Accenture Completes Acquisition of Assets of CadenceQuest, Inc., a Customer Analytics Company

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) has completed its acquisition of assets from CadenceQuest, Inc., a privately-held Arlington, Va.-based company specializing in customer data and analytics for retailers.

The acquisition builds on Accenture Interactive’s suite of digital capabilities, marketing analytics, retail marketing and merchandising solutions and platforms. It also contributes to Accenture’s strategy of providing organizations with the predictive analytics capabilities they need to identify and analyze the data that can uncover the information companies need to make better business decisions.

Accenture Interactive, which was launched in September 2009, helps companies develop industry-leading digital marketing capabilities, enhance the development and management of their websites and online marketing, and optimize their online and offline marketing and merchandising investments to more effectively interact with and influence the behavior of targeted consumer segments.

The CadenceQuest deal makes it possible for Accenture Interactive to provide companies with a comprehensive solution around customer analytics technology and consulting to support development of customer-centric strategies and tactics. This end-to-end platform and set of solutions will be available worldwide to retailers and those companies that adopt a "retail-like” model to help them serve their customers better and provide a shopping experience that is designed to appeal to their targeted customer segments.

The CadenceQuest Customer Insight software, which Accenture acquired, is a flexible, scalable, self-service analytical platform that allows retail decision makers to easily define their customer segments and gain deep insights about customers, including purchases, responses to promotions, and brand loyalty, to name a few. Combined with Accenture Interactive’s assets, it will be possible to use information derived from the CadenceQuest platform to help create and deliver customer-specific messages through digital channels.

For instance, a retail company deployed CadenceQuest tools to deliver actionable, current insights about its 50 million-plus rewards customers to its merchants, marketers and store managers, allowing them to more effectively target the right customer at the right time with the right promotion to help boost sales. The company opened up access to this system to strategic vendor partners, giving more than 50 major manufacturers who represent more than 250 national brands the ability to create customer segments, analyze them and then use that data to create and deploy relevant promotions. By understanding their customers and how to best boost sales, the solution enables retailers and manufacturers to increase the returns of their promotional activity, create more loyal customers and improve customer profitability.

"The integration of the newly acquired CadenceQuest Customer Insight software platform and related capabilities with Accenture Interactive’s robust set of marketing, digital and merchandising solutions will enable us to offer a comprehensive consumer-centric marketing capability that can be delivered in just weeks, providing clients with customer insights that are unparalleled in the loyalty industry,” said Tim Breene, Accenture senior managing director of strategic initiatives and chief executive of Accenture Interactive. "With these expanded services, Accenture Interactive will be able to help clients better understand their customers’ preferences, providing an important cornerstone from which marketers can build to further fuel growth.”

Accenture Interactive is a global assets-based business within Accenture that helps companies develop agile, intelligent marketing capabilities. Its services cover all aspects of digital consulting, marketing analytics, and media management. Accenture Interactive’s methodologies and assets enable closer interaction between the marketing and technology functions, driving both organizations toward a common end goal: customer relevance. More information about Accenture Interactive can be found at www.accenture.com/accentureinteractive.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 181,000 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$21.58 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2009. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These include, without limitation, risks that: we might not achieve the anticipated benefits from the acquisition of the CadenceQuest assets; our results of operations could be adversely affected by economic and political conditions and the effects of these conditions on our clients’ businesses and levels of business activity; our results of operations could be negatively affected if we cannot expand and develop our services and solutions in response to changes in technology and client demand; the consulting, systems integration and technology and outsourcing markets are highly competitive and we might not be able to compete effectively; our work with government clients exposes us to additional risks in the government contracting environment; clients may not be satisfied with our services; our results of operations could be adversely affected if our clients terminate their contracts with us; our outsourcing services subject us to operational and financial risk; our results of operations may be adversely affected by the type and level of technology spending by our clients; our profitability may suffer if we are not able to maintain favorable pricing rates and utilization rates; our business could be negatively affected by legal liability that results from our providing solutions or services; our profitability may suffer if we cannot anticipate the cost and complexity of performing our work or if we are not able to control our costs; our global operations are subject to complex risks, some of which might be beyond our control; our business and financial results may be adversely affected if we are unable to keep our supply of skills and resources in balance with client demand, including if we are unable to hire sufficient employees with the skills and background we require; liabilities could arise if our subcontractors or other third parties cannot deliver their project contributions on time or at all; legislative or regulatory action could materially and adversely affect us; we may be subject to criticism and negative publicity related to our incorporation in Ireland; we might be unable to achieve our business objectives if we are unable to manage the organizational challenges associated with our size; consolidation in the industries that we serve could adversely affect our business; our ability to attract and retain business may depend on our reputation in the marketplace; our share price could fluctuate due to numerous factors, including variability in revenues, operating results and profitability; as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the "Risk Factors” heading in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accenture’s expectations.