Many top market capitalization companies are information technology (IT) firms, including Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook, each of which is valued at more than $300 billion. Facebook is less than 10 years old and is one of the top 10 companies in the world in terms of market capitalization. However, technologies change rapidly; website revenue—which once grew at a brisk rate—has slowed down, while mobile technology growth is increasing and technology trends are shifting toward cloud hosting and big data analytics. IT companies that have increased their R&D spending remain leaders throughout periods of technology change. Companies such as Facebook and Google have doubled and tripled their profits, respectively over` the past decade. In this dynamic environment, analysts play a critical role in evaluating IT company financial statements and estimating company sales and earnings per share (EPS). This study examines how changes in R&D spending are related to analysts’ sales and earnings estimate revisions. An analysis of data over a 20-year period shows that analysts typically revise their sales estimates based on changes in a company’s R&D expenditures. The correlation between analyst earnings estimates and R&D expenditures, however, varies based on company size and industry within the IT sector. Analysts play a particularly important role in small companies, where the correlation between R&D and sales changes is not as high as in large companies. Analysts are thus critical to the functioning of capital markets in the IT sector.

Background: Given the situation that todays’ companies establish deeper relationships with their clients, focusing on long- term collaboration and emphasis on mutual cooperation, the communication with the clients is increasingly based on one-to- one communication. Personal selling is described in literature as one tool of the communication mix. This tool of one-to one communication has become very important. Several companies spend 8-15% of their net sales on personal selling to communicate directly with their clients, supporting them in evaluating specific needs and thus be able to offer the right product. The B2B environment is highly complex in its various characteristics. In regards to personal selling, the characteristics of intercultural aspects, B2B Relationships and Relationship Marketing has been chosen. The usage of personal selling could improve B2B Relationships. Research Question: How companies use and manage personal selling to strengthen B2B relationships? What are the cultural differencesregarding to the country of operation? Purpose: The purpose of this master thesis is to identify how personal selling can influence and strengthen B2B relationships. In this evaluation, the authors like to examine the differences in personal selling management according to the country of operation. The objective is to arrive on implications for B2B companies, especially in the IT sector. Method: The study uses an inductive research approach. The target is to arrive on new insights whether personal selling improves business- to business relations. Within the qualitative research method four case- studies of B2B IT companies from Brazil and Sweden will be evaluated. Through semi- structured personal interviews primary data will be obtained from each company. Through the conduction of the interviews in two countries, the impact of cultural aspects will be evaluated simultaneously. Theoretical Framework: The study evaluates literature about Cultural Aspects, Relationship Marketing, B2B Marketing and Sales Management in order to gain knowledge in accordance to the thesis’ research topics. B2B Markets are characterized by its complexity. The study uses those B2B characteristics which are influences by personal selling. Findings & Conclusion: Through the evaluation of the case studies in two countries, it can be outlined that personal selling has a positive impact on the establishment of long-term business relation, increase market recognition and leads to mutual business cooperation with the customer, that is necessary for future business development and product development according to customer and market demands. Understanding hereby the cultural background of the client is evaluated as an advantage on the direct communication and establishment of business relation.It is thus suggested to focus on personal selling, while providing technical advance solutions that require a high demand on communication.

