Accenture

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Accenture PLC

Type Public

Traded as NYSE: ACN (Class A)

S&P 100 component
S&P 500 component

Industry Professional services

Technology services

Founded 1989; 29 years ago

Headquarters Incorporated headquarters in Dublin, Ireland

Area served Worldwide

Key people Pierre Nanterme

(Chairman & CEO)[1][2]

Services Strategy, Consulting, Digital, Technology, Operations,

Services and Solutions[3]

Revenue US$34.85 billion (2017)[4]

Operating US$4.63 billion (2017)[4]

income

Net income US$3.44 billion (2017)[4]

 Total assets US$22.68 billion (2017)[4]

Total equity US$8.94 billion (2017)[4]

Number of 425,000 (2017)[5]

employees

Website www.accenture.com

Accenture PLC is a global management consulting and professional services company that
provides strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations services. A Fortune Global
500 company,[6] it has been incorporated in Dublin, Ireland, since 1 September 2009. In 2017, the
company reported net revenues of $34.9 billion, with more than 425,000 employees[7] serving clients
in more than 200 cities in 120 countries.[8] In 2015, the company had about 130,000 employees
in India, about 48,000 in the US,[9] and about 50,000 in the Philippines.[10] On 29 August 2017, Apple
Inc. announced a partnership with Accenture to create iOS business solutions.[11]Accenture's current
clients include 94 of the Fortune Global 100 and more than three-quarters of the Fortune Global
500.[12]
Accenture common equity is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, under the symbol ACN, and
was added to the S&P 500 index on 5 July 2011.

Contents
[hide]

 1History
o 1.1Formation and early years
o 1.2Split from Arthur Andersen
o 1.3Emergence of Accenture
o 1.4Bermuda headquarters
o 1.5Ireland headquarters
 2Services and operations
 3Marketing, branding and identity
 4Awards
 5See also
 6References
 7External links

History[edit]
Formation and early years[edit]
Accenture began as the business and technology consulting division of accounting firm Arthur
Andersen[13] in the early 1950s when it conducted a feasibility study for General Electric to install a
computer at Appliance Park in Louisville, Kentucky,[14] which led to GE's installation of a UNIVAC
I computer and printer,[15] believed to be the first commercial use of a computer in the U.S.[16] Joseph
Glickauf, an early pioneer of computer consulting, held a position as head of Arthur Andersen's
administrative services division.[14]
Split from Arthur Andersen[edit]
In 1989, Arthur Andersen and Andersen Consulting became separate units of Andersen Worldwide
Société Coopérative (AWSC). Throughout the 1990s, there was increasing tension between
Andersen Consulting and Arthur Andersen. Andersen Consulting was paying Arthur Andersen up to
15% of its profits each year (a provision of the 1989 split was that the more profitable unit – whether
AA or AC – pay the other the 15 percent), while at the same time Arthur Andersen was competing
with Andersen Consulting through its own newly established business consulting service line called
Arthur Andersen Business Consulting (AABC). This dispute came to a head in 1998 when Andersen
Consulting claimed breach of contract against AWSC and Arthur Andersen. Andersen Consulting put
the 15% transfer payment for that year and future years into escrow and issued a claim for breach of
contract. In August 2000, as a result of the conclusion of arbitration with the International Chamber
of Commerce, Andersen Consulting broke all contractual ties with AWSC and Arthur Andersen. As
part of the arbitration settlement, Andersen Consulting paid the sum held in escrow (then
$1.2 billion) to Arthur Andersen, and was required to change its name, resulting in the entity being
renamed Accenture.[17]
Emergence of Accenture[edit]
On 1 January 2001, Andersen Consulting adopted its current name, "Accenture". The word
"Accenture" is supposedly derived from "Accent on the future". The name "Accenture" was submitted
by Kim Petersen, a Danish employee from the company's Oslo, Norway office, as a result of an
internal competition. Accenture felt that the name should represent its will to be a global consulting
leader and high performer, and also intended that the name should not be offensive in any country in
which Accenture operates.[18]

Accenture's banner hanging on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) building for its initial public offering on
19 July 2001.

