Accenture Plc : Accenture to Expand Analytics Capabilities with Acquisition of Neo Metrics Analytics S.L., a Leading Analytical Intelligence Consultancy

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) has entered into an agreement to acquire Neo Metrics Analytics S.L., a leading consulting firm specializing in optimization and predictive analytics based in Madrid, Spain.

Upon closing, the acquisition will add Neo Metrics' research and development capabilities and assets to Accenture's analytics portfolio, including Neo Metrics' advanced modeler solution, which automatically generates insight from any source of information and creates industrialized, highly-accurate analytical models. The advanced modeler will enhance Accenture's ability to help clients rapidly analyze and predict customer behavior and respond to key outcomes.

Accenture will also gain new social network analysis capabilities such as the ability to identify hierarchies within online customer communities. This approach has been proven to outperform traditional models, which often disregard the relationships between a company's customers, and will allow Accenture to help clients target key influencers in the customer community more effectively.

"More and more, companies understand that advanced analytics can improve decision making, ultimately increasing sales while reducing cost," said Narendra Mulani, managing director, Accenture Analytics and Marketing Services."This acquisition will allow us to draw on Neo Metrics' skills, resources and geographic footprint across Spain, Portugal and Latin America, expanding our analytics capabilities to create leading-edge solutions for clients around the world."

Neo Metrics' team of technology experts and mathematicians will bring their highly- specialized set of analytical skills to Accenture. Neo Metrics has received international recognition for its contribution to the field of analytical intelligence and its team possesses years of analytical and statistics experience, which is in high demand in today's marketplace.

The acquisition will enable Accenture to further develop advanced analytical models across all industries and business functions including sophisticated models and techniques for pricing optimization, quality management, fraud management and demand forecasting.

Neo Metrics' customer and marketing analytics solutions have been proven to derive customer insights critical to an organization's ability to launch more profitable marketing campaigns, increase average revenue per user, reduce customer turnover and personalize customer interactions. For example, Neo Metrics' solutions have helped leading multinational telecommunications, utilities and financial corporations in Spain to improve customer life time value.

"Combining our strengths with Accenture's industry knowledge, process expertise and global network, will enable us to offer analytical intelligence across all of our clients' business processes," said José Luis Flórez, CEO, Neo Metrics. "Our models and analyses are designed to contribute tangible business value to our clients, and becoming part of Accenture reinforces and expands that commitment."

"The acquisition of Neo Metrics will also complement the Accenture Analytics Innovation Center in Barcelona, which we launched earlier this year," said Vicente Moreno, country managing director of Accenture in Spain. "We are deeply committed to the Spanish market, which we see as a key hub for pioneering advanced predictive analytics work, and we are looking forward to applying these new capabilities to deliver better business outcomes for clients."

The acquisition is subject to closing conditions and is expected to close within 30 days. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 244,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world's most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$25.5 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2011. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

About Neo Metrics

Neo Metrics is a company specialized in transforming dialogue capability between businesses and their clients, making it more personal, dynamic, systematic and measurable. Neo Metrics applies quantitative methods to improve the performance of business processes with an objective to have the largest possible impact on its clients' results. Neo Metrics' mission is "Value on every interaction." Its range of solutions allows for greater coverage of the management cycle of the marketing and communication proposal: from personalized client management and the social networks in which they are immersed, to measuring and optimization of direct, massive and online commercial actions. Its home page is http://www.neo-metrics.com/web/?lang=en.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These include, without limitation, risks that: the company and Neo Metrics will not be able to close the transaction in the time period anticipated, or at all, which is dependent on the parties' ability to satisfy certain closing conditions; the transaction might not achieve the anticipated benefits for the company; the company's results of operations could be adversely affected by volatile, negative or uncertain economic conditions and the effects of these conditions on the company's clients' businesses and levels of business activity; the company's business depends on generating and maintaining ongoing, profitable client demand for the company's services and solutions, and a significant reduction in such demand could materially affect the company's results of operations; if the company is unable to keep its supply of skills and resources in balance with client demand around the world and attract and retain professionals with strong leadership skills, the company's business, the utilization rate of the company's professionals and the company's results of operations may be materially adversely affected; the consulting and outsourcing markets are highly competitive, and the company might not be able to compete effectively; the company's results of operations (including its net revenues and operating income) and the value of balance-sheet items originally denominated in other currencies could be materially adversely affected by unfavorable fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; the company could have liability or the company's reputation could be damaged if the company fails to protect client and company data or information systems as obligated by law or contract or if the company's information systems are breached; the company's Global Delivery Network is increasingly concentrated in India and the Philippines, which may expose it to operational risks; as a result of the company's geographically diverse operations and its growth strategy to continue geographic expansion, the company is more susceptible to certain risks; the company's results of operations could materially suffer if the company is not able to obtain sufficient pricing to enable it to meet its profitability expectations; if the company's pricing estimates do not accurately anticipate the cost, risk and complexity of the company performing its work or third parties upon which it relies do not meet their commitments, then the company's contracts could have delivery inefficiencies and be unprofitable; the company's work with government clients exposes the company to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment, including risks related to governmental budget and debt constraints; the company's business could be materially adversely affected if it incurs legal liability in connection with providing its services and solutions; the company's results of operations and ability to grow could be materially negatively affected if the company cannot adapt and expand its services and solutions in response to ongoing changes in technology and offerings by new entrants; outsourcing services subject the company to different operational risks than its consulting and systems integration services; the company's services or solutions could infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or the company might lose its ability to utilize the intellectual property of others; the company has only a limited ability to protect its intellectual property rights, which are important to the company's success; the company's ability to attract and retain business and employees may depend on its reputation in the marketplace; the company's alliance relationships may not be successful or may change, which could adversely affect the company's results of operations; the company may not be successful at identifying, acquiring or integrating other businesses; the company's profitability could suffer if its cost-management strategies are unsuccessful, and the company may not be able to improve its profitability through improvements to cost-management to the degree it has done in the past; many of the company's contracts include performance payments that link some of its fees to the attainment of performance or business targets and/or require the company to meet specific service levels, which could increase the variability of the company's revenues and impact its margins; changes in the company's level of taxes, and audits, investigations and tax proceedings, or changes in the company's treatment as an Irish company, could have a material adverse effect on the company's results of operations and financial condition; if the company is unable to manage the organizational challenges associated with its size, the company might be unable to achieve its business objectives; if the company is unable to collect its receivables or unbilled services, the company's results of operations, financial condition and cash flows could be adversely affected; the company's share price and results of operations could fluctuate and be difficult to predict; the company's results of operations and share price could be adversely affected if it is unable to maintain effective internal controls; the company may be subject to criticism and negative publicity related to its incorporation in Ireland; as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the "Risk Factors" heading in Accenture plc's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accenture's expectations.

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