Titel: En analys om hur virtuella IT företag analyseras och värderas år 2012 Bakgrund: Under Dot.com perioden som följde Netscapes lansering jobbade analytiker med utmaningen att värdera en ny form av företag som agerade på internet. Problemet för analytikerna var bland annat att värdera och analysera dessa nya virtuella företag, eftersom de flesta av dem var nystartade så ansågs det att nyckeltal som PE – tal inte gav en rättvis värdering (Briginshaw, 2002). Det som följde Dot.com kraschen vid början av 2000 talet resulterade till att även väl fungerande IT företag med en hållbar affärsidé, fick problem med finansieringen på grund av deras nya låga värdering (Bernhardsson, 2002). Drygt ett decennium efter Dot.com perioden, börsnoterades LinkedIn, ett socialt nätverk år 2011, och ökade i värde med 109,4 % vid handelsdagens slut (www.affärsvarlden.se). Syfte: Syftet med denna uppsats är att få en förståelse för hur virtuella IT företag värderas. Vi vill sedan ta reda på vad som analyseras och vad analytikerna lägger fokus på i deras analys samt vilken värderingsmetod som anses ge den mest rättvisande värderingen av IT företag. Metod: Uppsatsen är en kvalitativ studie baserad på sju professionella individer, med erfarenhet av företagsvärdering. Alla individer är från olika företag, bakgrunder och har därmed olika förutsättningar. Den empiriska datainsamlingen har utförts genom både telefon intervjuer och i person. Slutsatser: I uppsatsen har vi formulerat en rad slutsatser baserat utifrån insamlad data och de analyser som utförts. Det vi har funnit är att det läggs ett större fokus på verksamhetsanalysen än den finansiella analysen, vid en företagsanalys av IT bolag. Utifrån insamlad data har vi identifierat ett par poster i verksamhetsanalysen och hur mycket fokus som läggs på respektive. Baserat på dessa poster har vi tagit fram ett eget sätt att beräkna riskmultiplikatorn i CAPM modellen. / Title: An analysis of how virtual IT companies are analyzed and evaluated in 2012 Background: During the Dot.com period that followed Netscape's launch, analysts were working on the challenge of evaluating a new form of company that acted on the internet. Analysts had problems with evaluating and analyzing these new virtual companies, since most of them were newly started it was considered that key ratios like Price-Earnings ratio did not provide a fair valuation (Briginshaw, 2002). What followed the Dot.com crash in the beginning of the 2000 century resulted in that even well-functioning of a viable projects, had problems finding funding because of the low valuation (Bernhardsson, 2002). More than a decade after the Dot.com period, LinkedIn a social network was listed in in 2011, and increased in value by 109.4% at the end of the trading day (www.affärsvarlden.se). Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to gain an understanding of how virtual IT companies are valued. We then want to find out what is analyzed and what the analysts are focusing on in their analysis and the valuation method that is considered to provide the most accurate valuation of IT companies. Method: The essay is a qualitative study based on seven professional individuals with experience in business valuation. All individuals are from different companies, backgrounds and thus have different conditions. The empirical data collection has been performed by both telephone interviews and in person. Conclusion: In this paper we have formulated a series of conclusions based on the basis of data gathered and the analyzes performed. What we have found is that there is a greater focus on business analysis than on the financial analysis, in business analysis of IT companies. Based on the collected data, we have identified a few items of business analysis and how much emphasis placed on each. Based on these items, we have designed a special way to calculate security of the beta, of the CAPM.

Nowadays, the nature of the projects has changed to be unique, uncertain, ambiguous,complex and innovative. It becomes hard to plan in advance the project progress, asdeviations from plans and unpredictable changes occur more frequently. This can bespecifically observed in the software development industry which needs to constantlymeet customers’ rapidly changed requirements. Traditionally, software projects aredeveloped through a plan-driven approach which emphasizes an overall project plan andcontrol process in terms of project management. Recently, this has been challenged byagile approach that focuses on flexibility to quickly meet changing requirements, andthese new agile methods provoked huge interest and got more and more popular andwidely applied especially in IT industry. However, the popularity does not mean theagile methods have advantage over traditional plan-based project management methods.In fact, both methods have own advantages and disadvantages and cannot be fullyreplaced by each other. Therefore, it becomes important and necessary for companymanagement to know how to select a suitable method for the new software developmentproject to get the maximum benefits.The purpose of this study is to describe different project management methods(traditional plan-driven and agile methods) and their various consequences for themanagement of software-development projects. Additionally, a more practical purposeis to suggest on what grounds a choice between methods may be made. Morespecifically, this research aims to provide the possible solution on how to selecttraditional plan-driven or agile project management method for managing a newsoftware development project. The research conducted a qualitative study in a casecompany of IT industry through several semi-structured interviews and questionnaireswith experienced and knowledgeable employees. It started with the analysis andcomparison of traditional and agile project management methods’ characteristics andapplication domains based on two specific examples (PROPS and Scrum) selected fromtraditional and agile project management methods respectively, in order to identify a setof preliminary outstanding characteristics which could be used to help IT company tochoose project management methods for new software development projects. Theempirical data obtained from interviews of case company was investigated to verifythese characteristics based on the literature review, and further adjusted thecharacteristics identification. After going through the whole research process, finallyresearchers identified the most suitable characteristics that were important both intheory and practice to examine on what ground a software development company needsto base the selection of project management methods. These suitable characteristics are:Project Complexity, Communication, Competencies and Requirements, in order to helpselect the best management way for the specific project.

