Management and technology consultancy giant Andersen Consulting has merged three of its industry groups into a single Communications & High Tech global market unit with $1.6 billion revenues. The new unit unites Andersen's Communications, Electronics & High Tech and Media & Entertainment industry practices, and is claimed by Andersen as a refinement of the global reorganisation it implemented last year. Then, it split into five global market units managing 16 industry practices. Communications & High Tech's constituent parts are thriving; Communications revenues grew 23 per cent to $930 million in 1997, Electronics & High Tech 45 per cent to $532 million, and Media & Entertainment (bit of a punt, if you ask us) 20 per cent to $114 million. Bedfellows in the merged client list include Alcatel, AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, Hongkong Telecom IMS, Microsoft and Motorola. Joe Forehand moves over from the Products global market unit as managing partner for the lot. ®