Larilyn L. Magro June 27,2015 ACCENTURE

Accentureis amultinationalmanagement consulting,technology services, andoutsourcingcompany.Its incorporated headquarters have been inDublin,Irelandsince September 1, 2009. It is the world's largestconsulting firmas measured by revenuesand is aFortune Global 500company.As of 2014, the company reported net revenues of $30.0 billion with approximately 323,000 employees, serving clients in more than 200 cities in 120 countries. In 2012 Accenture had about 80,000 employees inIndia, more than in any other country, about 40,000 in theUS, and about 35,000 in thePhilippines.Accenture's current clients include 89 of the Fortune Global 100 and more than three-quarters of the Fortune Global 500. Accenture common equity is listed on theNew York Stock Exchange, under the symbol ACN, and was added to theindex on July 5, 2011.Accenture began as the business and technology consulting division of accounting firmArthur Andersen. The division's origins are in a 1953 feasibility study forGeneral Electric. GE asked Arthur Andersen to automate payroll processing and manufacturing at GE'sAppliance Parkfacility near Louisville, Kentucky. Arthur Andersen recommended installation of aUNIVAC Icomputer and printer, which resulted in the first commercially-owned computer installation in the United States in 1954.Joe Glickauf, an early pioneer of computer consulting, held a position as head of Arthur Andersen's administrative services division for 12 years.Splitting from Arthur AndersenIn 1989,Arthur Andersenand Andersen Consulting became separate units ofAndersen Worldwide Socit Cooperatives(AWSC). Arthur Andersen increased its use of accounting services as a springboard to sign up clients for Andersen Consulting more lucrative business.Throughout the 1990s, there was increasing tension between Andersen Consulting andArthur Andersen. Andersen Consulting was upset that it was paying Arthur Andersen up to 15% of its profits each year (a condition of the 1989 split was that the more profitable unit whether AA or AC paid the other this sum), 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 intoescrowand issued a claim for breach of contract. In August 2000, as a result of the conclusion of arbitration with theInternational 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 $1.2billion) to Arthur Andersen, and was required to change its name, resulting in the entity being renamed Accenture.[12]Accounts vary on why the split occurred. Executives on both sides of the split cite greed and arrogance on the part of the other, and executives on the Andersen Consulting side maintained breach of contract when Arthur Andersen created AABC, because AABC competed directly with Andersen Consulting in the marketplace. Many of the AABC firms were bought out by other consulting companies in 2002, includingHitachi ConsultingandKPMG Consulting, which later changed its name toBearingPoint.Andersen Consulting's change of name was fortunate, as it avoided damage to its reputation later, whenArthur Andersen was effectively dissolvedas a result of its role in the Enron scandal.Emergence of AccentureOn January 1, 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.[13]

Accenture's banner hanging on the New York Stock Exchange(NYSE) building for its initial public offering on July 19, 2001.On July 19, 2001, Accenture offered initial public offering (IPO) at the price of $14.50 per share inNew York Stock Exchange(NYSE);Goldman SachsandMorgan Stanleyserved 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 $1.7billion.[14]Services and Operations

A world map showing the countries where Accenture has operations as of 2015 (colored in blue)Accenture organizes its services and people in these three primary cross-functional groupings. Accenture client engagement teams typically consist of a combination of industry experts, capability specialists and professionals with local market knowledge.Operating GroupsAs most consulting firms, Accenture operates in a matrix structure. The first axis is dedicated to the operating groups, or industries of its clients. Broadly, the five Operating Groups are: Communications, Media & Technology Financial Services Products Resources Health & Public ServicesThe five Operating Groups comprises 19 industry subgroups that focus on industry evolution, business issues, and applicable technologies.[22]Growth PlatformsThe second axis is the growth platforms, which broadly refers to the functional or technical domains in which Accenture creates and delivers solutions to clients. Accenture Strategy was launched in December 2013 to provide services for clients related to business strategy, technology strategy and operations strategy.[23] Accenture Digital was also launched in December 2013 to provide clients withdigital marketing,analyticsandmobilityservices.[24] Accenture Technology provides technology consulting and IT services, and focuses on research and development, including work on emerging technologies by its Technology Labs arm.[25][26] Accenture Operations providesbusiness process outsourcing(BPO) and infrastructure services.[27] Accenture launched seven advanced analytics applications forfinancial servicesincludingbankingandinsurancesector. The applications include, Customer Churn Management, Customer Potential, Next Best, Wealth Advisory Toolkit, Real Time Credit Decision, Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses, and Claims Fraud.