The purpose of this study has been to examine the possible relationship between patterns on the stock market and the capital structure of IT-companies. Furthermore, the study attempts to contribute a deeper understanding of the ways Chief Financial Officers (CFO) and Chief Executive Officers (CEO) handle aspects pertaining to levels of debt, solidity, the market when making investment decisions and factors that influence a company´s value. This has been done using the Market Timing Hypothesis as the main theoretical frame of reference. The study has primarily been conducted using quantitative data analysis in the form of multiple regression. Qualitative interviews have been subsequently conducted with the purpose of enhancing the statistical findings. The results from the study indicate that financial decisions largely vary depending on the situation, albeit market value being an influencing factor. Moreover, the profitability of the company and the amount of fixed assets play a role in financial decisions. The respondents further noted that the amount of equity and debt of the company does affect its value. / Studiens syfte var att undersöka sambandet mellan aktiemarknadens fluktuationer och företag i IT-branschens val av kapitalstruktur. Även att söka en djupare förståelse genom att ta del av Chief Financial Officers (CFO) och Chief Executive Officers (CEO) perspektiv på skuldsättningsgrad, soliditet, aktiemarknadens rörelser vid kapitalplacering samt vad som påverkar ett företags värde. Detta har skett med Market timing hypotesen som teoretisk utgångspunkt. Den huvudsakliga undersökningsmetoden har bestått av en kvantitativ dataanalys i form av multipel regressionsanalys. Kvalitativa intervjuer har därefter utförts i syfte att komplettera datan och för att förtydliga hur dessa aspekter hanteras i den praktiska verkligheten. Resultaten från studien indikerar att finansieringsbeslut är högst situationsbetingade men att marknadsvärdet har en viss påverkan. Utöver detta visade sig lönsamhet och andel anläggningstillgångar i förhållande till totala tillgångar väga tungt. De respondenter som intervjuades menade även att mängden eget kapital och skuld ett företaget besitter påverkar dess värde.

