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In 2012, 43 complaints against Atos doctors and nurses were being investigated by the [[General Medical Council]] or [[Nursing and Midwifery Council]].<ref name="Independent tests row" /> Criticism has been directed at Atos over the ability of its staff to deal with complex mental health problems and conditions whose symptoms vary with time.<ref name=McCartneyBMJ>BMJ 2011;342:d1155</ref> In August 2012, Atos Healthcare claimed they had appointed 60 Mental Function Champions to provide additional training.<ref name="Independent tests row" />
In 2012, 43 complaints against Atos doctors and nurses were being investigated by the [[General Medical Council]] or [[Nursing and Midwifery Council]].<ref name="Independent tests row" /> Criticism has been directed at Atos over the ability of its staff to deal with complex mental health problems and conditions whose symptoms vary with time.<ref name=McCartneyBMJ>BMJ 2011;342:d1155</ref> In August 2012, Atos Healthcare claimed they had appointed 60 Mental Function Champions to provide additional training.<ref name="Independent tests row" />


Atos assessors have found patients with terminal [[cancer]] or severe [[multiple sclerosis]] to be fit for work.<ref name="guardian.co.uk">{{cite web|author=Amelia Gentleman |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/feb/22/new-disability-test-is-a-complete-mess |title=New Disability Test is a Complete Mess |publisher=Guardian |date= |accessdate=30 January 2012}}</ref> 1,300 people died shortly after being declared fit for work by Atos.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/jan/17/atos-attack-emotional-commons-debate The Guardian "Atos Comes Under Attack in Emotional Commons Debate"]</ref>
Atos assessors have found patients with terminal [[cancer]] or severe [[multiple sclerosis]] to be fit for work.<ref name="guardian.co.uk">{{cite web|author=Amelia Gentleman |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/feb/22/new-disability-test-is-a-complete-mess |title=New Disability Test is a Complete Mess |publisher=Guardian |date= |accessdate=30 January 2012}}</ref> 1,300 people died shortly after being declared fit for work by Atos.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/jan/17/atos-attack-emotional-commons-debate The Guardian "Atos Comes Under Attack in Emotional Commons Debate"]</ref> Some have taken their own lives after being incorrectly assessed.<ref>Tom Bristow, [http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/protest_at_norwich_disability_centre_which_barred_wheelchair_user_1_1328358 "Protest at Norwich disability centre which barred wheelchair user"], Norwich Evening News, 23 March 2012.</ref>


In August 2011, twelve doctors working for Atos as disability assessors had been placed under investigation by the [[General Medical Council]] because of allegations of misconduct in relation to their duty of care to patients.<ref>{{cite web|author=Daniel Boffey, policy editor |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/aug/13/atos-doctors-improper-conduct-disability |title=Atos doctors could be struck off |publisher=Guardian |date=13 August 2011 |accessdate=30 January 2012}}</ref>
In August 2011, twelve doctors working for Atos as disability assessors had been placed under investigation by the [[General Medical Council]] because of allegations of misconduct in relation to their duty of care to patients.<ref>{{cite web|author=Daniel Boffey, policy editor |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/aug/13/atos-doctors-improper-conduct-disability |title=Atos doctors could be struck off |publisher=Guardian |date=13 August 2011 |accessdate=30 January 2012}}</ref>

Revision as of 00:13, 17 March 2013

This article is about the technology company. For other uses, see Atos (disambiguation).

Atos S.A.
Company typeSociété Anonyme
Euronext: ATO
ISINFR0000051732 Edit this on Wikidata
IndustryIT services, IT consulting
Founded1997
HeadquartersBezons, France
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Thierry Breton
(Chairman & CEO)
ServicesIT, business consulting and outsourcing services
RevenueIncrease €6.812 billion (2011)[1]
Increase € 0347 million (2011)[1]
Increase € 0182 million (2011)[1]
Total assetsIncrease €7.367 billion (2011)[1]
Total equityIncrease €2.328 billion (2011)[1]
Number of employees
73,969 (2011)[1]
WebsiteAtos.net

Atos S.A. (wordmark styled as AtoS or Atos to Siemens),[2] is a French multinational IT services and consulting corporation headquartered in Bezons, France. Atos provides consulting and technology services, high technology transactional services, as well as managed services and systems. It operates under the brands Atos, Atos Consulting & Technology Services, Atos Worldline and Atos Worldgrid.

In the UK, the Atos Healthcare division has attracted criticism for its management of the Work Capability Assessment on behalf of the Department of Work and Pensions - and particularly for its role in implementing the DWP's criteria for the treatment of disabled people.

History

The company was formed in 1997 through a merger of two French IT companies; and combined with the Dutch-based company Origin B.V. in 2000, becoming Atos Origin.[1] It subsequently acquired KPMG Consulting in 2002 and SchlumbergerSema in 2004. In 2010 Atos Origin announced the buyout of Siemens IT Solutions and Services and finalized the acquisition in July 2011. Afterwards the company name reverted back to Atos.[3]

Logo of Atos Origin used prior to July 2011.

