Accenture and Nokia to Help Companies Accelerate Transition to Digital Networks

• Built on the success of Accenture and Alcatel-Lucent relationship the strategic alliance combines technology and services expertise to build and monetize modern networks

NEW YORK and ESPOO, Finland – Accenture (NYSE:ACN) and Nokia Corporation (NSE: NOK) have established the Nokia Accenture Business Group, a new strategic alliance which is focused on helping communication service providers (CSPs) and other enterprises rapidly transition to modern digital networks, capitalizing on the inherent operational benefits and new business opportunities. The expanded group is the result of the recent acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent by Nokia and built upon the success of the Accenture Alcatel-Lucent Business Group, announced in September 2014.

In its first year and a half, the Accenture Alcatel-Lucent alliance exceeded the goals of both parties and helped achieve its ambitious development and commercial objectives. The cooperative relationship has helped a variety of CSPs-including Telefonica, TIM, and WIND Telecom-and other large enterprises enhance the customer experience and optimize their networks across the globe.

In addition to continuing to help CSPs, the Nokia Accenture Business Group will also jointly develop, sell and deliver new industry solutions in the five following areas:

• Customer experience and analytics, leveraging Accenture’s Service Experience Engineering Management and Field Installation and Repair Service Transformation network solutions, powered by Nokia’s Applications & Analytics technologies portfolio;
• Network and business transformation, consisting of network legacy decommissioning and migration to Internet Protocol (IP);
• Next-generation enterprise services for CSPs, leveraging software-defined network (SDN) technologies powered by Nuage;
• Software-defined data center solutions for large enterprises, powered by Nuage; and
• Next-generation IP and digital solutions for the mining, oil and gas industries.

This group will deliver unique value to clients by combining Nokia’s leading IP networking software products and services with Accenture’s business services, technology consulting and transformation capabilities. The Nokia Accenture Business Group will develop sales and delivery capabilities focused on a combination of Nokia solutions and Accenture offerings.

Accenture will be Nokia’s preferred ally to complement Nokia’s software integration and network services and Nokia will be a preferred provider for the customer experience, SDN and network services and solutions that Accenture provides to its clients.

“Today’s pace of technological change, driven by the transition to 5G, the Internet of Things and the cloud, is demanding extraordinary new capabilities from the network,” said Kathrin Buvac, chief strategy officer at Nokia.  “Working with a strong, complementary partner like Accenture enables us to extend our reach to new customers and markets and to truly drive what we consider to be a transformational era in networking.  Nokia has the global scale, innovation muscle and end-to-end portfolio to lead this change and, ultimately, to expand the human possibilities of the connected world.”

Bob Sell, group chief executive of Accenture’s Communications, Media & Technology operating group, said, “We look forward to working with Nokia to help companies rapidly transition to modern digital networks.  While software-defined networks provide great operational efficiency, even more importantly, they offer tremendous potential for developing new services and revenue streams. This new business group-which combines Nokia’s world-class technology with Accenture’s deep experience in building and monetizing modern networks-will help fulfill the ever-increasing demand for broadband services over wireless networks. The collaboration is consistent with our strategy of working at the heart of the digital ecosystem and growing our network services to enable communications service providers to undergo the transformation they need to thrive.”