SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire - April 14, 2010) - In April, Avanade, a business technology services provider, marks its 10^th anniversary. Created through an alliance between Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Avanade has more than 10,000 professionals in 24 countries. This year, Avanade is approaching $1 billion in annualized sales, making it the world's largest technology services firm completely dedicated to the Microsoft platform. To date, Avanade has worked with more than 3,400 organizations globally.

Adam Warby, Avanade CEO, said, "This ten-year milestone is a proud moment for Avanade. We have maintained a relentless focus in helping our customers solve some of their most pressing business challenges. As Microsoft technologies advance and new business models emerge, Avanade will continue to be on the forefront of this innovation, helping customers reduce costs, improve performance and realize results. In reaching this milestone, I am grateful to our global staff, customers and the rich heritage of our alliance with Accenture and Microsoft." 

"Our collaboration with Avanade goes back some time," said Massimo Castagnini, General Manager Consorzio Operativo Gruppo MPS. "I believe we have completed a series of projects which can be considered trailblazers as far as our competitors are concerned. I believe Avanade's contribution to be extremely important, especially in the area of innovation, which has allowed us to be a company at the forefront of innovation."

Avanade, Accenture and Microsoft are well positioned for the future as the alliance continues to make investments in innovation on the Microsoft platform. The three companies are actively pursuing opportunities for growth in many areas, including new innovations in healthcare, oil and gas, digital marketing, client-focused CRM solutions and cloud computing.

For example, in the past year Avanade, Accenture and Microsoft have been investing in capabilities to deliver cloud-related services for Microsoft offerings, including Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite and the Windows Azure platform. In January, Avanade launched Avanade Online Services (AOS). AOS provides a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform to deliver Microsoft solutions to large enterprises, with Microsoft Dynamics CRM (customer relationship management) as the first solution offered.

"Creating Avanade was a bold, but well-timed move as clients began to recognize the value Microsoft was delivering to the enterprise," said Donald Rippert, chief technology officer and global managing director, Innovation & Ecosystems, Accenture, and an Avanade Board member. "The influence of Avanade and the alliance, and the impact of Microsoft solutions on the market, will only grow as companies realize the benefits that our collective efforts deliver every day."

"Accenture and Avanade have delivered real business value on Microsoft for BT Group. I strongly believe Dare2Share will contribute to the company's workforce transformation agenda and help BT Group to become the industry leader in customer service, which are the ultimate goals," said Peter Butler, Director of Learning, BT Group plc.

In 2000, Microsoft began making significant investments to penetrate the enterprise market. Accenture wanted to capitalize on client demand for Microsoft solutions and establish market-leading expertise on the platform. The two companies forged a powerful alliance that included creating Avanade, a stand-alone company that would combine Accenture's business and industry acumen and Microsoft's deep technology expertise. 

"The vision to create Avanade with Accenture has proven to be an effective strategy to deliver Microsoft solutions to the world's largest organizations," said Simon Witts, corporate vice president, Enterprise & Partner Group, Microsoft, and an Avanade Board member. "Avanade will continue to help companies navigate, deploy and take advantage of Microsoft solutions and services as cloud computing rapidly changes how enterprises deploy and manage technology."

Over the past decade, Accenture and Avanade have collaborated on more than 5,100 Microsoft projects and developed more than 100 industry-specific and cross-industry solutions. Together, Avanade and Accenture have more than 50,000 Microsoft-skilled staff worldwide -- more than any other competitor. Avanade consultants hold more than 13,000 Microsoft certifications, the largest number of certifications per employee of any service provider. 

About Avanade
Avanade provides business technology services that connect insight, innovation and expertise in Microsoft technologies to help customers realize results. Avanade's services and solutions help improve performance, productivity and sales for organizations in all industries. The company applies Microsoft expertise from its global network of consultants, drawing on the right mix of onshore, offshore and nearshore skills, which together are designed to help deliver results faster, at lower cost and with less risk. Avanade, which is majority owned by Accenture, was founded in 2000 by Accenture and Microsoft Corporation and serves customers in more than 24 countries worldwide with more than 9,700 professionals. Additional information can be found at www.avanade.com.

Avanade and the Avanade logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Avanade Inc. Other product, service, or company names mentioned herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. ®2010 Avanade Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Avanade: Charlie Zaragoza
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