BrazilAccenture bolsters its Oracle offerings with AppsPro acquisition
In its thirteenth deal of 2021, and its first in the Middle East in a decade, Accenture has acquired Saudi Arabia-headquartered and regional Oracle leader AppsPro.
The bolt-on of AppsPro strengthens Accenture’s footprint in the Middle East with around 250 professionals, and bolsters its Oracle offerings to clients across the region. Founded in 2008, AppsPro has grown to become one of the largest pure-play Oracle implementation and technology partners, with offices in Riyadh, Dubai, Cairo, and Amman.
An Oracle Platinum Partner, AppsPro specialises in Oracle E-Business Suite and Fusion On-premise, Fusion On-Cloud, and variety of Oracle technology pillars like mobility, business intelligence and analytics, and identity management. The firm’s track record spans over 150 clients across industries, including several of Saudi Arabia’s ministries.
One major programme the firm is involved with is the ‘National Program for Rehabilitation and Training of Human Resources Personnel and Leaders in Government Agencies’, which aims to train public sector employees in the field of human capital. AppsPro is a strategic partner of the Ministry of Civil Services.
“Joining forces with AppsPro will expand our established global credentials across the Oracle Cloud portfolio, while helping our clients in the Middle East accelerate their path to value and emerge as leaders in the next waves of technology disruption,” said David Deschamps, Accenture Technology lead in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, for AppsPro, the joining of forces will give it access to one of the globe’s top consulting firm for Oracle work. Accenture and Oracle have been working together for three decades, and in 2015 they cemented their long-standing relationship with the formation of the Accenture Oracle Business Group.
This unit today has over 55,000 Oracle-skilled professionals, and having bagged nearly 200 Oracle awards since the turn of the century, Accenture is a Global Cloud Elite partner – the highest level attainable in Oracle's partner network. According to Abdulaziz Al-Salloum, CEO of AppsPro, the opportunity of tapping these capabilities and scale will help AppsPro “reach new heights.”
The accent on cloud
The deal comes at a time of booming demand for cloud services. A recent Accenture report found that digital transformation now is a top strategic priority for CxO’s across the Middle East, with cloud a major enabler. Echoing these results, KPMG earlier this year earmarked cloud as a top priority for CEOs in Saudi Arabia.
“Cloud technologies are a crucial stop on the digital transformation highway and businesses with a strong digital foundation are better able to scale, operate at speed, and outmaneuver uncertainty,” said Deschamps.
The deal is Accenture’s first in the Middle East since it acquired a stake in Al Faisaliah Business & Technology Company (a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabia-based Al Faisaliah Group) back in 2011. Globally, the firm has been on an aggressive M&A campaign this year, to date closing thirteen deals on record.
