Accenture Enables Mobile Workforce with Accenture CAS Software for Windows 8.1 Devices

From Accenture:

January 12, 2015

Accenture Enables Mobile Workforce with Accenture CAS Software for Windows 8.1 Devices

NEW YORK; Jan. 12, 2015 – To better enable the mobile workforce, Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has made its Accenture CAS software available on Windows 8.1 devices, starting with tablets and followed by mobile phones, providing clients with access to a single platform that spans sales processes and operations for integrated and efficient management – all from their mobile devices.

Successful consumer goods companies harness technology to create a bond between their field teams and core business. By extending the functionality of Accenture CAS to include devices powered by Windows 8.1, the sales team is equipped with a single device that can meet day-to-day needs. Accenture CAS allows for all aspects of sales – including retail execution and direct store delivery – to be managed through the same interface on a mobile device, helping to optimize performance and minimize costs. Specific functionality for Windows 8.1 devices includes full interoperation with Microsoft Office and maintaining the native interface of the device. This extends the strategy of Accenture CAS, already available on iOS® and Android® devices, to provide a mobile workforce with a software platform that spans sales processes and operations.

With a single universal repository for all devices, Accenture CAS is based on a “write once, deploy to many” model that accelerates deployment of programs to multiple mobile devices. This can free up time and resources that would be spent on writing numerous versions of the same programs, helping to lower total cost of ownership.

“Today’s workforce needs technology to work from anywhere, at any time, without any loss of performance,” said Henning Fromme, managing director, Accenture CAS. “Expanding Accenture CAS to interoperate with Windows 8.1 devices will allow our consumer goods clients to harness the capabilities of an end-to-end sales platform on their mobile devices, increasing flexibility and efficiency.”

“Accenture CAS on Windows 8.1 will enable consumer goods companies to provide sales teams with the ability to stay connected, collaborate with team members and customers - and perform all necessary functions more securely from mobile devices,” said Doug Caywood, director, Worldwide Consumer Goods at Microsoft Corp. “The interoperation with Microsoft Office delivers the enterprise-grade capabilities clients need to empower a mobile workforce.”

Accenture CAS with Accenture NewsPage is a leading integrated sales platform for the consumer goods industry with a suite of retail execution, trade promotion management and distributor management software, including direct store delivery, field service and trade promotion optimization. Both are part of the Accenture Software portfolio of products.

Accenture CAS is also a key component within Accenture Route to Market Services, a business service that helps companies increase sales and margins through an end-to-end offering of management consulting, technology, and business process outsourcing that improves interactions with customers, channels, and consumers through innovative analytical, multi-channel and operational capabilities.

About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 319,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$30.0 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2014. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

Accenture Software combines deep technology acumen with industry knowledge to develop differentiated software products. It offers innovative software-based solutions to enable organizations to meet their business goals and achieve high performance. Its home page iswww.accenture.com/software.
 

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Zurich Insurance PLC Deploys Accenture Duck Creek Policy for Core Processing of Multiple Lines of Business in the UK

From Accenture:

January 12, 2015

Zurich Insurance PLC Deploys Accenture Duck Creek Policy for Core Processing of Multiple Lines of Business in the UK

New software supports seven property and casualty lines of business, increasing speed of product development and deployment

NEW YORK; Jan. 12, 2015 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) announced that Accenture Duck Creek Policy is now in production at global insurer Zurich, supporting its general insurance business in the United Kingdom. The new system will enable Zurich to streamline processes and deploy insurance products faster, assisting the insurer’s efforts to more efficiently manage its business as it continues to expand its offering within the small and medium enterprise (SME) insurance marketplace. Duck Creek Policy is powering ZTrade, a new trading platform that delivers new products, pricing and self-service all from one place. Details about Zurich’s ZTrade platform can be viewed at http://www.tradeupwithztrade.co.uk/about-ztrade.php.

Accenture Duck Creek Policy supports the complete policy lifecycle for seven of Zurich’s lines of business with additional lines to be added over the coming months. Implementation of the software was managed by Syntel, a strategic delivery partner for Accenture Duck Creek software.

“We needed a system that would help us differentiate our insurance proposition in the market and Accenture Duck Creek had the best product definition and rating engine,” Adam Warwick, Director Business Change and IT at Zurich UK General Insurance. “With this software, we have used the ability to configure the platform to deliver unique features of our own design, which is a significant benefit and will help us to continue to provide better customer service as we grow our SME business.”

“Zurich is focused on expanding its presence and our software offers the flexibility and scalability to meet their business demands now and in the future,” said Michael A. Jackowski, global managing director of Accenture Duck Creek. “It is designed to provide the rapid response needed to develop and deploy products and to define workflows that will improve operational efficiency and the sales distribution channel.”

Accenture Duck Creek Policy is one of the core components in the suite of software that also includes rating, billing, and claims solutions. Each component can be implemented independently or combined for an integrated approach to manage all aspects of the P&C insurance lifecycle.

About Zurich
Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich) is a leading multi-line insurer that serves its customers in global and local markets. With more than 55,000 employees, it provides a wide range of general insurance and life insurance products and services. Zurich’s customers include individuals, small businesses, and mid-sized and large companies, including multinational corporations, in more than 170 countries. The Group is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, where it was founded in 1872. The holding company, Zurich Insurance Group Ltd (ZURN), is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and has a level I American Depositary Receipt (ZURVY) program, which is traded over-the-counter on OTCQX. Further information about Zurich is available at www.zurich.com.

*Zurich’s UK Life business is operated primarily through two entities: Zurich Assurance Ltd and Sterling ISA Managers Ltd. Zurich Assurance Ltd is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Sterling ISA Managers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 319,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$30.0 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2014. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

Accenture Duck Creek is a software suite offering comprehensive, full-featured property & casualty insurance software and SaaS solutions. Its configurable solutions are designed to work as a full end-to-end suite or as individual standalone components that adapt quickly and seamlessly to handle the unique needs of insurers of all sizes. Duck Creek software enables carriers to make better decisions in a real-time environment, streamline operations and improve their level of customer service. For more information, visitwww.accenture.com/duckcreek.

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HK Express Implements Navitaire for Passenger Reservation Services to Help Increase Revenues

From Accenture:

January 11, 2015

HK Express Implements Navitaire for Passenger Reservation Services to Help Increase Revenues

New technology supports carrier’s vision of efficient and low-cost travel

MINNEAPOLIS and HONG KONG; Jan 11, 2015 –  HK Express, Hong Kong’s only dedicated low-fare airline, has successfully implemented Navitaire’s hosted New Skies^® passenger reservation and SkyLedger^® revenue accounting services.

