Why Accenture Is Buying Gekko

By Amit Chowdhry • Apr 20, 2020
  • Accenture Plc (NYSE: ACN) recently announced it is buying Gekko, a leading France-based Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud services company

Accenture Plc (NYSE: ACN) recently announced it is buying Gekko, a leading France-based Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud services company. And the acquisition would expand Accenture’s AWS resources in France to support enterprise migrations and development on cloud platforms, which has become the foundation for innovation and business transformation.

This acquisition requires prior consultation with the relevant works councils and is subject to customary closing conditions. The financial terms of the transaction are undisclosed.

Gekko has over 100 trained cloud professionals with more than 85 AWS certifications and a deep relationship with AWS. And Gekko is an AWS Advanced Partner, holds an AWS competency in Storage, and is an AWS Authorized Training partner. Plus Gekko is also part of the AWS Solution Provider and Well Architected Framework program.

Since launching in 2015, Gekko has helped over 80 clients, including some of the largest French companies, design, deploy and maintain a flexible and secure cloud infrastructure.

The acquisition of Gekko would strengthen Accenture’s general and industry-specific cloud experience in AWS technologies for clients in France and across Europe. The combination of Gekko’s deep skills in AWS with Accenture’s industry knowledge and experience in global large-scale cloud initiatives would now offer differentiated end-to-end services to the European market. Plus clients would benefit from full range cloud services including strategy ideation, migration, and managed services.

This acquisition will strengthen Accenture’s positions with key providers in the Cloud and AI, including ecosystem partners such as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. And it will also enhance Accenture’s end-to-end Intelligent Cloud & Infrastructure Services and will complement the capabilities and strategic objectives of the Accenture AWS Business Group (AABG) within Accenture Technology in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

Accenture’s AWS global community consists of over 8,000 AWS trained professionals that hold over 5,500 AWS certification. The AABG is built on more than 13 years of partnership between Accenture and AWS and thousands of joint successful projects.

Plus Accenture is known for combining unmatched experience and specialized capabilities across more than 40 industries and is powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. And the company has 509,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries.

Key Quotes:

“In the fast-growing cloud market, joining Accenture would be a unique opportunity to help even more organizations to leverage journey to the cloud for accelerating their digital transformations, growing their businesses and improving customer experiences. By combining the renowned talent, reputation and capabilities of Gekko with Accenture’s strong team of AWS practitioners in France, we would be better positioned to lead the industry in cloud services in France.”

-Gekko CEOs and co-founders Roland Esnis and Julien Favre

“Aligned with our development strategy, the acquisition of Gekko would be another significant addition because it would give clients more support for public cloud options. Gekko would also be a major opportunity to accelerate our growth strategy in France. Accenture’s advantage is our ability to keep pace with evolving customer expectations. Our clients call on Accenture to help them innovate and transform their business. Gekko would bring key cloud, AI and DevOps skills and would help us serve a greater and more diverse range of clients in France and the broader European market.”

-Accenture’s Geographic Unit managing director for France and Benelux Olivier Girard

“The acquisition of Gekko would underscore our multi-cloud strategy and would expand our AWS capabilities for clients to realize incremental business value through a cloud adoption and DevOps transformation. It would increase our on-shore AWS fully automated cloud operations and FinOps capabilities with Gekko’s delivery center located in the west of France. The acquisition of Gekko would enhance our position as one of the leading providers of AWS expertise and cloud transformation in the French market.”

– Cedric Le Yeuc’h, managing director at Accenture Technology in France and Benelux