New York - June 15, 2017

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and Avanade have been named the 2017 Microsoft Alliance SI Partner of the Year for the tenth year in a row and thirteenth time overall. Voted upon by the Microsoft field organisation, Accenture and Avanade received the award for demonstrating business excellence and customer satisfaction in delivering innovative Microsoft solutions. Together, Accenture and Avanade have collaborated on more than 10,000 Microsoft-based business and public service projects for more than 4,000 clients globally.

Microsoft has also recognised Accenture as the 2017 Microsoft Supplier of the Year for excellence in quality, value, services and innovation. Accenture helped Microsoft improve the productivity of its finance and accounting functions, used modern engineering to transform its information technology, and increased customer satisfaction in the company’s software and service subscription business.

Accenture and Avanade have also been named the 2017 Worldwide Consulting & SI Microsoft Azure Alliance Partner of the Year. This award recognises Accenture and Avanade for driving accelerated adoption of Azure through innovative and impactful solutions for clients including Biesse (Cloud and Internet of Things) with Connected Asset Management, Towergate (Azure), and Antares Capital (Office 365 and Azure).

At the regional level, Accenture and Avanade won 2017 Microsoft Country Partner of the Year in both Spain and Singapore, as well as 2017 Microsoft Public Sector: Health Partner of the Year in the Latin America and Caribbean region.

“These awards recognise the unique and deep relationship we have with Microsoft, as both an industry leader in helping clients transform their businesses, and a partner to Microsoft itself as it rapidly innovates its own business,” said Paul Daugherty, Accenture’s chief technology & innovation officer and chair of the Avanade Board of Directors. “Together, Accenture, Avanade and Microsoft are investing in the future and helping our clients rotate to the new to drive the digital and cloud transformation they need to compete and succeed.”

“Being named the Microsoft Alliance Partner of the Year for the tenth consecutive year and Azure Alliance Partner of the Year reflects the trusted advisor role we play with our clients every day to help them to navigate and accelerate their digital business journey,” said Adam Warby, Avanade chief executive officer. “This recognition demonstrates our commitment to bring fresh, bold thinking and a passion for innovation to our clients through the power of people and the Microsoft ecosystem.”

“It is an honour for Accenture to be named Supplier of the Year by one of the world’s most innovative companies,” said Sean McNamara, an Accenture managing director who serves as Microsoft’s global client account director.  “Microsoft and Accenture have been collaborating for over 27 years on a wide range of transformative projects and we are delighted that our work together has resulted in this prestigious recognition for Accenture.”

“Customers around the world in every industry seek new ways to understand and serve customers, create new markets and products, reinvent operations, and modernise how employees work in this mobile-first, cloud-first world,” said Victor Morales, vice president, Microsoft Enterprise Partners. “With Accenture’s deep business and industry expertise, Avanade’s world-class digital innovation and Microsoft’s market-leading enterprise technology, these awards recognise the business value and innovation that the alliance is delivering to our joint customers and to Microsoft itself.”