Accenture and BT to Create HR Solutions eVenture
LONDON, England, June 22, 2000 -- Accenture and BT today announced their intention to form e-peopleserve, a new venture to provide leading-edge, electronically-enabled human resources (e-HR) services and solutions to large organisations globally.
The new company will serve the rapidly growing market demand for comprehensive HR services from corporate and institutional clients of both Accenture and BT, as well as meeting the internal e-HR service needs of the two parent companies.
BT’s market leading Human Resources and Development Services unit will form the foundation of the new venture, with which Accenture will collaborate closely to implement and extend its own range of sophisticated e-HR services.
David Clinton, Managing Partner of Accenture’s e-Human Performance practice, said: "Combining BT’s skills with those of Accenture will make for a unique alliance which deploys the strengths of two world leading organisations. This venture will reinforce our globally recognised e-commerce credentials and capabilities through global HR service offerings to corporate clients."
e-peopleserve, established as a separate company, will be co-owned on a 50:50 basis by its two parent organisations, both of which believe the venture breaks new ground in the HR services sector.
"This is a genuine market-making opportunity and an exciting proposition for clients among the world’s leading companies," added Mr Clinton.
John Steele, BT’s Group Personnel Director, said: "BT has invested strongly to bring industry-leading capability to its own delivery of HR administration which is now very highly regarded. By joining Accenture in the creation of e-peopleserve, BT will maximise its return on that investment and receive an even more effective HR operational service. It is a very good opportunity for people in our HR Services activity. No longer will their capabilities be limited to serving BT".
Subject to EC regulatory approval, e-peopleserve will become operational this summer, concentrating initially on the UK market before expanding globally.
Notes to Editors
About British Telecommunications plc
BT is one of the world’s leading providers of telecommunications services and one of the largest private sector companies in Europe. Its principal activities include local, long distance and international telecommunications services, mobile communications, Internet services and IT solutions. In the UK BT serves more than 28 million exchange lines and seven million mobile customers. International direct-dialled telephone service is available to more than 200 countries and other overseas territories - covering 99 per cent of the world’s 800 million telephones.
BT is expanding its presence overseas rapidly and has operations in more than 30 countries, with ventures in the Republic of Ireland, France, Switzerland, Spain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Latin America and India. BT and AT&T have also created Concert, the leading global telecommunications company serving multi-national business customers, international carriers and Internet service providers worldwide.
In the year to March 31, 2000, BT’s total turnover, including its share of its ventures’ turnover, was £1,903m with a pre-tax profit of £2,942m.
For BT media inquiries please contact the BT Corporate Newsroom on its 24-hour number: 020 7356 5369. From outside the UK, dial + 44 20 7356 5369. All corporate news releases can be accessed at our web site: http://www.bt.com
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Jill E. Posnick
+1 (917) 452 4947