Olympic sponsor ventures outside the security cordon

IN ONE OF the biggest takeover deals of recent years, Olympic sponsor and security partner G4S announced it was taking over Danish outsourcing company ISS. The deal, worth around $8bn, will create one of the biggest companies in the world and make the group the second largest employer after Walmart with 1.2m staff in 130 countries. The challenge of bringing these two companies together is made bigger by the fact the ISS specialises in the services G4S doesn’t. This is the opportunity, says G4S CEE Nick Buckles, who sees the chance to sell a wider range of services to clients who want a one-stop-shop. Investors and analysts are more cautious and G4S' share price dropped sharply on the news. One this is sure, the Olympics has delivered a platform to allow G4S to operate on the global stage. If they can deliver impeccable security around London 2012 with all its complexities and threats, one would have to give them a fighting chance of making a success of the ISS merger.