, Business Week, The Financial Times, Buyside, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, and The Wall Street Transcript as well as regional newspapers including the Boston Globe, the Houston Chronicle, the Tampa Tribune, the Atlanta Journal and the Charlotte Observer. Mr. Allen has appeared on CNBC television and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences including the Staffing Industry Executive Forum, the Kennedy Information e-cruiting Conference, the Healthcare Staffing Summit, the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO), and the National Investor Relations Institute. He publishes a monthly newsletter on the human capital management space and co-hosts an annual investor conference in New York. Prior to joining SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, he worked as a software project manager for the Georgia Tech Research Institute. He has a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master's degree in Finance, both from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Mr. Allen is a Chartered Financial Analyst. Profile
TWST: I'd like to begin by asking each of you to comment on the

development of information technology services, and what has driven this

industry over the past five years. Bill, will you