Titel: Beredskap för AI implementering: En fallstudie om beredskapsfaktorer för AI implementeringar på svenska IT-företag Forskningsfråga: Vilka beredskapsfaktorer krävs för implementering av AI på svenska IT-företag? Syfte: Undersöka vilka beredskapsfaktorer svenska IT-företag behöver för att skapa en lyckad AI implementering. Genomförande: Studien genomfördes som en fallstudie. En litteraturstudie utfördes för att sammanfatta tillgänglig och relevant vetenskaplig forskning inom området och fungerade som forskningsöversikt till studien. Datainsamlingen bestod av åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer med respondenter från sju olika företag. Material från litteraturstudie jämförs med insamlade och bearbetade data från respondenterna för att kunna hitta likheter och skillnader för att på så sätt kunna besvara studiens frågeställning. Metod: Studien har en induktiv ansats med en kvalitativ inriktning som karaktäriseras av analytiska tolkningar utifrån litteratur och intervjuer. Resultat: Utifrån analysen, en jämförelse av tidigare litteratur och insamlade data, nåddes resultat i form av identifierade beredskapsfaktorer som företag borde prioritera för att lyckas med sin AI implementering. Beredskapsfaktorer som identifierats är data, kunskap, syfte, involvering av anställda, resurser samt etik.Slutsats: Studiens slutsats visar på att beredskapsfaktorerna som tagits fram kan hjälpa företag att bättre förbereda sig inför en AI implementering och därigenom också öka möjligheterna för att åstadkomma en lyckad AI implementering på svenska IT-företag. / Title: Readiness for AI Implementation: A case study on readiness factors for AI implementations in Swedish IT companies search Question: Which readiness factors are required for an implementation of AI in Swedish IT companies? Purpose: Investigate which readiness factors Swedish IT companies need to create a successful AI implementation. Implementation: The study was performed as a case study. A literature study was conducted to summarize available and relevant research in the research area and served as a research overview for the study. The data collection consisted of eight semistructured interviews with respondents from seven different IT companies. Data from the literature study were compared with data collected and processed from the respondents, in order to find similarities and differences to answer the study's research question. Method: The study had an inductive approach with a qualitative focus, characterized by analytical interpretations based on literature and interviews. Findings: Based on the analysis, a comparison of previous literature and collected data, readiness factors required for AI implementations were identified. Readiness factors identified were data, knowledge, purpose, employee involvement, resources and ethics of which companies should prioritize to succeed with their AI implementation. Conclusion: The conclusion of the study indicates that the readiness can help companies to better prepare for an AI implementation and thereby also increase the opportunities for achieving a successful AI implementation in Swedish IT companies.

Because of covid-19, everyone has to follow the public health authority's recommendations to work from home. It's not only people's daily routines that have changed, it's also the workplaces. This has led to companies having to work more digitally than they did before. For some people this has been a big difference and for others it has not, depending on how digital the company worked before the start of the pandemic. People's way of communicating has changed due to the pandemic. With this background, this essay will examine how people at an IT company have experienced the change from physical communication to digital communication at their workplace due to covid-19. We are also interested in seeing whether the relationship and communication with colleagues has changed or not.  We have used a qualitative method and conducted interviews with ten people at an IT company. The communication at the IT company has changed in some areas while it has not changed in others. To summarize the internal and external communication, the internal has changed a lot because the employees only communicate digitally with each other. External communication, on the other hand, has not changed much as the employees communicated largely digitally with their customers even before the pandemic, as they have customers all over Sweden and in the world. The biggest change that can be identified is that the employees themselves have had to take great personal responsibility in the work and meeting process.  The pandemic has affected the communication between employees in a way that many feel more alone when they cannot have the same contact with their colleagues as they previously had. There has been a big difference in digital communication as it is much more difficult to see body language through a screen than it is when employees can meet physically.

Thesis Purpose Examine the possibility of small IT companies being benefited from a Cloud Computing transition. Through one case study of a software development company and interviews from five Hallstahmmar’s IT companies, we showed how Cloud Computing can enable organizations to decrease IT investments and related costs. Besides we critically analyzed some drawbacks of this latest concept.   Methodology Primary and secondary data has been collected based on a qualitative method and a structured approach. The collected material of the secondary data was mainly based on latest journals. The interviewing parts have been recorded and summarized.   Theoretical Perspective We have used theories of various aspects of business related to Cloud Computing; e.g. innovation and Cloud Computing, business model and Cloud Computing in order to acquire a complete knowledge base for analyzing our empirical data.   Empirical Foundation A case study of TotalAssist, interview data of LifeCenter AB and interviews of four IT companies of Hallstahammar, are our empirical foundation of the reserach.   Conclusion IT companies of Hallstahammar may adopt the Cloud Computing paradigm. Besides, yet this new concept has its risks. Security remains a concern among many CIO’s. In addition, we recommend means that a company can pursue while implementing a Cloud Computing transition.

