February 6, 2019
Global systems integrator beefs up staff to facilitate migrations and implementations of Microsoft Azure, Office 365, and Dynamics 365
By Channelnomics Staff
Already a big Microsoft partner in bringing cloud services to customers around the world, global systems integrator Accenture will add another 10,000 consultants to increase its capacity in delivering migration and implementation services to end user organizations adopting Microsoft cloud services, including Azure, Dynamics 365, and Office 365.
The Lowdown: Microsoft is encouraging partners to add capacity and focus on helping customers develop more cloud services beyond Office 365. Accenture’s added capacity steers clearly in that direction, adding resources and staffing to provide customers with the guidance and support they need to adopt and optimize the totality of the Microsoft cloud portfolio.
The Details: The 10,000 new consultants at Accenture will work in the newly minted Accenture Microsoft Business Group (AMBG), a specialty unit that focuses solely on Microsoft cloud services. The new capacity is in addition to the 35,000 Microsoft cloud specialists that already work in the Microsoft-Accenture joint venture, Avanade. When AMBG reaches full strength, Accenture will become the largest Microsoft consultancy and service support organization in the world.
The Impact: Just how much of an impact the Accenture investment in Microsoft services consulting capacity will have on the market is difficult to quantify. Accenture isn’t exclusively a Microsoft shop. It also operates substantial units focused on Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud offerings. However, the added capacity feeds into the growth based on Azure and other related Microsoft cloud products and services. In its most recent earnings report, Microsoft said its Azure cloud service sales jumped 79 percent quarter over quarter.
Background: Microsoft and other cloud vendors are working diligently to get partners up and down the channel stack to adopt more cloud services and provide more professional support for cloud-based offerings. While more than 80 percent of solution providers offer cloud-based productivity software, such as Office 365, most are not engaged in advanced cloud services such as Azure infrastructure, Dynamics 365 CRM applications, or security. Accenture’s investment in Microsoft cloud services capacity is an example of how Microsoft wants to see its partners evolve in the cloud market.
Related Links:
Channelnomics: Amazon, Microsoft Clouds Rocketing Higher
ZDNet: Accenture Adds 10,000 More Microsoft-Focused Consultants to Its Practice