HK Express chose Navitaire's solutions to help drive revenue growth and enhance customer service across its network of 15 destinations throughout Asia. Navitaire’s integrated systems will provide HK Express with a flexible platform to help differentiate its services and boost profitability through tailored up-sell and cross-sell opportunities. The carrier selected Navitaire for its advanced technology platform and experience in providing passenger services to many of the leading global hybrid carriers and low-cost carriers (LCC).

Navitaire is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Accenture (NYSE: ACN) that provides technology and business solutions to the airline, high-speed rail and bus industries.

“Converting a full-service airline into an LCC has doubled our passenger traffic, tripled routes and cut costs by a third in the past year,” said Luke Lovegrove, commercial director, HK Express. “Adopting Navitaire’s industry-leading platform and complimentary solutions will enable us to continue to achieve our revenue-generation strategies, support expansion growth to 30 destinations by 2015 and offer consistently affordable fares that makes air travel accessible to more people.”

Navitaire’s New Skies reservations system is a comprehensive airline passenger sales and management solution providing integrated Internet sales, mobile booking and check-in, ancillary revenue generation, airport check-in and streamlined boarding processes, departure control and real-time reporting capabilities. The modular system is designed to serve all airline business models by offering broad industry connectivity to global travel agency systems, inter-airline and alliance code-share services and customer self-service integration.

HK Express has experienced tremendous growth since its transformation to an LCC in October 2013 and plans to add up to 25 aircraft by 2018. Within one year of its transformation, more than 1 million passengers have flown HK Express. With these high growth rates, HK Express chose the highly scalable Navitaire platform to support its expansion plans and help increase its revenue and profitability.

“HK Express is well poised to tap strong demand in this vibrant region, and we’re pleased they have selected our technology to help them take full advantage of this opportunity,” said David P. Evans, Navitaire chief executive officer. “Our integrated solutions will help HK Express become a high-performance airline ready to move the industry forward, particularly in the area of generating incremental revenue from new ancillary services tailored to their customers.”
 
About HK Express 
HK Express is Hong Kong’s one-and-only dedicated low-fare airline. By focusing on safety, low fares and best-in-class on-time performances, HK Express is revolutionizing air travel in Hong Kong and Asia. Currently HK Express flies to 15 popular destinations throughout Asia, with a commitment to opening more exciting routes in the future.

About Navitaire
Navitaire (www.navitaire.com) delivers industry-leading technology services supporting growth, profitability and innovation to more than 50 airlines and rail companies worldwide, including many of the world’s most successful airlines. Navitaire offers a full suite of proven solutions focused on revenue generation and streamlining costs in the areas of reservations, ancillary sales, loyalty, revenue management, revenue accounting and business intelligence. A wholly owned subsidiary of Accenture, Navitaire has offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia
 

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Independent Insurance Agents not Immune to Digital Disruption, According to Accenture Report

From Accenture:

January 06, 2015

Independent Insurance Agents not Immune to Digital Disruption, According to Accenture Report

New York, Jan. 6, 2015 – Changing consumer behaviors, new technologies and the evolving competitive landscape may disrupt independent agents’ traditional strengths in customer service and risk management, according to a new report by Accenture.

The report is based on a survey of over 1,100 U.S. independent property and casualty (P&C) insurance agents, who were asked to rate the relative importance of a wide range of issues, from growth strategies and value drivers to operational competencies.

The agents who were surveyed saw the increase of insurance carriers’ direct sales via the online channel as a serious competitive threat, with 39 percent of respondents citing such direct solutions as their greatest source of competition. Nearly three-quarters (71 percent) of the agents said that threat took the form of lower prices, while 48 percent saw better brand recognition and more effective marketing as key elements of the competitive threat.

When asked about the most important digital capabilities, “web-based service and claims” were rated the highest by agents, followed by “web-based quoting.” Survey respondents placed a relatively low priority on mobile and social media capabilities.

“Changing consumer behavior and the continued rise of the direct channel are threatening agents’ dominance of insurance distribution,” said Erik Sandquist, managing director for Accenture Distribution and Marketing Services in North America. “So are new insurance players - with new distribution models - that are making a determined effort to entice customers away from agents. Leading independent agents will take advantage of innovative digital technologies and big data analytics to develop greater customer knowledge and insights, improve their ability to reach their target markets, and deliver a superior customer experience.”

Independent agents torn between keeping customers and growing their business
The survey indicates that agents place a higher priority on keeping and servicing existing customers than on finding new business. When asked to rate the most critical operational competencies, agents put “retaining customers” at the top of the list, followed by “servicing customers;” “attracting new customers” was ranked only third.

In rating information available to independent agents, the agents placed the highest value on insights into existing customers, while qualified lead lists were ranked last on the list. However, when agents were asked what they would do with more staff, finding new business rated highest among priorities, followed closely by cross-selling and up-selling new business.

“Independent agents, as a group, carry enormous weight within the P&C insurance business, representing more than half of total premiums written in the industry,” said Michael Lyman, global senior managing director for Insurance within Accenture Strategy. “It is understandable that they are focused on keeping existing customers, especially in light of capital constraints that make it challenging for most agencies to add sales capabilities to grow their business. New technologies can make agency operations more efficient, but they can also be used to create new digitally driven market opportunities to boost reach to new customers. The question is how to make these technologies both affordable and easy for agencies to use.”

Independent agents downplay their ability to provide differentiated advice while consumers value them for such services
Despite their strong focus on customers, agents downplayed their ability to provide differentiated and superior advisory services as a competitive advantage. Access to competitive products, improved customer experience and better brand recognition were viewed as more important sources of competitive advantage than the superior advisory services they could offer to their customers.

“According to a recent personal lines consumer survey we conducted, independent agents have been surpassed by insurance company websites and web search engines as consumers’ preferred source of information about insurance products and prices,” said Erik Sandquist. “However, insurance consumers trust the advice provided by independent agents more than any other source. Independent agents are well positioned to understand customer needs, provide risk management advice, and recommend personalized and tailored solutions. Serving as an effective risk manager will increasingly require insights derived from the Internet of Things and big data.”

