​SEATTLE – October 21 2010 – Avanade®, a business technology services provider, ranked second in training, second in the information technology sector and fifth for career development in the annual “Best Firms to Work For” survey conducted by Consulting magazine.

Consulting Magazine surveyed nearly 8,000 consultants at approximately 200 firms globally. Participants evaluated their companies in six categories; “The Job,” “Culture,” “Leadership,” “Career Development,” “Work/Life Balance” and “Compensation/Benefits Satisfaction.” Winners were split into two groups: large firms, who employ at least 500 consultants, and small firms, who employ between 20 and 499 consultants.

In training, Avanade was ranked second behind McKinsey & Company with an average of 74.4 annual hours. This marks the fourth consecutive year Avanade received top ranks in training from Consulting Magazine.

For the third consecutive year Avanade received top marks in information technology, beating other global IT services firms. The “information technology” category reflects consulting services aimed at improving business performance through technology in processes and decision making. Avanade also ranked fifth in career development.

“Our number one priority is creating a workplace environment where our staff can become the best at what they do to help our customers succeed,” said Joseph Mendel, executive vice president of human resources at Avanade. “This recognition from Consulting magazine reinforces our commitment to our customers to have the best trained consultants through our award-winning training and to deliver business results through Microsoft technology. After 10 years in business and 11,000 dedicated resources in 24 countries, it’s gratifying to see that people still feel Avanade is a place where they can advance their careers.”

To support Avanade’s career development initiatives, the company provides a wide range of learning and development programs focused on consulting skills, delivery management, sales, people management, industry verticals, professional skills and leadership. In addition, Avanade’s deep technical curriculum focuses on emerging technologies and includes in-house training and resources available through Microsoft®. The company also emphasizes professional certifications and other expert designations to accelerate professional growth.

For details on the survey, please refer to Consulting magazine at http://www.consultingmag.com/categories/Rankings/Best-Firms-to-Work-For/.