In 1996, Origin B.V. was created after a merger of the Dutch company BSO and the Philips C&P (Communications & Processing) division, while a year later in 1997, Atos was created following a merger of the French companies Axime and Sligos.[4] In 2001, Atos Origin sold its Nordic operations to WM-data. In 2002, it made a major acquisition by buying KPMG Consulting in the United Kingdom and in the Netherlands. Then in 2004, it acquired SchlumbergerSema, the IT service division of Schlumberger and took over the infrastructure division of ITELLIUM, a subsidiary of KarstadtQuelle.[5]

At the same time (2004), the company created a new subsidiary, Atos Worldline, and the renaming of its consulting activities as Atos Consulting. Also in 2004, Atos Origin Australia, originating from Philips, was sold to Fujitsu. In 2005, Atos Origin sold its activities in the Nordic region, which had become part of the company with the acquisition of Sema Group, to WM-data[6] while in 2006, Atos Origin sold its operations in the Middle East to local management.

In October 2007, Philippe Germond replaced the long-time CEO Bernard Bourigeaud as CEO. Two shareholders, the hedge funds Centaurus Capital and Pardus Capital, tried to gain control over the company via the supervisory board.[7] In November 2008, the boardroom battle came to an end when Thierry Breton replaced Philippe Germond as chairman and CEO.[7]

In late 2008, Atos Origin was one subject of a government enquiry after a memory stick with passwords and user names for a government computer system was found in the car park of a public house.[8]

In August 2010 Atos Origin acquired Indian payment company Venture Infotek. In December 2010 Atos Origin agreed to acquire the IT Solutions and Services subsidiary of Siemens for €850 million.[9] As part of the transaction, Siemens agreed to take a 15% stake in the enlarged Atos, to be held for a minimum of five years.[9]

The company dropped the "Origin" suffix of its name in July 2011 after completing its acquisition of the Siemens unit.[10] In June 2012 the CEO of the UK Border Agency revealed that Atos was responsible for major disruptions in the Agency's IT systems over the prior months.[11]

In November 2011 Atos and software services provider Ufida International Holdings formed the joint venture Yunano. The two companies invested EUR 5.7million. Atos has 70 percent and UFIDA has 30 percent. The joint venture has its HQ in Bezons, near Paris, France.[12] In 2012 Atos announced the creation of a new company called Canopy.[13] The CEO is Jacques Pommeraud.[14]

In 2013 Atos became responsible for implementing the UK's Personal Independence Payment (PIP) benefits to disabled people. PIP replaces the previous Disability Living Allowance and will be introduced in 2013.[15]

Services

Atos operates under the brands Atos, Atos Consulting & Technology Services, Atos Worldline and Atos Worldgrid.[16][17]

Atos is currently No. 8 in the Worldwide IT services market; and No. 2 in the European market, behind IBM.[1][18] It delivers transactional services, consulting and technology services, systems integration and managed services. The company provides occupational healthcare at more than 150 centres in the UK.[19]

Notable work

Olympic/Paralympic Games

Atos has been the official IT Partner for the Olympic Games since 2001 and is expected to continue until 2016. Atos, through the SchlumbergerSema's acquisition, was involved in previous Games during the 1990s, starting with the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992. Atos has been one of 11 major sponsors for the Olympic Games since 2001.[20] Atos were sponsors of the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.

In 2011, disability campaign groups called for a boycott of the 2012 Paralympic Games due to Atos's sponsorship of the games, while simultaneously assessing disabled people's ability to work on behalf of the government.[21] During the first week of the Paralympics in the summer of 2012, activists and disabled people targeted Atos in a series of nationwide protests.[22] This culminated on Friday 31 August with a demonstration outside ATOS headquarters in Triton Square, London which ended in a confrontation with the police.[23]

National Savings (UK)

Following its acquisition of Siemens IT Solutions and Services in 2011, Atos became responsible for managing the operation of the UK's National Savings & Investments business, including the service delivery of their products, customer call centres, IT and systems upgrade.[24]

Atos Healthcare in the UK

Atos Healthcare's has a contract believed to be worth £400 million with the UK's Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), under which it "conduct[s] disability assessments for people claiming a range of disability benefits including Employment Support Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Disability Living Allowance and Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit."[25][26]

Atos has been criticized in the media,[27][28] in Parliament,[29] by the medical profession,[30] and by protest groups[31][32][33] regarding its disability programs.