Mutualizing investments to access additional capabilities is an option that agents need to investigate
The report also indicates that many independent agents join others in an association, alliance or cluster, but while small businesses in other industries may do this to bolster their limited resources or to meet and network with peers, insurance agents’ goals are principally to enhance access to carriers and to increase their commission. Membership in these groups gives agents greater power to negotiate with carriers than they would have on their own, and the survey reveals that this is more important to them than support in operational areas such as marketing, agency management systems, technology and 24/7 call centers.

“Agents need additional capabilities to compete in the future as confirmed by our survey,” said Michael Lyman. “It is also clear that they are not seeking to develop these capabilities with the help of industry associations, nor to adopt them from carriers. By sharing investments, independent agents can benefit from economies of scale and cost-efficiently access a broad set of core operational capabilities such as agency management systems, customer management solutions and digital technologies, which could help them both improve efficiencies and take share from online competitors with more effective digital channels of their own.”

Methodology
Accenture surveyed 1,158 independent agents in the U.S. in mid-2014. The data was collected and analyzed using TrueChoice Solutions’ patented real-time preference analytics platform. The survey explored a wide range of issues, from growth strategies and value drivers to operational competencies and customer insights. It explored independent agents’ views on their business relationships, operations and preferences across 12 priority areas. These priority areas covered 85 individual elements that were ranked in order of preference.

About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 319,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$30.0 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2014. Its home page is www.accenture.com
 

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Accenture Ports Center of Excellence Launched to Help Terminal Operators Improve Processes, Management, Operations In a Volatile Economic Environment

From Accenture:

January 05, 2015

Accenture Ports Center of Excellence Launched to Help Terminal Operators Improve Processes, Management, Operations In a Volatile Economic Environment

Center supports implementation and running of Navis N4 terminal operating system at Modern Terminals Limited

HONG KONG; Jan. 6, 2015 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has launched a Ports Center of Excellence in Hong Kong which is focused on providing terminal operators with process excellence and technology implementation for performance management, operations management and enterprise management.

Industry specialists at the Accenture Ports Center of Excellence are implementing Accenture Port Solutions (APS), a portfolio of industry-specific technology solutions combined with business consulting and outsourcing services, to help clients create the business analytics capability, operations flexibility and resilience required to cope with the short and volatile economic cycles in the ports industry.

“Our Ports Center of Excellence supports our clients who are operating in a highly dynamic economic environment which requires improved operational efficiency and the ability to collaborate with a range of organizations across the global supply chain to meet the changing needs of customers,” said Eric Schaeffer, global managing director of Accenture’s Automotive, Industrial Equipment, Infrastructure and Transportation practice.

The Accenture Ports Center of Excellence was at the heart of teamwork and collaboration with Modern Terminals Limited (MTL) in the design, implementation and ongoing support of a new terminal operating system on the Navis N4 terminal operating system (TOS) platform. This leading container terminal operator handles approximately 5.5 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent unit) annually. MTL’s legacy TOS had approached its system capacity limit.  By moving to N4, MTL’s operation is running on a sustainable technology infrastructure adhering to international standards, supporting MTL’s long-term growth strategy.

“This was a large and complex implementation that required hard work and dedication of the joint Modern Terminals, Accenture and Navis teams,” said Anders Dommestrup, COO, MTL. “We look forward to continuing to work with Accenture as MTL continues enhancing productivity and efficiency to benefit our customers and the wider port community in Hong Kong.”

Ports clients are also able to benefit from help desk, application development, maintenance and support, as well as infrastructure services, including systems management, storage management, disaster recovery and managed hosting at the Accenture Ports Center of Excellence. Clients can also benefit from a range of training capabilities that span process, functional and technology expertise.

“Accenture’s Ports Center of Excellence offers scalability to customers by drawing on a dedicated and functionally-trained team based at Accenture’s Delivery Center in Guangzhou, China,” said Fox Chu, managing director of Accenture’s Ports practice. “As we serve our ports clients, we will also use the Accenture Ports Center of Excellence to develop a range of new assets.”

About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 319,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$30.0 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2014. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

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Most Consumers Encounter Challenges Using New Types of High Tech Devices, Accenture Survey Finds

From Accenture:

January 05, 2015

Most Consumers Encounter Challenges Using
New Types of High Tech Devices, Accenture Survey Finds

NEW YORK; Jan. 5, 2015 – Most consumers experience challenges using several new types of smart high tech devices, according to a new report from Accenture titled Engaging the Digital Consumer in the New Connected World.

Overall, 83 percent report various problems when they use new device types such as wearable fitness monitors, smart watches, smart home thermostats, in-vehicle entertainment systems, home connected surveillance cameras and security systems, and wearable health products.

The biggest challenges consumers face are that the smart devices are “too complicated to use” (21 percent), “set-up did not proceed properly” (19 percent), and “did not work as advertised” (19 percent).

“For these new connected device categories, high tech companies need to go back to the drawing board and rethink their product development approaches to focus on the entire customer experience,” said Sami Luukkonen, managing director for Accenture’s Electronics and High Tech group. “They should make fundamental strategic changes that no longer focus on product feature differentiation but rather holistic, digital experience differentiation.”

Across all age groups and geographic regions surveyed, 33 percent cited “ease of use” as the most important criteria when deciding which of these products to buy. Twenty-nine percent said “product features and functionalities” are important. And 22 percent said the same about buying “a trusted brand.”

Purchase intent for new categories in short and long term
While respondents revealed relatively modest purchase intentions over the next 12 months across the newer high tech device categories, their purchase plans are much more robust over a five-year period.

Over the next 12 months, for example, 12 percent of consumers plan to buy a wearable fitness monitor. However, within five years 40 percent plan to do so. Within one year, 12 percent intend to buy a smartwatch, whereas 41 percent plan to do so within five years.

Other categories with strong purchase interest over the next five years include home connected surveillance cameras and security systems at 41 percent, smart thermostats at 39 percent, connected car entertainment systems at 37 percent, and home 3D printers and wearable heads-up display glasses at 35 percent each.

Slowing pace of growth in traditional device categories
After several years of rapid growth, the survey revealed purchase intentions are trending downward in several major and more traditional high tech product categories. From 2014 to 2015, the percentage of respondents who plan to purchase dropped for nine of the 13 product categories surveyed, including smartphones, tablets, laptop computers, HDTVs and desktop computers.

For example, while 54 percent intend to buy a smartphone in the next year, this was a four-point drop from 58 percent last year. Another notable decline was in tablets, where 38 percent intend to buy one in the next year, versus 44 percent last year. Similarly, 36 percent intend to buy a high-definition TV, an eight-point drop from 44 percent last year.

