But as it pushes up into high-valueconsulting, several of them-such as IBMandhp-are trying to capture moreworkbymoving downstream into TCS'straditionaloutsourcingterritory.
Neither will say what they talked about, but it must have gone well: Livermore is overseeing a 20% increase in HP's consulting ranks, to 6, 000, in the next six months.
Corporate customers are supposed to use that system to deliver their own consumer products, and buy efficiency-building network software that is to come out of HP Labs and EDS, the consulting company purchased in 2008.
Sun, now an underdog with its proprietary technology and withered market capitalization, can't mount the consulting-heavy approaches of HP or IBM nor match the marketing clout of Microsoft.