NEW YORK and REDMOND, Wash. — June 7, 2005 — Accenture and Microsoft Corp. today announced that Accenture will utilize Microsoft® Connected Services Framework as the core component for the .NET-based version of its Service Delivery Platform, a solution to enable the rapid launch of wireline and wireless multimedia services. Accenture’s Service Delivery Platform is part of Accenture Communications Solutions, an industry suite of leading-edge business solutions for communication service providers.
Together, the Accenture Service Delivery Platform and Microsoft Connected Services Framework provide a compelling environment for the rapid deployment, provisioning, execution, management and billing of value-added services, including Internet Protocol television (IPTV). The combined solution builds on the success that each company has achieved respectively in the services enablement market.
“Broadband penetration has reached a tipping point as consumers become accustomed to high-speed connections to the home and accessing advanced services, such as music downloads, VoIP and digital photography,” said Dan Elron, managing partner of the Communications Industry group at Accenture. “The time is right for service providers to leverage the reliability and ubiquity of their networks to offer lower-cost advanced services, allowing customers to pay for service the way they purchase electricity or pay-per-view television programming. Accenture’s Service Delivery Platform and Microsoft Connected Services Framework provide a dynamic environment for creating and deploying these services.”
The Accenture Service Delivery Platform is designed to speed up development cycles of new multimedia applications by providing a comprehensive, standard-based environment for service creation, execution and control.
Developed on industry standards and based on Web services, the Accenture Service Delivery Platform can interoperate with a variety of technologies and facilitates the delivery of both operator-developed services and third-party services and content. Even greater benefit can be gained when deploying Microsoft-based services, due to the platform’s tight integration with leading Microsoft software and solutions such as the Microsoft Solution for Hosting Messaging and Collaboration or Microsoft TV.
Microsoft Connected Services Framework is an integrated software solution for building and managing complex services using a service-oriented architecture (SOA) and Web service interfaces. Connected Services Framework allows telecommunications operators to aggregate, provision and manage converged communications services for their subscribers, regardless of network or device when used with standard Web services interfaces.
“The Accenture Service Delivery platform complements the Microsoft Connected Services Framework by surrounding it with other important reference frameworks and architecture modules,” said Maria Martinez, corporate vice president of the Communications Sector at Microsoft. “With the Accenture Service Delivery Platform and the Microsoft Connected Services Framework, wireless, wire line and cable operators can more quickly achieve their service introduction and overall business objectives. We are already seeing a tremendous level of interest in the combined Accenture-Microsoft solution.”
About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. Committed to delivering innovation, Accenture collaborates with its clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. With deep industry and business process expertise, broad global resources and a proven track record, Accenture can mobilize the right people, skills and technologies to help clients improve their performance. With more than 110,000 people in 48 countries, the company generated net revenues of US$13.67 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2004. Its home page is www.accenture.com.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
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