Articles

Pedal to the Metal: Consolidation in 2014

Sixteen years ago, after David Roberts and his partner, Matthew Ohrnstein, founded Caliber Collision, he wrote a series of industry articles that were presciently accurate. His subject then? “Shop Consolidation: Is It Inevitable?” His answer was an emphatic “Yes.” Over a period of 8 years as Caliber’s Chairman, Roberts helped lead the initial capital raises and the acquisition of its first 37 shops. Now a leading investment banker in the Automotive Services industry with FOCUS Investment Banking, Roberts has a unique 20-year perspective on the industry. With the dramatic growth of the large consolidators as well as many regional and local MSOs, we asked Roberts to update our audience on consolidation developments, their impact on the industry and how consolidation continues to evolve.
man multitasking using a smart phone and a laptop with different icons floating around the smart phone

How to Manage Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) in a GRC World

Governance, Risk, and Compliance Investment Banking

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Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) has been a catalyst for a new IT revolution. CNET TechRepublic’s BYOD Business Strategy Survey reveals that 62 percent of companies either allow Bring Your Own Device, or plan to by the end of 2013. However, the prospect of employees using their personal mobile devices to access corporate resources might seem contrary to existing Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) regulations.
multiple lines of code with a security lock in the centre

Use Data Masking as a GRC Solution

IT Investment Banking

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Data masking, sometimes called de-identification, obfuscation, or redaction, is data security technology that is an ideal fit into an overall Governance, Risk Management, and Compliance (GRC) strategy. It’s an economical method for creating an inauthentic but structurally similar version of business data for use in user training or software testing, thus reducing risk. The data masked version of the data is a completely functional substitute for corporate data and protects live production data.

Cyber Security for the Rest of Us*

There Are No Firewalls. There Is No Inside Or Outside. We Are All Swimming In The Same Cyber Sea—With Sharks Circling. We Have No Protective Cage. Bottom Line: In The Realm Of Cyber, Nothing Is Secure. Cyber security experts have cried wolf before—and the sky is still standing. But we have finally reached the tipping point. It’s time to get the word out about how vulnerable we all really are—and why we need to take an entirely new approach to networked security.

Industries Lagging Behind in Cloud Adoption

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While cloud adoption is standard in many industries today, there are still some sectors lagging behind. Typically, these reasons revolve around compliance, regulations, and governance.

However, FOCUS is seeing potential opportunities on the horizon for companies and investors prepared to seize upon cloud opportunities in the financial services, utilities, and healthcare industries.

“Cloud adoption is …

Develop a GRC Framework

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Large companies in regulated industries such as financial services and healthcare generate and consume reams of data about their customers, business operations, and the markets at large. Traditionally, these companies capture data in “information silos,” often with different legacy systems and formats leading to security issues. Improving data security requires major process changes, and automatically …

Alzheimer’s Disease and the Growing Dementia Epidemic

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Most of us know someone—relative, friend, or colleague—suffering from dementia, a medical term that describes symptoms of impaired cognition (memory and thinking), behavior, social abilities, and daily functioning. Dementia isn’t a specific disease and can range in severity from mild to severe. It has many different non-reversible and reversible causes.

JOBS Act and REG D Rule 506

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In April 2012 the JOBS Act became law. The main purpose of the Act was to stimulate development of new businesses in order to create more jobs. As part of the stimulus plan the SEC was directed to develop rules that would make it easier for entrepreneurs to access capital in order to launch and …

2013: A Good Time to Sell Your Aerospace Supply Chain Company?

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In real estate, it’s “location, location, location.” If you are the owner of an aerospace supply chain company, it may well be “timing, timing, timing.” In fact, 2013 may be one of the best times ever to sell your aerospace supply chain company—for a number of solid reasons, including many factors beyond any business owner’s control.

Next Steps in NextGen: Back to the Future

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infographic image of number of passengers per year NextGen has been called the most complex systems integration challenge ever undertaken by the federal government. In the beginning, NASA’s role in guiding the progress of the innovation that would become NextGen was significant, and I have been involved from the beginning.