Hewlett-Packard has expanded its consulting services to help enterprises get a better handle on the range of new client devices and software that have recently been introduced to the market, the company announced Wednesday.

EMC is expanding its security consulting services to help enterprises tackle the complexities of securing their data and complying with regulations in virtualized computing environments.

Perhaps you've seen the writing on the wall that your layoff is imminent. Maybe you're tired of corporate life and want to ditch The Man and become your own boss. But if you are considering becoming a consultant, listen up: Some CIOs aren't cut out for the job.

IBM launched a new set of cloud computing consulting and implementation services on Monday, framing the move as something that could spark wider adoption of the model.

The economic downturn has taken its toll on the IT services industry, and consequently, on the consultancies that swelled to support corporate outsourcing efforts in better days. Over the last two years, everyone--from the IT outsourcing arms of the biggest general business advisories (the KPMGs and Accentures, for instance) to the consulting divisions of IT service providers (the IBMs and HPs) to the leading outsourcing-specific consultancies (the TPIs and Alsbridges)--has been hit with layoffs, consolidation and upheaval.

As companies continue to cut costs, consolidate staffs and eviscerate executive salaries, more and more senior-level IT professionals are eyeing corporate exits -- or being shown them against their will.

In the good old days of private equity, firms would make an acquisition, take care of a few little things like management, market, product and brand, and sell the company at a profit. The credit crunch being what it is, however, most private equity firms are holding on to their properties longer than they had originally intended. Forced to drive out a whole new layer of costs, firms are spending more time evaluating and improving the IT infrastructure of their companies.