Employment issues in South Africa (SA) are a significant problem. There are ongoing discussions revolving around the employability challenges facing South African graduates, particularly in the Information Technology (IT) sector. The preparedness of these IT graduates has been questioned with many looking towards skill sets and employability status while others have scrutinised the validity of the IT curriculum meeting industry needs. The research focuses on a case study of graduates from an accredited, private higher education institution in SA. The study followed a qualitative approach using questionnaires and interviews to understand the experiences of employers, employed graduates and recruitment personnel upon employment of the graduates. This study investigated, determined and confirmed recommendations to adapt the South African higher education IT curriculum to improve the productivity of IT graduates upon employment. / School of Computing / M. Sc. (Computing)

Vikten av strategisk Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) har ökat under de senaste åren då intressenter ställer krav på företag att agera ansvarsfullt gentemot samhället. För att möta dessa krav är en fungerande CSR-strategi en nödvändighet, och för att företag på lång sikt ska kunna få ökat förtroende hos sina intressenter är kommunikationen av CSR-arbetet en angelägenhet. Informationsteknologi (IT) kan ha en stor negativ påverkan på samhället, men IT-företagens produkter och tjänster kan vara avgörande verktyg för att lösa många av dagens och morgondagens samhällsproblem. Det finns en brist inom den tidigare forskningen gällande strategisk CSR inom IT-branschen. Därför ämnar denna studie belysa hur företag inom den svenska IT-branschen uppfattar det ansvar de har för samhället och hur de möter sina intressenters krav. Genom att besvara frågeställningarna (1) Vilka är drivkrafterna till det strategiska arbetet med CSR hos IT-företag i Sverige? och (2) Hur kommunicerar IT-företag i Sverige sitt strategiska CSR-arbete till sina intressenter? ämnar uppsatsen därmed besvara vad det är som driver företagen till att arbeta strategiskt med CSR och hur detta arbete kan bidra till värde för dess primära intressenter. Med hjälp av den nyinstitutionella teorin har drivkrafter till det strategiska CSR-arbetet kunnat belysas och för att undersöka hur IT-företag kommunicerar har denna studie använt Morsing och Schultz, tre CSR-kommunikationsstrategier. Denna uppsats har sin utgångspunkt i strategiskt CSR-arbete ur ett ledningsperspektiv och har utförts genom att intervjua CSR- och hållbarhetschefer samt analysera hållbarhetsrapporter från sju erkända aktörer i den svenska IT-branschen. Resultaten har visat att de största drivkrafterna till företagens strategiska CSR-arbete är legitimitet, anseende och konkurrenskraft. Resultaten har även visat att kommunikationen av det strategiska CSR-arbetet styrs av den målgrupp kommunikationen är ämnad för och att företagen tillämpar kommunikationsstrategin därefter. / The importance of Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has increased in recent years as stakeholders demand companies to act responsibly towards the society. In order to meet these demands, a functioning CSR strategy is a necessity, and in order for companies to gain trust from their stakeholders in the long term, communication of the CSR strategy is essential. Information technology (IT) can have a major negative impact on society, but IT companies' products and services can be crucial tools to solve many of today's and tomorrow's societal problems. There is a shortage in previous research on strategic CSR in the IT sector. Therefore, this study aims to shed light on how companies in the Swedish IT sector perceive the responsibility they have for society and how they meet the demands of their stakeholders. By answering the questions (1) What are the drivers of the strategic work with CSR in IT companies in Sweden? and (2) How do IT companies in Sweden communicate their strategic CSR to their stakeholders?, this paper aims to answer what drives the companies to work strategically with CSR and how this work can add value for its primary stakeholders. By applying the neo-institutional theory, driving forces for strategic CSR have been highlighted, and in order to investigate how IT companies communicate their strategic CSR, this study has applied Morsing and Schultz’ three CSR communication strategies. This paper studies strategic CSR from a management perspective by interviewing Sustainability Managers and analysing Sustainability Reports from seven recognized actors within the swedish IT sector. The results have shown that the main drivers of strategic CSR for IT companies are legitimacy, reputation and competitiveness. Additionally, the results have shown that the communication of the strategic CSR is dependent on the stakeholder group the communication is intended for and that the companies apply the communication strategy thereafter.