On 19 July 2001, Accenture’s initial public offering (IPO) was priced at $14.50 per share, and the
shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE); Goldman Sachs and Morgan
Stanley served as its lead underwriters. Accenture stock closed the day at $15.17, with the day's
high at $15.25. On the first day of the IPO, Accenture raised nearly $1.7 billion.[19]
Bermuda headquarters[edit]
In October 2002, the Congressional General Accounting Office (GAO) identified Accenture as one of
four publicly traded federal contractors that were incorporated in a tax haven country.[20] The other
three, unlike Accenture, were incorporated in the United States before they re-incorporated in a tax
haven country, thereby lowering their US taxes. Critics, most notably former CNN journalist Lou
Dobbs,[21] have reported Accenture's decision to incorporate in Bermuda as a US tax avoidance ploy,
because they viewed Accenture as having been a US-based company.[22] The GAO itself did not
characterize Accenture as having been a US-based company; it stated that "prior to incorporating in
Bermuda, Accenture was operating as a series of related partnerships and corporations under the
control of its partners through the mechanism of contracts with a Swiss coordinating entity."[23]
Accenture engaged in a very large and ambitious IT overhaul project for the National Health
Service (NHS) in 2003, making headlines when it withdrew from the contract in 2006 over disputes
related to delays and cost overruns.[24] The government of the United Kingdom ultimately abandoned
the project five years later for the same reasons.[25]
Ireland headquarters[edit]
Accenture announced on 26 May 2009 that its Board of Directors unanimously approved changing
the company’s place of incorporation from Bermuda to Ireland and would become Accenture plc.[26]
Accenture was chosen to replace CGI Group as the lead contractor for HealthCare.gov in January
2014.[27] In December 2014, Accenture won a $563 million contract to provide ongoing maintenance,
software development and technology support for HealthCare.gov through 2019.[28]
In July 2015 the United States Department of Defense awarded a major Electronic Health
Records contract to Cerner, Leidos and Accenture. The contract valued $4.33 billion will serve 55
hospitals and 600 clinics. Accenture federal services and Leidos will play the role of configuration
specialist while Cerner is the prime contractor.[29]

Services and operations[edit]

A worldmap showing the countries where Accenture has operations as of 2016

 Accenture Strategy provides business strategy, technology strategy

and operations strategy services.[30]
 Accenture Consulting provides technology, business and
management consulting.[31]
 Accenture Digital provides digital
marketing, analytics and mobility services.[32]
 Accenture Technology focuses on technology solutions,
implementation, delivery, and research & development, including its
Technology Labs for emerging technologies.[33]
 Accenture Operations focuses on an "as-a-service" model of service
delivery. This includes business process outsourcing, IT
services, cloud services, managed operations, security and
infrastructure services.[34]
The company also operates a "National Security Services" business.[35]

Marketing, branding and identity[edit]

In 2011, Accenture launched a new campaign of results-based ads featuring clients such
as Marriott, Unilever and the Royal Shakespeare Company alongside its slogan “High performance.
Delivered”.[36] As of 2016, Interbrand ranked Accenture No. 37 of its list of best global brands.[37] The
brand consultancy noted Accenture's focus on branding and marketing of its Accenture Strategy,
Accenture Consulting, Accenture Digital, Accenture Technology and Accenture Operations
divisions.[38]
From at least 2005[39] until December 2009, Accenture used Tiger Woods as a celebrity
spokesperson and advertised using the service mark "Go on, be a Tiger" and the ancillary statement
"We know what it takes to be a Tiger" in association with his image. On 13 December 2009 after
details of Woods' extra-marital affairs were exposed, the company terminated Woods' six-year
sponsorship deal.[40]
The company uses a standardised system of branding, with extensive use of the font Graphik.[41]
From 1999, the firm's culture was parodied by the webcomic Bigtime Consulting, operated
pseudonymously by its San Francisco-based employee James Sanchez.[42][43] The comic operated a
store offering merchandise branded with the names 'Bigtime Consulting' and 'Indenture'. Sanchez
left the company in 2000 but continued to operate the comic for some years.[44][45][46]