A government study published in 2012 found that half of the people identified as "fit for work" by Atos Healthcare's Work Capability Assessment on behalf of the Department of Work and Pensions in the UK, remained unemployed and without income.[34][35]

In 2012, 43 complaints against Atos doctors and nurses were being investigated by the General Medical Council or Nursing and Midwifery Council.[26] Criticism has been directed at Atos over the ability of its staff to deal with complex mental health problems and conditions whose symptoms vary with time.[36] In August 2012, Atos Healthcare claimed they had appointed 60 Mental Function Champions to provide additional training.[26]

Atos assessors have found patients with terminal cancer or severe multiple sclerosis to be fit for work.[37] 1,300 people died shortly after being declared fit for work by Atos.[38] Some have taken their own lives after being incorrectly assessed.[39]

In August 2011, twelve doctors working for Atos as disability assessors had been placed under investigation by the General Medical Council because of allegations of misconduct in relation to their duty of care to patients.[40]

MP's first debated Atos Healthcare and the Work Capability Assessment in Westminster Hall on 4 September 2012.[41]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Reference Document 2011" (PDF). Atos S.A. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
  2. ^ "Atos - News, views, gossip, pictures, video". Daily Record. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  3. ^ "Atos acquires Siemens IT Solutions and Services". The Economic Times. 1 July 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  4. ^ "Axime, Sligos merger named Atos Origin". Telecompaper. Retrieved 29 May 1997. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  5. ^ "Atos Origin acquires German IT unit under outsourcing deal". ConsultantNews.com. Retrieved 8 September 2004.
  6. ^ "Atos Origin sells Nordic IT services ops to WM-data for 145 mln eur cash". Forbes. AFX News. 23 May 2005. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
  7. ^ a b Chassany, Anne-Sylvaine (17 November 2008). "Atos Origin Board Fires Chief Germond, Hires Breton". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
  8. ^ "Atos Origin leaves government memory stick in a pub car park". BBC. 2 November 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
  9. ^ a b "Atos Origin To Buy Siemens AG's IT Unit In EUR850M Deal". Dow Jones Newswires. 14 December 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  10. ^ "Atos Origin changes name amid acquisition". MarketWatch. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  11. ^ The Great Border Agency IT Crash: Just who was responsible? The Register
  12. ^ TelecomPaper Atos, Ufida form Yunano joint venture in EMEA, China
  13. ^ "CIO.com". Retrieved 15 February 2012.
  14. ^ "Industry Support for the Cloud Operations Forum". Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  15. ^ Jane Young. "Taking DLA away from disabled people is a dangerous experiment | Jane Young | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk". Guardian. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  16. ^ "Euronext Paris".
  17. ^ "CAC Mid 60".
  18. ^ Kompella, Kashyap. "Au Revoir, blueKiwi?". Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  19. ^ Atos Healthcare,Occupational Health
  20. ^ "FACTBOX-Olympics-Who are the global sponsors?". Reuters. 17 July 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  21. ^ Razzall, Katie (30 September 2011). "Campaigners threaten Paralympics boycott". Channel 4 News. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  22. ^ McCarthy, James (30 August 2012). "Disabled People Against Cuts stage demo against Paralympics sponsor". Wales Online. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  23. ^ "Atos protest: Disability rights groups target firm". BBC News. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  24. ^ "About NS&I – Our partners". http://www.nsandi.com. Retrieved 21 April 2012. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  25. ^ McCue, Andy (16 March 2005). "Atos Origin wins £500m government BPO deal". silicon.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  26. ^ a b c Lakhani, Nina (29 August 2012). "Paralympic sponsor engulfed by disability tests row". The Independent (London). Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  27. ^ The Shadow State: the "dehumanizing, degrading" treatment of disabled people. New Statesman. 23 January 2013.
  28. ^ All about Atos. Daily Record. 07 February 2013
  29. ^ Amelia Gentleman (15 January 2013). "Atos comes under attack in emotional Commons debate | Society | guardian.co.uk". Guardian. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  30. ^ This brutal new system': a GP's take on Atos and work capability assessments. The Guardian
  31. ^ Fine Atos when it fails. 38 Degrees
  32. ^ Atos protest groups: Disability rights groups target firm. BBC News
  33. ^ 'War on Welfare' petition tops 5,000 in less than 48 hours
  34. ^ "Atos Scandal: Benefits bosses admit over half of people ruled fit to work ended up destitute". The Daily Record. 26 September 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  35. ^ Atos assessor 'forced to judge disabled fit for work', The Independent, retrieved 30 September 2012
  36. ^ BMJ 2011;342:d1155
  37. ^ Amelia Gentleman. "New Disability Test is a Complete Mess". Guardian. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  38. ^ The Guardian "Atos Comes Under Attack in Emotional Commons Debate"
  39. ^ Tom Bristow, "Protest at Norwich disability centre which barred wheelchair user", Norwich Evening News, 23 March 2012.
  40. ^ Daniel Boffey, policy editor (13 August 2011). "Atos doctors could be struck off". Guardian. Retrieved 30 January 2012. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  41. ^ Westminster Hall debate on Atos Healthcare, Parliament UK, retrieved 30 September 2012
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