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Accenture Acquires Vertical Market Automation, Digital Engineering and Robotics Consultancy

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Accenture has acquired Eclipse Automation, a consulting firm that assists manufacturing and other vertical market clientele with automation and robotics solutions. Financial terms were not disclosed.

This is technology M&A deal number 665 that ChannelE2E has covered so far in 2021.

Accenture Expands Vertical Market IT Consulting Expertise

Eclipse Automation, founded in 2001, is based in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. The company has offices in the United States, GermanySwitzerland and Malaysia. Beyond the manufacturing vertical, Eclipse Automation also serves the life sciences, transportation, consumer products, nuclear energy and electronics industries. The company's 800 employees will tuck into Accenture’s digital engineering and manufacturing group -- called Industry X.

Accenture in recent years has made multiple acquisitions to boost its digital engineering and manufacturing capabilities. Earlier acquisitions that fit the description include Advoco; Callisto Integration; Myrtle Consulting; Pollux; T.A. Cook and umlaut.

Accenture expects to spend about $2.5 billion on acquisitions during the company’s current 2022 fiscal year, which ends on August 31, 2022. The $2.5 billion figure is down from a previous M&A spending estimate of about $4.0 billion for fiscal 2022. The reduction mostly involves some acquisitions taking longer to close while navigating various compliance checks.

Accenture Acquires Eclipse Automation: Executive Perspectives

Aaron SaintNorth America lead for Industry X at Accenture, said:

“Technology, data and AI are fundamentally transforming every part of a company. This includes engineering and manufacturing, our clients’ next digital frontier. With Eclipse Automation, we will combine advanced automation capabilities with our deep digital expertise. This will position Accenture better than ever to help our clients reimagine their products and how they make them.”

Jeffrey Russell, President of Accenture in Canada, added:

“Many companies are bringing production back home to Canada and the US due to global supply chain disruptions. This gives them a unique opportunity to reinvent manufacturing with digital technologies and advanced automation. With Eclipse Automation, Accenture will provide technology and training capabilities that our clients need to develop a digital industrial workforce in markets where manufacturing skills are scarce.”

Steve Mai, CEO of Eclipse Automation, concluded:

“For two decades, we have been leaders in delivering advanced automation solutions and high-tech manufacturing know-how to clients across multiple industries. By joining Accenture, we can also bring the advantages of data, AI and the cloud to our clients’ facilities at a scale that no other company can offer them.”

Joe Panettieri

Joe Panettieri is co-founder & editorial director of MSSP Alert and ChannelE2E, the two leading news & analysis sites for managed service providers in the cybersecurity market.

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