Awards[edit]
 In 2016, Accenture was ranked No. 289 on the Forbes Global
2000 list.[47]
 In 2016, Accenture was ranked No. 312 on the Fortune Global
500 list.[48]
 In 2016, the firm was named 15th in the Top 50 Companies for
Diversity by DiversityInc.[49]
 CR Magazine named Accenture No. 14 in its top 100 Best
Corporate Citizens list for 2016.[50]
 In 2017, the Ethisphere Institute named Accenture one of the
world's most ethical companies for the 10th time.[51]
 Fortune named Accenture one of the top 100 companies to work for
from 2009 to 2017.[52]
 In 2017, Accenture was ranked No. 272 on the Forbes Global
2000 list.[53]
 In 2017, Accenture was ranked No. 305 on the Fortune Global
500 list.[54]
 In 2017, the firm was named 14th in the Top 50 Companies for
Diversity by DiversityInc.[55]
 CR Magazine named Accenture No. 7 in its top 100 Best Corporate
Citizens list for 2017.[56]
 In 2017, Fortune magazine named it as the world's most admired
Information Technology Services company.[57]
 Accenture is one of 12 best management consulting firms of 2017 in
America according to Forbes.[58]

See also[edit]

 Companies portal

 List of IT consulting firms

 Software industry in Telangana
 Avanade, an IT consulting subsidiary of Accenture

