• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

3

Ray Dalio says the U.S. just had its 'Suez moment'—and history says what comes next could end an empire

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

3

Ray Dalio says the U.S. just had its 'Suez moment'—and history says what comes next could end an empire
TechPointCloud

Tech Consulting Giants Were Big on Acquisitions in 2016

By
Heather Clancy
Heather Clancy
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Heather Clancy
Heather Clancy
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 21, 2016, 10:30 AM ET
Courtesy of IBM
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The list of technologies that can transform how companies do businesses is long and growing longer by the minute. There’s software for customer service, sales, and marketing, and for crunching data to help executives make better decisions.

Corporate customers are expected to spend an astounding $2.1 billion annually on technology by 2019, according to market research firm International Data Corp. The demand by companies for help with installing it all and teaching workers to use it wisely have prompted big technology consulting firms to make dozens of acquisitions of design and strategy agencies in 2016.

Accenture (ACN), IBM (IBM), Cognizant (CTSH), Deloitte and Wipro (WIT) all snapped up smaller firms that can help businesses dream up new business models, test ideas, and install the technology to make those visions reality. For example, in November, Accenture and Cognizant both expanded their digital teams in Europe with the buyouts of London’s Karmarama (which caters to automaker Honda and consumer goods company Unilever) and Amsterdam’s Mirabeau (which counts airlines KLM and AirFrance as customers.)

Gajen Kandiah, president of Cognizant Digital Business, said his organization has added more than 500 anthropologists and behavioral economists over the past six months to help companies envision how technology will change how they do business. Many companies struggle with this step, he suggests. “This is a market that is quite confusing, and not really getting better over time,” he told Fortune.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily technology newsletter.

From a sheer numbers perspective, Accenture did the most acquisitions among its peers—it bought six boutique creative agencies and software development firms in the second half of 2016 alone. Separate reports from research firms Everest Group, Forrester, and Gartner list Accenture as the largest digital consulting firm based on the sheer number of services is offer related to analytics, cloud services, and other digital technologies. It can handle projects in more than 40 offices worldwide.

Accenture is followed closely by IBM in terms of employees dedicated to this area. IBM has been adding more talent quickly: it acquired three creative design agencies during the span of just one week early in the year, and then bought another in April. As of February, IBM’s consulting unit dedicated to consulting on digital technologies had more than 10,000 employees.

Accenture doesn’t disclose the size of its workforce.

Brian Whipple, senior managing director for Accenture Interactive, an Accenture business that specializes in helping clients with technology for dealing with their customers, said much of the consolidation is being driven by a desire by large companies to regain control over how customers “experience” their products and services.

That could include helping companies create entirely new ways to show off products to customers, such as using augmented reality headsets—which layer digital images onto a “real world” view—without actually taking them on the road. In theory, the data collected about that interaction would be used as part of an ever-changing profile of that individual customer that gives insights into their likes and dislikes.

Websites, mobile apps, and digital marketing videos—and other interactions—are becoming just as important as traditional advertising activities in shaping what consumers think about companies, Whipple said. “It’s just one of about 100 different experiences that a consumer will have with a company.”

How GE is merging industrial and digital models.

While many technology consulting firms specialize in some of these areas, market researcher Gartner says only a handful of them are capable of advising customers about the full breadth of their digital strategies like their growth plans, cybersecurity, using the Internet of things, evaluating new technologies, and changing corporate culture. Gartner’s list of the best one-stop shops for digital services includes (alphabetically) Atos, Booz Allen Hamilton, Boston Consulting Group, Capgemini, Cognizant, Deloitte Digital, EY, IBM, McKinsey, Orange Business Services, PwC, and Wipro.

Today, services related digital technologies account for nearly 20% of Wipro’s overall revenue. But this portion of Wipro’s business will grow least 30% to 50% over the next three years especially from customers in the financial services, telecommunications, media, and health care sectors, said Rajan Kohli, senior vice president and global head of Wipro Digital. “By definition, the disruption is often tied to consumer habits,” he said.

That opportunity inspired Wipro’s $500 million takeover of cloud services specialist Appirio in October. Appirio CEO Chris Barbin said his company had planned to build its own design team before it agreed to the takeover but now has access to designers through Designit, a Danish design agency that Wipro bought in July 2015. Appirio’s newfound ability to help customers about both cloud software investments and design-centric issues, such as how to make applications and websites easier to navigate, has already helped the combined teams win several deals together, he said.

About the Author
By Heather Clancy
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

fire
Europeclimate change
Greece tackles climate change wildfire risk with satellite network that can spot a blaze the size of a parking space
By Derek Gatopoulos and The Associated PressJune 26, 2026
10 minutes ago
AI boom may be on its last legs amid stock volatility and dash for cash—but will go out in a blaze of glory with ‘blow-off phase’ before bubble pops
AItech stocks
AI boom may be on its last legs amid stock volatility and dash for cash—but will go out in a blaze of glory with ‘blow-off phase’ before bubble pops
By Jason MaJune 26, 2026
1 hour ago
m
LawMeta
‘Careless People’ author claims Meta surveilled her for a year to enforce her silence
By Barbara Ortutay and The Associated PressJune 26, 2026
2 hours ago
apple
Big TechApple
Apple blames inflationary effect of AI for price hikes: ‘We have never seen a component price increase this much’
By Barbara Ortutay and The Associated PressJune 26, 2026
2 hours ago
John Collison, president and co-founder of Stripe
SuccessJobs
Stripe cofounder says Gen Z will need two college majors to compete thanks to AI—and investing legend Charlie Munger called it first
By Emma BurleighJune 26, 2026
3 hours ago
young woman looking frustrated while working on her laptop at home
SuccessCareers
Gen Z’s hiring hell is real: 1 in 3 employers admit they’re replacing entry-level roles with AI—and tech and manufacturing jobs are most at risk
By Preston ForeJune 26, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
1 day ago
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
Success
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 24, 2026
2 days ago
Ray Dalio says the U.S. just had its 'Suez moment'—and history says what comes next could end an empire
Economy
Ray Dalio says the U.S. just had its 'Suez moment'—and history says what comes next could end an empire
By Nick LichtenbergJune 26, 2026
11 hours ago
The bond market knows something about the $39 trillion national debt that Washington doesn’t
Economy
The bond market knows something about the $39 trillion national debt that Washington doesn’t
By Eva RoytburgJune 25, 2026
20 hours ago
Trump turns on Big Oil donors who spent nearly $100 million to get him elected—now he wants the DOJ to investigate them for price gouging
Economy
Trump turns on Big Oil donors who spent nearly $100 million to get him elected—now he wants the DOJ to investigate them for price gouging
By Tristan BoveJune 25, 2026
21 hours ago
Current price of oil as of June 25, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 25, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 25, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.