Accenture Introduces Mobile Service Bureau to Help Companies Achieve Wireless Connectivity to Enterprise Data
Verizon Wireless to Co-market Accenture Mobile Service Bureau
NEW YORK, Jan. 28, 2002 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) announces the launch of the Accenture Mobile Service Bureau - a new corporate wireless data service that will enable business customers to access applications, corporate information, Internet, intranet and e-mail/Personal Information Manager (PIM) from mobile devices.
The Accenture Mobile Service Bureau provides an integrated hosted solution, including: enterprise-grade security, coordinated logistics and provisioning for distribution of devices, application management, device management, software distribution, and wireless network integration. Because the Mobile Service Bureau is a fully hosted solution that combines customer care, service billing and device management, it will help companies avoid the complexities involved in integrating equipment behind an enterprise firewall.
“Mobile data is expected to be a significant catalyst of process change for many core business functions, driving down costs and improving customer service,” said Fred M. Fosnacht, partner in Accenture’s Communications &High Tech global market unit. “Accenture intends to help companies reduce the risk and manage total cost of ownership by offering an end-to-end mobile solutions environment to support mobile application deployment.”
In conjunction with the introduction of Accenture’s Mobile Service Bureau, Accenture also announced an alliance with Verizon Wireless to jointly market this new capability in the United States. The two companies will jointly offer a range of mobile solutions and services through the Accenture Mobile Service Bureau. These include mobile corporate email/PIM; mobile intranet access; mobile data access; and mobile sales force and mobile field service, both of which are designed to enable employees in the field to respond more quickly to customers.
The Accenture Mobile Service Bureau will jointly be offered with Verizon Wireless’ recently introduced Express Network, Verizon Wireless’ 1xRTT data network, which is capable of speeds up to 144 kbps, as well as Verizon Wireless’ existing coast-to-coast digital network. The combined offering is expected to provide enterprises with one of the first pre-integrated end-to-end services for mobile application delivery. By ensuring rapid user configuration and quick deployment, the joint offering could also help companies achieve a rapid return on investment — one of the many challenges they face in providing an efficient and productive wireless platform to their employees on the road.
Wireless Enterprise Market Background
Companies are increasingly using today’s mobile enterprise solutions to allow their sales forces and field technicians to send and retrieve data in real-time and to give employees anytime, anywhere access corporate information. By mobilizing underlying business processes, companies can cut down on report production time; respond more accurately to customers; provide better data to employees, customers and partners; and complete invoicing and billing procedures with greater speed and precision.
Despite the downturn in technology markets, forecasters predict that mobility in the enterprise will be a significant market during the next four years. IDC predicts that, by 2005, the US market for mobile enterprise data services (including service implementation and management, support and operations) will reach approximately $16 billion.
About Accenture
Accenture is the world’s leading management and technology services organization. Through its network of businesses approach -- in which the company enhances its consulting and outsourcing expertise through alliances, affiliated companies and other capabilities -- Accenture delivers innovations that help clients across all industries quickly realize their visions. With more than 75,000 people in 47 countries, the company generated net revenues of $11.44 billion for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2001. Its home page is www.accenture.com.
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Alex Pachetti
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