References[edit]
1. Jump up^ "Accenture profile: Pierre Nanterme". Accenture.com.
Archived from the original on 2 February 2011. Retrieved 2
February 2013.
2. Jump up^ "Accenture newsletter: Accenture names
CEO". Accenture.com. Retrieved 19 April2013.
3. Jump up^ "About Accenture". Retrieved 10 December 2015.
4. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e "Accenture Q4 FY 2017 performance" (PDF).
Accenture.com. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
5. Jump up^ "Accenture Reports Strong Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year
Fiscal 2017 Results". Accenture.com. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
6. Jump up^ "Fortune Global 500 – The World's Biggest Companies -
Accenture Profile 2011". CNN. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
7. Jump up^ "Accenture Reports Strong Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year
Fiscal 2017 Results". September 28, 2017. Retrieved September
28, 2017.
8. Jump up^ "Accenture Financial Statements 2015". Accenture.com. 24
September 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
9. Jump up^ Marek, Lynne (27 February 2016). "Guess which Illinois
company uses the most worker visas". Crain's Chicago Business.
Retrieved 15 July 2016.
10. Jump up^ Mini Joseph Tejaswi (2012-07-18). "Accenture in India".
Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 2013-08-10.
11. Jump up^ "Apple and Accenture partner to create iOS business
solutions". Apple Newsroom. Retrieved 2017-08-31.
12. Jump up^ "Company overview". Accenture.com. Retrieved 17
October 2016.
13. Jump up^ "Accenture To Add 500 Jobs in Chicago". WBBM-TV. 11
October 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
14. ^ Jump up to:a b Brachear, Manya A. (28 July 2005). "Joseph Glickauf
Jr. 1912-2005". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
15. Jump up^ Betts, Mitch (29 January 2001). "GE's Appliance Park Still
an IT Innovator". Computerworld. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
16. Jump up^ Betts, Mitch (2 July 1990). "The Univac I: First in the
field". Computerworld. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
17. Jump up^ Martin, Mitchell (8 August 2000). "Arbitrator's Ruling Goes
Against Accounting Arm : Consultants Win Battle Of Andersen". The
New York Times. New York City: The New York Times Company.
Retrieved 1 March 2014.
18. Jump up^ Andersen Consulting Changing Name To Accenture – 26
Oct. 2000; InformationWeek
19. Jump up^ Accenture IPO gains in first trades – 19 Jul. 2001; CNN
Money
20. Jump up^ Information on Federal Contractors That Are Incorporated
Offshore; United States General Accounting Office; 1 October 2002
21. Jump up^ Dobbs, Lou (9 March 2004). "Exporting America". CNN.
Retrieved 3 May 2011.
22. Jump up^ [1] Archived 3 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
23. Jump up^ "Information on Federal Contractors That Are Incorporated
Offshore". gao.gov. General Accounting Office. Retrieved 4
December 2017.
24. Jump up^ "Accenture to quit NHS technology overhaul". The
Guardian. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
25. Jump up^ "NHS pulls the plug on its £11bn IT system". The
Independent. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
26. Jump up^ "Accenture Newsroom: Accenture Announces Proposed
Change of Incorporation to Ireland". newsroom.accenture.com. 26
May 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
27. Jump up^ "Accenture chosen as lead contractor of Obamacare
website". Yahoo!. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
28. Jump up^ Becker's Healthcare
29. Jump up^ Sy Mukherjee (30 July 2015). "Cerner, Leidos, & Accenture
win massive $4.3B Defense Department EHR contract". Healthcare
Dive. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
30. Jump up^ "Analyst Commentary: Accenture's digital push will boost
consulting prospects". Professional Outsourcing Resources. 3 January
2014. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
31. Jump up^ "Accenture Consulting". www.accenture.com.
Retrieved 2015-09-02.
32. Jump up^ Rayana Pandey (5 December 2013). "Accenture launches
digital marketing capabilities. Should agencies worry?". Marketing.
Retrieved 30 January 2014.
33. Jump up^ Arik Hesseldahl (5 June 2013). "Former HP Labs Head
Prith Banerjee Joins Accenture". All Things D. Retrieved 18
February 2015.
34. Jump up^ Stuart Lauchlan (25 September 2014). "Accenture's
offensive on the $5bn digital opportunity". Diginomica. Retrieved 30
January 2015.
35. Jump up^ "Get Details on the Government Contracts Awarded to
Accenture National Security Services, LLC". Government Spending.
Retrieved 1 December 2015.
36. Jump up^ Elliott, Stuart (17 November 2011). "Accenture Calls on
Clients to Help Make a Statement". The New York Times.
Retrieved 10 December 2015.
37. Jump up^ "Best Global Brands 2016 Rankings". Interbrand. 2016.
Retrieved 10 January 2017.
38. Jump up^ "Best Global Brands 2015". Interbrand. Retrieved 10
December 2015.
39. Jump up^ Jennifer Pellet (1 August 2005), Pursuing high
performance: chief executives can, in fact, stay ahead of emerging
global competitors. (211), Chief Executive, p. 66, retrieved 13
October 2013
40. Jump up^ "Accenture cuts Tiger Woods sponsorship deal". BBC
News. 14 December 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
41. Jump up^ "New logo and identity for Accenture". Brand New. 16
February 2017. Retrieved 18 April2017.
42. Jump up^ "Bigtime Consulting archive". 'Bigtime Consulting'.
43. Jump up^ Gardner, Jim. "Web satire causes Bigtime headaches for
Andersen". San Francisco Business Times. Retrieved 22
November 2015.
44. Jump up^ "Indenture Press News -
BigTimeConsulting". www.bigtimeconsulting.org. Retrieved 2015-09-
26.
45. Jump up^ "James R. Sanchez (1968 - 2009)". Star-Telegram. 13 May
2009. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
46. Jump up^ "Customer Discovered Dead in Lifetime Fitness
Pool". Local News Only. 16 Nov 2009. Archived from the original on 26
April 2015. Retrieved 2015-04-26.
47. Jump up^ "The World's Biggest Public Companies". Forbes. 2016.
Retrieved 15 July 2016.
 48. Jump up^ "312: Accenture". Fortune. 2016. Retrieved 17
October 2016.
49. Jump up^ "The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity".
DiversityInc. 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
50. Jump up^ "CR's 100 Best Corporate Citizens 2016" (PDF). CR
Magazine. 2016. Retrieved 18 April2017.
51. Jump up^ "World's Most Ethical Companies Honorees". Ethisphere
Institute. 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
52. Jump up^ "Accenture: #88". Fortune. 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
53. Jump up^ "The World's Biggest Public Companies". Forbes. 2017.
Retrieved 26 July 2017.
54. Jump up^ "Global 500". Fortune. 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
55. Jump up^ "The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity".
DiversityInc. 2017. Retrieved 26 July2017.
56. Jump up^ "CR's 100 Best Corporate Citizens 2017" (PDF). CR
Magazine. 2017. Retrieved 26 July2017.
57. Jump up^ "World's Most Admired Companies". Fortune. 2017.
Retrieved 26 July 2017.
58. Jump up^ "America's Best Management Consulting Firms
2017". Forbes. Retrieved 2017-08-16.

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