IT Brief Australia - Technology news for CIOs & IT decision-makers
Story image
Accenture acquires Olikka, looks to become leading AWS and Azure cloud provider
Tue, 1st Dec 2020
FYI, this story is more than a year old

Accenture has acquired Olikka, Melbourne-based Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure specialist. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The acquisition extends Accenture's AWS and Microsoft Azure capabilities, as well as its broader cloud capabilities across Australia and New Zealand.

Olikka's expertise and value for Accenture

Founded in 2011, Olikka is a cloud-native solutions provider with approximately 50 full-time employees, including a team of certified professionals with experience in AWS and other cloud platforms.

As an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner, the company specialises in native cloud-based application development, cloud modernisation development and security.

Olikka also boasts Microsoft Azure capabilities and strong experience with Windows on AWS.

Accenture Cloud First empowered by Olikka

According to Accenture, the addition of Olikka's team will further enhance the global capabilities of Accenture Cloud First.

The multi-service group provides the full stack of cloud services to help clients across every industry become 'cloud first' businesses, so they can accelerate their digital transformation, innovate faster, and create differentiated value, Accenture states.

Powered by 70,000 cloud professionals, and a $3 billion investment over the next three years, the group brings depth and breadth of cloud expertise, industry cloud solutions, ecosystem partner capabilities and assets that help clients realise greater value from cloud at speed and scale, the company states.

Accenture Cloud First global lead Karthik Narain says, “Olikka's extensive experience with AWS and Azure, coupled with their strong cloud-native capabilities in high demand areas such as application modernization and security, means we can go straight to the heart of our clients most pressing challenges and fully deliver value.

"With the addition of Olikka's talented team of cloud application developers, we'll be better positioned than ever to help companies in the Australian and New Zealand market deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity.

The increasing need for digital transformation solutions

Many companies have not yet completed their digital transformation and need to fast-track their innovation journeys, Accenture states.

According to the company, cloud is the key enabler to complete digital transformation projects, and COVID-19 has further accelerated this mandate.

This accelerated transition will shift companies to about 80% cloud in the next three years, and Accenture Cloud First is positioned to help them achieve the strongest business outcomes possible.

Accenture works to become leading AWS and Azure cloud partner

Accenture technology lead for Australia and New Zealand Scott Hahn says, "The addition of Olikka will immediately reinforce Accenture's position as a leading AWS and Microsoft Azure cloud partner in the Australia-New Zealand market.

"We're confident it will also accelerate our growth through services complimentary to our Cloud First capabilities."

Olikka managing director Michael Pascoe says, “Joining Accenture is a remarkable opportunity for our team at Olikka to accelerate our growth and continue the journey we started less than 10 years ago.

"We've always made a difference for our clients, and with Accenture's resources, scale, and ecosystem partnerships we can now scale-up that impact with cloud transformation projects of any size and type.

"We look forward to contributing our ingenuity, skills and culture to the Accenture team, and to helping clients in the region use cloud to innovate faster to make a difference.

Recent Accenture acquisitions

Over the past 18 months, Accenture has made a number of strategic investments to expand and enhance its technology capabilities in Australia and New Zealand.

These include the acquisitions of cloud solutions technology firm Zag in October 2020; data analytics and supply chain management company Icon Integration in February 2020; business strategy and econometrics firm AlphaBeta in February 2020; specialist government consultancy, Apis Group in December 2019; big data and analytics company Analytics8 in August 2019; and cybersecurity and technology company BCT Solutions in June 2019.