Signs agreement with Microsoft Corp. to provide comprehensive Windows Azure design, delivery and management services in collaboration with Microsoft-specialist, Avanade

NEW YORK, April 10 — Accenture and Microsoft Corp. have signed an agreement that enables Accenture to provide clients with an end-to-end public cloud solution on the Windows Azure platform, marking the first time clients can contract for design, delivery and ongoing management services of applications hosted in the cloud on Windows Azure from a single global technology services provider.

The agreement extends to Avanade, a provider of business technology solutions and managed services, and enables both Accenture and Avanade to sell, host and deliver Windows Azure services to clients. Avanade is a majority-owned subsidiary of Accenture.

"As our clients are increasingly looking to generate the business benefits of moving into the cloud, we can offer the capabilities, flexibility and innovation to help them on their journey, and this agreement adds a cost-effective, enterprise-ready cloud-based hosting option that is ready-to-deploy," said Paul Daugherty, chief technology architect and global cloud services lead for Accenture. "By combining the strengths of Microsoft, Accenture and Avanade and the power of Windows Azure, we can increase support for our clients' cloud strategies and continue to help them achieve high performance."

Under the agreement, Accenture will expand its infrastructure outsourcing options to include Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) services (and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) as it becomes available) from Windows Azure. Accenture and Avanade clients are now able to sign a single contract for the delivery and running of cloud services on Windows Azure to receive one-stop provisioning and monitoring through Accenture. The goal is to help make it quicker and easier to adopt the Windows Azure platform and drive benefits such as increased speed-to-market and agility, better collaboration across organizational boundaries, more modernized application portfolios, and a greater ability to manage variable demand capacity needs.

Doug Hauger, general manager, Windows Azure Business Development, at Microsoft Corporation, said, "Accenture and Avanade are key Microsoft global services providers for the Windows Azure platform in the enterprise. They offer clients a combination of market-leading cloud vision, industry insight, business acumen and delivery skills. Microsoft's long-standing relationship with Accenture and Avanade creates a powerful team that can help customers advance their cloud strategy with Windows Azure."

Adam Warby, Avanade CEO, said, "This agreement provides us with the unprecedented ability to deliver a full-range of services and solutions that reinforce the value of Windows Azure as the leading enterprise cloud platform. With more certified Windows Azure architects than any other Microsoft partner, coupled with our unique insights and innovation and integrated global delivery capabilities, we are able to help organizations quickly migrate to Windows Azure and realize business results faster."

Accenture and Avanade have collaborated for more than two years to provide solutions for enterprise-ready public and private cloud solutions on the Windows Azure platform, and integrate them within the hybrid cloud environments used by clients. The companies have the largest number of certified Windows Azure professionals¹ dedicated to the platform and have spent more than 170,000 hours in the development of projects, delivering more than 40 Windows Azure projects for clients in 2011.

The agreement to deliver end-to-end public cloud solutions with Windows Azure is one in a series of recent strategic efforts between Microsoft and Accenture/Avanade. For example, Avanade and Microsoft are driving innovation in areas such as mobile enterprise and SQL Server solutions. Initiatives like these reinforce the unique relationship Accenture and Avanade have with Microsoft to deliver enterprise-class solutions powered by Microsoft technology.

¹According to Microsoft official certification records, as of September 1, 2011, Accenture and Avanade combined have certified the largest number of individuals across all Worldwide Enterprise Partner Alliances in the following capabilities and technologies: Application Development on the Windows Azure Platform

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 246,000 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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Source: Accenture