New Fujitsu UK boss riled by SMB access debate

Michael Keegan calls for collaboration, not confrontation, between large and small IT firms bidding for government contracts

New Fujitsu UK and Ireland boss Michael Keegan has criticised the way the debate over SMB access to government contracts has been characterised, saying large and small companies should be working together and not competing.

Keegan (pictured), who previously helmed Fujitsu's Technology Product Group, was today unveiled as Fujitsu's head of UK and Ireland.

The position became vacant after predecessor Duncan Tait moved up to a new EMEA role created as part of a global reorganisation at the Japanese firm.

In his new role, Keegan will be responsible for 14,000 employees, helming not only the product business but also Fujitsu's datacentre, service desk, networking/telecoms, business applications and consulting activities.

The monopoly large IT services firms including Fujitsu enjoy in the public sector has come under renewed scrutiny under a coalition government desperate to prove its SMB-friendly credentials.

But Keegan hit out at the way the debate had been framed in "certain parts" of the public sector.

"I don't think it's an either-or discussion," he told CRN.

"Fujitsu has 800 SMEs in its supply chain and 21 per cent of the money customers spend with Fujitsu goes out of Fujitsu and into SMEs that work with us. We think the right approach here is one of collaboration, not confrontation."

Keegan said it is often not viable for small firms to bid for large government contracts directly.

"It takes too long to procure and the terms the government dictates are too onerous for small companies to stand up to," he said. "The right model for this space is collaboration and that's a model Fujitsu has signed up to."

Keegan, who joined Fujitsu in 2006, said he would focus on growing three areas of the business – product sales, private sector and defence – the latter of which was bolstered by the acquisition Fujitsu made earlier this month of US-based RFID outfit GlobeRanger.

Keegan's promotion comes after a wider restructure at Fujitsu designed to increase collaboration across five new global regions, including EMEIA, which is now being run by Tait, to whom Keegan will report.

"My job is to build on a very strong legacy that's been left by Duncan – Fujitsu is now a strong and profitable company [in the UK]," Keegan said.