“As consumers’ purchasing plans decline for mature device categories, high tech companies need to replace lost revenues with sales in new categories such as wearable health and fitness monitors,” added Luukkonen. “These categories are prime examples of the expanding Internet of Things market, which will be a critical high tech growth engine for many years to come.”

Accenture views the Internet of Things as the convergence of intelligent products and services that communicate with each other, and with people, over global networks.

Digital distrust
The survey found that trust is a big concern for consumers. More than half (54 percent) are not always confident about the security on the Internet of their personal data, such as email addresses, mobile phone numbers, and purchasing history. In addition, the percentage of people who are “not confident at all that the security of my personal data is protected on the Internet, so I never share information this way” rose from 7 percent last year to 10 percent this year.

Brand is key factor in smartphone purchasing
A positive feeling about a company’s brand is a key selection criterion when consumers purchase new devices—and the top criteria when they select a new smartphone. When asked to provide major reasons they are thinking of buying a particular smartphone, 49 percent said “I like this brand” and 32 percent indicated “I already own devices from the same brand” or “the design, look and feel of the device.” Other important factors included “it runs the operating system I like” at 27 percent, and “superior battery or screen” at 20 percent.

Methodology
The survey was conducted online in October and November 2014, with 24,000 consumers in 24 countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States.

The sample size in each country was representative of the online population, with respondents ranging in age from 14 to 55 and over. The survey polled respondents about their usage, attitudes and expectations related to digital device ownership, content consumption, broadband constraints, digital trust and the Internet of Things.

About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 319,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$30.0 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2014. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

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Accenture Awarded Five-year Contract to Continue Successful HealthCare.gov Work

From Accenture:

December 29, 2014

Accenture Awarded Five-year Contract to Continue Successful HealthCare.gov Work

ARLINGTON, Va.; Dec. 29, 2014 – The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it has selected Accenture Federal Services for a five-year, $563 million contract to continue Accenture’s successful work on the Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM) in support of the overall Health Insurance Marketplace website HealthCare.gov.

“We appreciate CMS’ recognition of our hard work and solid results we delivered over the last year to improve HealthCare.gov. We see this new contract as a strong vote of confidence in Accenture’s ability to continue assisting CMS in building and maintaining the site that has allowed millions of Americans to gain access to healthcare insurance,” David Moskovitz, Chief Executive, Accenture Federal Services said.

“Accenture has been an essential member of our team as we focused on delivering a positive consumer experience through HealthCare.gov.  We are pleased that Accenture will continue to support HealthCare.gov, as we work together to help millions of Americans sign up for quality, affordable health insurance,” said Marilyn Tavenner, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Accenture delivered technology solutions and systems to support this year’s enrollment, expand outreach to issuers and support the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP), including: 

• Completing all transition activities in an accelerated timeline
• Executing  architecture changes to increase capacity
• Implementing usability improvements and re-enrollment capability to support the 2015 enrollment period

In January, CMS announced it had awarded Accenture a letter contract for the initial phase of work on the FFM, to include 24/7 support of the Marketplace application, eligibility and enrollment functions, and the generation and transition of enrollment forms. Accenture mobilized more than 500 people in six weeks to develop and execute the work identified in the letter contract and to assist CMS in defining the work necessary to enhance Healthcare.gov.

As the 2014 enrollment period closed successfully with Accenture’s support, work began to prepare for the 2015 enrollment. Accenture focused on simplifying the process for issuers to update plans, and implemented tools and processes to expedite the resolution of citizen inquiries.  At the same time, Accenture worked with CMS to find new ways to streamline and improve the customer experience. CMS later expanded Accenture’s scope of work to include enhancements and additional functionality of the FFM, the SHOP and state-based exchange transitions.  All of these efforts helped create a successful launch of the 2015 Open Enrollment season that continues through February 15, 2015.

“Our work in all of these areas will continue under the new contract, as we continuously enhance the capability supporting citizens, issuers and CMS – focused on simplifying and streamlining the customer experience,” said Matt Tait, the senior managing director who leads Accenture’s work on the project.

Accenture Federal Services is a U.S. company, with offices in Arlington, Va., and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Accenture LLP. Accenture’s federal business has served every cabinet-level department and 30 of the largest federal organizations with clients at defense, intelligence, public safety and civilian agencies.

Learn more about Accenture’s work with federal agencies and Delivering Public Service for the Future.
 

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About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 319,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries.  Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments.  The company generated net revenues of US$30.0 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2014.  Its home page is www.accenture.com. 

Accenture to Expand Clinical and Regulatory Information Management Services and Software Capabilities with Agreement to Acquire Octagon Research Solutions

Press release:

August 02, 2012

Accenture to Expand Clinical and Regulatory Information Management Services and Software Capabilities with Agreement to Acquire Octagon Research Solutions 

Accenture positioned to provide full service BPO regulatory services for the pharmaceutical industry

 

NEW YORK; Aug. 2, 2012 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has entered into an agreement to acquire Octagon Research Solutions, Inc., a provider of clinical and regulatory information management solutions and software for the pharmaceutical industry. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. 

 

The acquisition will enhance Accenture's ability to help its pharmaceutical clients achieve more efficient global regulatory submissions that will enable them to get medicines to market more quickly, safely and at a lower cost.   Accenture's capabilities will be expanded to include comprehensive clinical and regulatory services - from clinical data collection to regulatory submissions management.  Accenture also will extend its business process outsourcing (BPO) services portfolio targeting the pharmaceutical industry.

 

Octagon's 380-member staff has deep experience in clinical data services and regulatory submissions, with 400 original applications completed, and the company is the fifth largest user of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) electronic submission gateway.  Octagon is a recognized provider for the FDA in establishing clinical data conversion and training standards and has deep knowledge of regulatory affairs combined with well established relationships developed by partnering with regulatory authorities.  Octagon will be fully integrated into Accenture's Life Sciences industry group.

 

"We believe that the timing is perfect for this acquisition as our clients are increasingly under pressure to reduce the drug development and approval timelines to get products to market more quickly, safely and cost effectively," said David Boath, North American managing director for Accenture's Life Sciences industry group.  "Our clients have an urgent need to focus resources on the scientific breakthroughs and also to improve the efficiency of their clinical and regulatory operations. Octagon's capabilities and experience will enable Accenture to provide comprehensive services spanning regulatory operations, submissions management, clinical data conversion and clinical data management.  The acquisition will enable Accenture to offer what we view as the industry's first comprehensive regulatory services solution with a global footprint."

