OREANDA-NEWS. December 08, 2008. This ranks public and private technology companies, from 23 countries in EMEA, with a minimum revenue of EUR 50,000 in year one. It is the most objective industry ranking standard to focus on the technology sector. The Fast 500 is researched by the Global Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) industry practice of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu member firms, comprised of 6000 professionals in 45 countries, reported the press-centre of Deloitte.

Key trends, observed in this year’s Deloitte Technology Fast 500, are:

The continued domination of the rankings by the software sector, which contributes 197 of the 500 companies. Following on are Internet/Media companies with 98 and Telecommunications/Networking with 64 representatives.

The environment is playing an increasingly important role in the operations of EMEA companies, with waste reduction, through economization, reuse and recycling, generating the largest following among those surveyed, at 21%. However, 19% of respondents admitted that they are doing nothing at all to address environmental concerns. This was in contrast to the Asia-Pacific region, where only 12% said that they are not yet implementing programs to protect the environment.

A decrease in average growth rates on the previous year, with the Top 500 growing by 1,297% in 2008, compared to a record-breaking 1,443% last year, which is still impressive in these times of turbulent economic conditions.

Russian companies rated in 2008
“Russian companies have been participating in this project for five years. Russia has four companies in the 2008 ranking, a very good result when compared with previous years. This trend demonstrates the development of Russia’s TMT sector and the strong competitive advantages of Russian companies in EMEA,” said Olga Tabakova, a Deloitte CIS partner and TMT group leader.

Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA CEO Survey
Deloitte would also like to announce the 2008 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA CEO Survey - a comprehensive analysis of the business trends and background statistics of the winning companies and a summary of the key concerns and expectations of technology sector CEOs. Some of the key trends observed have shown that:

Despite wider economic turbulence, confidence is high.  58% of this year’s CEOs were “extremely” or “very” confident of managing to achieve the same growth rates over the coming two years. This is lower than last year’s 78%, however, this year, more CEOs recorded being “somewhat confident” than last year, with the number increasing from 20% to 37% in 2008.

A large number  of CEOs surveyed (37%) have not yet experienced any significant impact from the downturn in the global economy. However, 30% said that they would be reviewing their strategy, in light of recent economic conditions.

Quality technology people are still difficult to find. Identifying, hiring and retaining qualified employees is still the greatest operational challenge for 42% of CEOs, similar to last year.

"The financial tsunami isn't slowing or diverting top EMEA tech leaders’ attention," says Igal Brightman, the Global Managing Partner for the Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) industry practice. "These growth companies continue to maintain an optimistic outlook and remain focused on developing talent and innovations".

"After 8 years of examining the data that underpins the EMEA region ranking, the more telling trends are beginning to emerge," said Karel Bakkes, Partner-in-charge for the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA.  "France remains a frontrunner, in terms of overall numbers, followed by the UK, but hard on their heels are the emerging tech club of Israel, Scandinavia, Ireland and the Netherlands".

About The Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA
The Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA programme is the region’s most objective industry-ranking standard, focusing on the technology sector. It was created in 2000 to recognize the efforts and dedication of the 500 fastest-growing technology companies in EMEA and includes all areas of technology, from the Internet to biotechnology, from medical and scientific firms, to those producing computers/hardware. It includes both public and private companies. The awards, which have been running in EMEA for seven years, are based on five-year average percentage revenue growth.

Frequently-asked questions are answered at www.deloitte.com/fast500emea. Details of the winning companies, including breakdowns by country, industry sector and ranking, will be available at www.deloitte.com/fast500emea after the event. Please contact us (see below) if you need information in advance. This year the program has been supported by UK Trade & Investment.