Accenture raises the bar with new salesforce capabilities that drive client innovation in the cloud

Strategic acquisitions, introduction of new Fullforce solutions and increases in uniquely certified Salesforce professionals drive growth of Accenture Cloud First Applications team

NEW YORK; Oct. 4, 2015 – Accenture was one of the first global companies to establish a strategic alliance partnership with Salesforce, and today Accenture has leading capabilities in Salesforce, with more than 8,100 Salesforce skilled professionals. Moreover, Accenture has become the first Salesforce alliance partner to reach 1,000 Service Cloud certifications in the industry, a testament to its investment in building deep specialist skills in the Salesforce ecosystem.

Following the acquisition of Cloud Sherpas last year, the Accenture Cloud First Applications team – which delivers cloud services for Salesforce and other “pure play” cloud technologies – has continued investing in its Cloud First agenda, making major moves to expand Accenture’s position as the leading enterprise cloud services provider, increasing its Salesforce capabilities in particular. Among them were the acquisitions of Salesforce solution providers CRMWaypoint and New Energy Group, both completed in 2016.

“Whether it’s leveraging AI with Salesforce Einstein, introducing new industry solutions or training the largest ecosystem workforce, we are pleased to continue expanding our relationship with Salesforce as a leading ecosystem partner,” said Saideep Raj, managing director, Cloud First Applications, Accenture. “Our clients are seeking to solve bigger business challenges with Salesforce solutions, and they are turning to Accenture for help to unlock business value at speed. Our investments in world-leading Salesforce capabilities are guiding our clients on their path to transformation with the agility that they seek in today’s cloud-first world.”

Accenture has leveraged its close collaboration with Salesforce to create a deep portfolio of industry solutions that support as-a-service innovation, which to date total 15 Fullforce solutions, more than doubling the number over the last year. Among them is extending the capabilities of Salesforce Health Cloud – which provides life sciences companies and healthcare providers with an integrated solution to improve patient support and deliver increased personalized patient experience and care—and working together to bring Accenture Cloud Trade Promotion Management and Accenture Cloud Retail Execution to market. Combining Accenture’s front office consumer goods industry expertise and Salesforce’s leading cloud, mobile, social and data science capabilities, the Accenture Cloud software suite provides consumer goods companies with a single system for trade and marketing operations.

Last week, Accenture introduced two new cloud solutions that are enabled by its strong relationship with Salesforce and deep industry insights including:

• The Accenture Health Experience Platform , a suite of intelligent, cloud-based services designed to work with Salesforce Health Cloud, helps health insurers deliver seamless customer experiences and increase long-term growth. The new Salesforce Fullforce solution for healthcare, Accenture Health Experience Platform, helps payers provide members with personalized services while improving their operational efficiencies. The platform has the ability to evolve to meet customers’ changing needs, as new applications and supplementary services are added.
• Accenture Wealth Management Compliance Solution for Salesforce , created to help wealth management firms comply with the U.S. Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule for advisers overseeing retirement accounts. Designed to work with Salesforce’s Financial Services Cloud, the new solution: guides advisors through the product selection process, facilitates client onboarding, automates BIC/BICE production, and ensures that ongoing investment decisions are tested for rationale, suitability and client best interest.

“Accenture continues to make aggressive moves to meet the increasingly complex demands of our joint customers by using the Salesforce platform as a springboard for innovation across key industries,” said Tyler Prince, EVP, WW Alliances & Go-to-Market Innovation, Salesforce. “With new industry solutions, thousands of skilled Salesforce consultants and rapidly expanding capability, Accenture is a top strategic partner. We look forward to further collaborations to help our mutual customers succeed and digitally transform their businesses.”

In the past, Accenture has been recognized as a Salesforce Implementation Partner Leader in Forrester Research Inc.’s report “The Forrester Wave™: Salesforce.com Implementation Partners, Q2 2015 and was positioned in the “Winner’s Circle” in the HfS Blueprint Report: Salesforce Services. Most recently, analyst firm capioIT named Accenture as the overall Market Maker leader in the Capture Share Report for Salesforce.com global systems integration and services provider market.