 

According to James C. Walker, Octagon's chairman and CEO, "Octagon and Accenture will bring together a powerful combination of industry expertise and global capabilities that will help pharmaceutical companies achieve sustainable drug development models and get products to market more quickly and at lower cost. Octagon has completed tens of thousands of regulatory submissions in countries around the world.  The acquisition will strengthen our longstanding commitment to the pharmaceutical industry and provide clients with a comprehensive, global regulatory service that will deliver tangible business value."

 

Octagon is headquartered in Wayne, Pa., and maintains additional U.S. and international operations in Mountain View, Calif.; London; and Bangalore, India.  

 

The acquisition is subject to closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals, and is expected to close within 60 days.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 249,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries.  Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world's most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments.  The company generated net revenues of US$25.5 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2011.  Its home page is www.accenture.com.

 

About Octagon Research Solutions, Inc.

Octagon Research Solutions is the world leader in clinical and regulatory information management solutions to the life sciences industry. Through an integrated suite of outsourced services, strategic consulting, and innovative technology, Octagon optimizes the entire drug development lifecycle - from clinical data collection to regulatory submission. Founded in 1999, Octagon has served over 350 clients on three continents, including global pharmaceutical brand leaders and emerging start-ups. The company is headquartered in Wayne, PA, and maintains additional U.S. and international operations in Mountain View, CA, London, United Kingdom, and Bangalore, India.

Accenture Positioned in the “Leaders” Quadrant of Leading Industry Analyst Firm’s Magic Quadrant for SAP Implementation Service Providers

Press release:

July 27, 2012

Accenture Positioned in the “Leaders” Quadrant of Leading Industry Analyst Firm’s

Magic Quadrant for SAP Implementation Service Providers

 

NEW YORK; July 27, 2012 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has been positioned in the “Leaders” quadrant in Gartner Inc.’s recently published “Magic Quadrant for SAP Implementation Service Providers, North America.”¹

 

Gartner assessed 20 of the leading service providers for the Magic Quadrant, which focused on the implementation services of SAP® solutions for each company across consulting, system integration and implementation in North America.

 

“We believe Accenture’s positioning as a leader in this Magic Quadrant is a reflection of our unrivaled combination of broad industry knowledge, superior skills and expertise with SAP solutions, and unsurpassed delivery capabilities for the core SAP ERP application as well as highly strategic areas such as analytics on the SAP HANA® platform, cloud and mobility technologies,” said Mark Willford, global managing director of SAP business for Accenture. “We continue to invest in our North America business for SAP solutions including sharpening our industry focus and adding more capabilities. Our passion is to keep developing innovative new solutions that deliver real value for our clients.”

 

The Gartner Magic Quadrant evaluated each service provider’s comprehensive set of offerings based on SAP solutions, including their ability to provide consulting services for SAP solution-based environments; ability to provide a comprehensive set of system integration and implementation services across SAP applications, products and technologies; and ability to service multiple industries.

 

¹ Gartner, Inc. “Magic Quadrant for SAP Implementation Service Providers, North America,” by Susan Tan, July 12 2012.  Click here to access the full report.

 

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 249,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$25.5 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2011. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

 

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

 

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Banks and Venture Capital Firms Focus on the Digital Frontier at New York’s 2012 FinTech Innovation Lab Demo Day

Press release:

July 18, 2012

Banks and Venture Capital Firms Focus on the Digital Frontier

at New York’s 2012 FinTech Innovation Lab Demo Day

 

IT innovations include intelligence-grade fraud detection and gaming tools for bank compliance training

 

NEW YORK; July 18, 2012 – ‘Big data’ and analytics took center stage at the second annual FinTech Innovation Lab Demo Day in New York City today, as a select group of entrepreneurs supported by Wall Street leaders and venture capitalists provided a glimpse into the financial industry’s technology innovation and investment priorities. The graduates from this year’s FinTech Innovation Lab who presented included BillGuard, Centrifuge Systems, Digital Reasoning, EidoSearch, True Office and Visible Market.

 

The six entrepreneurs demonstrated their solutions to dozens of financial industry, venture capital and technology executives, following a 12-week mentorship program with executives from the world’s leading banks and venture firms. The Lab was created by the New York City Investment Fund, the economic development arm of the Partnership for New York City, and Accenture (NYSE: ACN) to help sustain and grow New York City’s role as the global leader in financial services and to support job creation in its technology sector. This year’s Demo Day was held at the Credit Suisse headquarters in Manhattan.

 

“New York City has continued to expand its role as the center for financial technology innovation, and the second year of our program has attracted companies from all over the country to our city,” said Maria Gotsch, President & CEO of the New York City Investment Fund. “This year’s class is on the pathway to becoming the next generation of successful financial technology entrepreneurs in New York City. Each has been mentored by top executives in financial services as well as successful financial technology entrepreneurs. The result has been the creation of in-demand commercial products that will have significant impact in the marketplace.”

 

“American Express is pleased to support the FinTech Innovation Lab, which has proven to be an effective vehicle to connect large financial services firms with entrepreneurial technology companies.” said Kenneth I. Chenault, Chairman and CEO, American Express Company and Co-Chairman, Partnership for New York City.   “We are able to support the growth of the next generation of fintech entrepreneurs in New York City, while getting an inside look at cutting edge technology.”

 

The 2012 FinTech Innovation Lab class was selected in March from a large field of early and growth stage companies that applied to participate. The firms were evaluated and advised by chief technology officers from the world's leading financial services firms, including American Express, Bank of America, Barclays, Capital One, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, State Street and UBS. This year’s Lab provided workshops and panels led by top financial and technology industry executives, including American Express Chairman and CEO Kenneth I. Chenault, CA Technologies CEO William E. McCracken and Infor CEO Charles E. Phillips. Participating venture firms included Contour Venture Partners, New York City Investment Fund, Rho Ventures, RRE Ventures, Village Ventures and Warburg Pincus.

 

The Digital Frontier at Center Stage

Today’s demos in New York reflect the financial industry’s growing emphasis on ‘big data’ solutions – managing and deriving value from the terabytes and petabytes of raw, unstructured data that proliferates on social and mobile networks and the vast IT infrastructures of financial institutions.

 

Innovations developed by this year’s class include advanced analytic technologies designed to help banks identify risks and fight financial fraud. Lab participants also developed analytic search tools and mobile applications designed to reduce market ‘information overload’ and help investors better visualize market trends. One participant developed mobile gaming tools for regulatory compliance training to better address the modern needs of the workforce.

 

“The world’s leading financial institutions understand that mastering ‘big data’ is critical to their success,” said Bob Gach, global managing director of Capital Markets at Accenture. “Information is the lifeblood of financial services. As we enter a new age of big data and the proliferation of social and mobile networks, banks will need to leverage emerging analytical technologies and learn from the critical lessons of other industries, such as intelligence and defense. Big data and analytics will play a central role in helping institutions reduce risk, identify growth opportunities and rebuild profits. We’re proud to be part of this knowledge-transfer occurring at the Lab.”

 

According to International Data Corporation (IDC), the market for big data technology and services is expected to grow from $3.2 billion in 2010 to $16.9 billion in 2015. The amount of digital information created globally in 2005 was less than two-tenths of a zettabyte; in 2020 the world is expected to produce more than 34 zettabytes of digital information, according to IDC.

 

2012 FinTech Innovation Lab Participants:

 

• BillGuard is an online bill monitoring and resolution management provider, serving consumers, merchants and the financial services community. Through patent-pending big-data analytics and advanced crowdsourcing techniques, BillGuard alerts debit and credit card holders to deceptive, erroneous and unauthorized charges and facilitates both in-statement P2P knowledge sharing and direct-to-merchant online billing dispute resolution. In 2011, the company was recognized by TechCrunch as the Top New Startup Runner-up worldwide and was most recently inducted into the Online Banking Report Hall of Fame as one of the top online banking innovations of all time.
• Centrifuge enables customers across industries to dramatically improve discovery time and significantly reduce the cost and risk of fraud and security threats.  Centrifuge’s unique approach to big data analytics combines agile data integration, dynamic relationship mapping, and scalable interactive visualizations to reveal hidden patterns and relationships while minimizing the cost of data transformations or expensive data scientists.  Centrifuge patent-pending technology was invented in partnership with the US Intelligence agencies and has been deployed to thousands of analysts to help identify and address security and cyber threats. 
• Digital Reasoning develops and markets solutions that provide ‘automated understanding’ for big data. Digital Reasoning was founded with the vision that software should be able to ‘read’ and understand text as humans do – in context. This vision is realized in the flagship solution Synthesys, an application-ready platform for making sense of unstructured data at scale.  Digital Reasoning currently serves a number of US Government agencies and is applying its technology in the Financial Services sector to protect banks and their customers.
• EidoSearch is a powerful search and discovery tool for financial professionals. In an environment of shifting relationships, it is important to quickly test ideas as they arise. EidoSearch allows financial professionals to generate new trade ideas and discover relationships spontaneously, by using the data itself as the search query. The platform is a SaaS product and integrates with third party software and databases through the EidoSearch API.
• True Office creates data-rich, mobile games that help companies reduce risk and save money, transforming mandatory compliance training into a fun, intelligible and quantifiable experience. Squarely in line with key enterprise trends such as tablet and smartphone usage, mobile apps, cloud services and 'decision' analytics, True Office designs and delivers products for a contemporary, mobile workforce.
• Visible Market's software products deconstruct the blizzard of daily market data via powerful mobile visualization screens. StockTouch, Visible Market’s initial product, is a dynamic, tactile map of the market for iPad, iPhone and Mac. Over 25,000 users spend more than half a million minutes a month on StockTouch. One fluid zoomable interface displays 1,400 companies, enabling users to view markets contextually as they unfold. StockTouch was recognized as the #1 iPad Finance App by Apple’s Rewind 2011.

 

“Barclays is committed to supporting the FinTech Innovation Lab, which is uniquely positioned to foster economic growth and technical innovation for both New York City and financial services,” said Joseph Squeri, Chief Information Officer for Barclays Corporate and Investment Banking, Wealth and Investment Management. “Through the Lab's sponsorship, financial service firms are helping develop jobs and opportunities in New York City so that entrepreneurs can to turn their next great idea into business reality. This year's FinTech Lab participants demonstrate how innovation helps drive local employment and economic development.”

 

“The FinTech Innovation Lab is a great opportunity for us to explore new, ground breaking technologies that will help drive our innovation agenda,” said Monique Shivanandan, Chief Technology Officer, Capital One.  “I look forward to seeing what these entrepreneurs have to offer, and continuing to nurture promising technologies.”

 

“Citi has supported the FinTech Innovation Lab since the program’s inception,” said Steve Randich, Co-Chief Information Officer, Citi and Co-CIO, Institutional Clients Groups. “A program that connects industry leaders with entrepreneurs who push the boundaries through continued innovation is beneficial not just for Citi, but for the entire financial services community.”

 

“Credit Suisse is pleased to support the FinTech Innovation Lab as part of our ongoing strategy to deliver the most technically innovative solutions to our clients,” said Nigel Faulkner, CIO, Investment Banking at Credit Suisse. “We've been very impressed with the products this year's finalists have developed and look forward to working with them further as the program continues to grow. The improved access provided by being local to us here in New York is beneficial and naturally supports New York City's economic development goals.”

 

“Participation on the FinTech Innovation Lab program gives us a unique opportunity to look at promising new technologies and to support its mission of fostering technology innovation in New York City,” said Robert Torop, director, Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc.

 

“The results of this year’s competition leave no doubt that innovation around big data is a serious focus for the financial services industry,” said JPMorgan Chase Chief Information Officer Guy Chiarello. “The ideas presented by this group of participants offer a window into technology innovation for big data and analytics that will help firms find the value in the huge amounts of data they work with on a daily basis.”

 

“Morgan Stanley is proud to participate in the FinTech Innovation Lab and continue our long standing commitment to innovation in financial technologies,” said Stephen Sparkes, CIO for Technology and Information Risk at Morgan Stanley. “We have been impressed by the quality of this exciting program and the companies that it attracts, and we appreciate the opportunity to support leading-edge development in New York City.”

 

“Ensuring that data and analytics are accessible across the enterprise has not only permeated many financial services organizations, but is also challenging the industry to think differently about how we approach IT,” said Chris Perretta, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at State Street. “We are pleased to continue our support for the FinTech Innovation Lab at an exciting juncture for IT professionals in our industry.”

 

“The scale and scope of the changes that ‘big data’ brings about have reached an inflection point,” said UBS Group CTO Andy Brown. “Financial Services companies capture trillions of bytes of information about markets, clients, trades and operations. Several of the companies in this year's FinTech Innovation Lab class enable analysis of information in real time, which presents an opportunity to create unprecedented business advantage, and enables sophisticated questions to be answered quickly, redefining the art of the possible.”

 

“We are delighted to see that the FinTech Innovation Lab is ramping up in New York City and further contributing to the rise of the entrepreneurship and startup culture already well-established within the new media sector,” said Habib Kairouz, managing partner from Rho Capital Partners.  

 

“The FinTech Innovation Lab has been a major contributor to the fast growing entrepreneurial sector in New York,” said James Robinson III, Co-Founder & General Partner, RRE Ventures. “One of its most valuable contributions is connecting senior business and IT managers of large financial organizations with entrepreneurs and their companies. This interaction has led to an iterative process between the two as they match priority needs with product design.”

 

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 249,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries.  Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$25.5 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2011.  Its home page is www.accenture.com.

 

About The New York City Investment Fund

The New York City Investment Fund (www.nycif.org) is the vision of Henry R. Kravis, founding partner of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., who serves as its Founding Chairman. The Investment Fund has raised over $110 million to mobilize the city's world financial and business leaders to help build a stronger and more diversified local economy. It has built a network of top experts from the investment and corporate communities who help identify and support New York City's most promising entrepreneurs in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. The Fund is governed by a Board of Directors co-chaired by Russell L. Carson, General Partner of Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe; and Richard M. Cashin, Managing Partner of One Equity Partners. The Investment Fund is an affiliate of the Partnership for New York City (www.pfnyc.org), an organization of the leaders of New York City's top corporate, investment, and entrepreneurial firms. They work in partnership with city and state government officials, labor groups, and the nonprofit sector to promote the interest of the city and its neighborhoods. The Partnership carries out research, policy formulation, and issue advocacy at the city, state, and federal levels, leveraging the resources and expertise of its CEO and Corporate partners. Partnership companies account for nearly 7 million American jobs and contribute over $740 billion to the national GDP.

 

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Accenture Positioned as a Leader in Worldwide SAP Implementation Ecosystem, According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) MarketScape Report

Press release:

July 17, 2012

Accenture Positioned as a Leader in Worldwide SAP Implementation Ecosystem, According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) MarketScape Report

NEW YORK; July 17, 2012 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) is positioned as a leader in worldwide implementations of SAP® solutions, according to the recently published “IDC MarketScape: Worldwide SAP Implementation Ecosystem 2012 Vendor Analysis.”¹

The IDC MarketScape report evaluated the 12 largest systems integrators for SAP applications with broad portfolios spanning IDC's research coverage and with global scale. The evaluation is based on a comprehensive and rigorous framework that assesses each vendor relative to the criteria and to one another. The framework highlights the factors expected to be the most influential for success in the market in both the short term and the long term.

“Our designation by IDC as a leader in worldwide implementation services for SAP solutions is a powerful testament of our global skills and capabilities in key areas such as cloud, mobility and database technologies, combined with our broad industry knowledge,” said Mark Willford, global managing director of SAP business for Accenture.  “We are particularly focused on developing innovative analytics solutions based on the SAP HANA® platform as more and more clients look to take advantage of the speed and performance offered by in-memory computing. We are committed to maintaining our industry-leading position in support of SAP solutions globally and continuing to build on new platforms like SAP HANA.”

                                                                                                                          

According to the IDC Marketscape, “Accenture is one of the leading implementers and innovators of SAP globally, with a strong practice in large-scale business transformation, business process improvement, value delivery, and application outsourcing. With more than 36,500 SAP practitioners worldwide, Accenture delivers and supports a full range of industry-specific business services for large-scale implementations that span multiple solutions including Core ERP, lines of business (SCM, HCM, etc.), and emerging technology areas such as analytics, HANA, mobility, and cloud. Accenture's global delivery network, proprietary assets and solutions, and Innovation Centers for SAP deliver solid expertise and high performance to the firm's clients.”

¹ IDC MarketScape: Worldwide SAP Implementation Ecosystem 2012 Vendor Analysis, doc #235682, July 2012

                                                                                     

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 249,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$25.5 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2011. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

  

About IDC MarketScape
IDC MarketScape vendor analysis model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of ICT (information and communications technology) suppliers in a given market. The research methodology utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each vendor’s position within a given market. IDC MarketScape provides a clear framework in which the product and service offerings, capabilities and strategies, and current and future market success factors of IT and telecommunications vendors can be meaningfully compared. The framework also provides technology buyers with a 360-degree assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of current and prospective vendors.

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Microsoft Recognizes Accenture and Avanade with Three 2012 Partner of the Year Awards

Press release:

July 11, 2012

Microsoft Recognizes Accenture and Avanade with Three 2012 Partner of the Year Awards

 

NEW YORK: July 11, 2012 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN), a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, and Avanade, a business technology solutions and managed services provider, have been honored with three Microsoft Partner of the Year awards for 2012. Together the companies have earned more Microsoft partner awards worldwide than any other company to date. Recognitions for 2012 include:

 

• Alliance Partner of the Year – Application Platform
• Mobility Partner of the Year
• France – Country Partner of the Year

 

“We’re pleased that Accenture and Avanade have once again been honored with Microsoft partner of the year awards in recognition of our ability to deliver outstanding results for clients on the Microsoft platform,” said Scott Harrison, global lead for Accenture’s Microsoft alliance. “Our consistent showing in these awards year after year is clear evidence of the joint commitment by our two companies to delivering business value and outcomes for our clients around the world.”

 

“Technology advancements in cloud computing and mobility are transforming the enterprise to help improve agility, lower costs and adapt to a changing workplace,” said Ian Jordan, Avanade executive vice president for sales, marketing and alliances. “Recognition by Microsoft in game-changing technology areas underscores our Microsoft leadership in delivering innovation that drives results for our customers.”

 

“Microsoft is pleased to recognize Accenture/Avanade as the Alliance Application Platform Partner of the Year and Mobility Partner of the Year. Together, Accenture and Avanade provide leading mission-critical application platform solutions for today’s enterprises,” said Mark Hill, Vice President, Enterprise Partners, Microsoft Corporation. “Accenture’s deep industry expertise combined with Avanade’s stellar technical skills for the Microsoft platform offer a complete end-to-end solution for our mutual customers.”

 

Accenture and Avanade have been jointly recognized for winning in the following award categories:  

 

Alliance Partner of the Year – Application PlatformAccenture and Avanade received the Alliance Partner of the Year – Application Platform award for their demonstrated leadership in driving Microsoft-based application platform solutions to enterprise customers that best integrate the infrastructure, database, business logic, user experience and server management layers for on-premises or cloud-based mission critical applications.

 

Mobility Partner of the Year

The two companies were jointly recognized with the Mobility Partner of the Year Award for their proven ability to deploy, integrate and support breakthrough solutions that help accelerate clients’ business cycles, increase productivity, reduce operating costs, and extend their infrastructures with the Windows Phone platform.

 

Country Partner of the Year – FranceAccenture and Avanade’s France business was honored with the Country Partner of the Year award for demonstrated business excellence in delivering Microsoft solutions to customers and for driving customer satisfaction and innovation.

 

In addition, Accenture and Avanade were also selected as finalists in the following categories, making them the most recognized partner across technical, civic, and geographic categories for 2012.

 

• Citizenship Partner of the Year - Opportunities for Youth
• Dynamics CRM Partner of the Year
• Dynamics Public Sector Partner of the Year
• Microsoft Office 365 Innovation Partner of the Year
• Sustainability Partner of the Year
• Windows Azure SI Partner of the Year

 

The recipients of the 2012 Microsoft Partner of the Year awards were recognized at this year’s Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, held July 8-12 in Toronto, Ontario Canada. More information can be found at: http://www.digitalwpc.com/Pages/Home.aspx#fbid=eTdrPfzErPf

 

About Avanade

Avanade provides business technology services that connect insight, innovation and expertise in Microsoft technologies to help customers realize results. Avanade’s services and solutions help improve performance, productivity and sales for organizations in all industries. The company applies Microsoft expertise from its global network of consultants, drawing on the right mix of onshore, offshore and nearshore skills, which together are designed to help deliver results faster, at lower cost and with less risk. Avanade, which is majority owned by Accenture, was founded in 2000 by Accenture and Microsoft Corporation and serves customers in more than 20 countries worldwide with more than 15,000 professionals. Additional information can be found at www.avanade.com.

 

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 249,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$21.6 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2010. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

 

Avanade and the Avanade logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Avanade Inc. Other product, service, or company names mentioned herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

 

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Legacy Systems Preventing One in Four UK Businesses from Achieving Agile IT Benefits, Accenture Research Finds

Press release:

July 11, 2012

Legacy Systems Preventing One in Four UK Businesses from Achieving Agile IT Benefits, Accenture Research Finds

 

Survey of UK executives reveals nearly one quarter of IT budgets over next two years will be spent maintaining legacy systems

 

LONDON; July 11, 2012 – More than one in four (27 percent) UK businesses are unable to take advantage of new agile infrastructure that can scale their IT function to meet the evolving needs of their organisations, because they are constrained by existing legacy systems, according to a new study released today by Accenture (NYSE: ACN).

 

The ‘Agile IT’ research is based on a study of 500 technology and business executives in the United Kingdom (UK) with responsibility for managing revenues and cost in their organisation.  Agile IT – the ability to scale up and down IT resources rapidly to meet changing user and customer needs, reduce costs and help bring new products and services to the market through faster access to variable computing resources – could save businesses nearly one-third of their IT costs, according to a majority (75 percent) of the executives surveyed.

 

The research shows that legacy systems are causing a number of cost and flexibility issues, as businesses face challenges in managing the agility of new cloud solutions versus the rigidity of core legacy infrastructure and applications.  Almost half (45 percent) of respondents said that they need to modernize or replace legacy systems which are impediments to rapidly and flexibly meeting changing user or customer needs.  Other highlights included:

 

• Over one-third (35 percent) of those polled said that they are being held back by current infrastructure, despite the fact that they see ‘cloud computing as a great move’ and thus likely to improve IT productivity
• More than half (66 percent) of technology executives forecast that up to 30 percent of their IT budget is expected to support legacy systems over the next two years 
• Four-fifths (80 percent) of organisations revealed that that they do not have a fully developed application retirement roadmap, an essential ingredient for successfully moving to agile IT

 

“CIOs and other technology executives face tough questions about what to do with their legacy infrastructure and software applications portfolio,” said Stephen Nunn, managing director, Infrastructure Consulting Group, Accenture.  “IT executives seeking to accelerate their journey to a more agile IT environment need to work closely with their business counterparts to determine whether to sustain, consolidate, modernise, or retire each application that supports a core business function.  Conducting an application rationalisation exercise based on the usual criteria but also specific agile IT principles and suitability for cloud technology will identify the best course of action and enable the benefits of agile IT to be realised.”

 

Drivers for Agile IT investment

Organisations looking to deploy agile IT solutions were clear about what the main drivers for their businesses would be:

 

• Over half of executives said that they felt transforming fixed IT infrastructure and operational investments could bring improved IT flexibility (55 percent) and better align IT (52 percent) with real business needs within their organisation
• Executives also said that transforming fixed IT infrastructure into new agile environments could bring about higher IT utilisation and knowledge work productivity (50 percent)
• Better IT engagement (52 percent) to respond to changing business demands and reduced IT costs (also 52 percent) for the business were identified by executives as the main drivers for increased speed and agility in IT

 

Nunn concluded, “Agile IT can transform how business is done by making it easier for knowledge workers to access the information they need, when they need it, and to collaborate more effectively with others both inside and outside the organisation.  CIOs looking to capitalise on the benefits should prepare for a transition to a new agile IT infrastructure by implementing a governance process and an application roadmap for modernising legacy IT.  This will enable them to integrate new solutions more rapidly and gain the ability to ‘plug-and-play’ their core software functions.”

 

About the Research

In November 2011, Accenture conducted the ‘Agile IT’ research to assess UK business readiness, challenges and attitudes towards agility in IT infrastructure, required to scale up and down IT resources to meet changing user and customer needs.  Researchers interviewed 250 technology (50 percent) and 250 business (50 percent) executives in organisations with more than 1,000 employees from five major industry sectors; Financial Services, Communications & Hi-Tech, Public Services, Products, and Resources.  All interviews were conducted with executives with P&L responsibility within their organisation, with technology executives in CIOs/Heads of IT Infrastructure functions (50 percent), and business executives from Heads of Business (22 percent), Sales and/or Marketing Units (20 percent) and other operational functions including HR and Finance (9 percent). 

 

To access the Accenture Agile IT research report findings please click here.

 

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 249,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries.  Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments.  The company generated net revenues of US$25.5 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2011.  Its home page is www.accenture.com.

 

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