Accenture and SAP launch ADVANCE for enterprise cloud transition

Published 20/05/2025, 13:38
© Reuters

NEW YORK & ORLANDO, Fla. - In a significant expansion of their partnership, Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) have introduced a new joint offering named ADVANCE, aimed at assisting organizations with up to $5 billion in annual revenue in their transition to the cloud. The initiative is designed to foster more connected, intelligent, and responsive enterprises.

ADVANCE is the result of the collaborative effort between Accenture and SAP, drawing on over 40 years of experience with large organizations. It offers streamlined business transformation services including finance, procurement, supply chain, and workforce management. These services are delivered through preconfigured packages that utilize SAP Business Suite’s integration of business applications, data, and AI capabilities, enhanced by Accenture’s expertise in industry, innovation, and operations. InvestingPro analysis reveals that Accenture’s strong cash flows and moderate debt levels provide a solid foundation for this strategic initiative.

The services are tailored to industry and function, offering a smooth experience from contracting to continuous innovation. They are available in ready-to-consume packages that leverage AI, promising modernization within six to twelve months, providing contextual insights, and aiming for predictable outcomes.

Accenture’s Chair and CEO, Julie Sweet, emphasized the potential of ADVANCE to help growing companies achieve speed, agility, and resilience. Similarly, SAP SE’s CEO, Christian Klein, highlighted the combination of SAP Business Suite and Accenture’s services as a transformative opportunity for businesses to scale and adapt quickly to new challenges and opportunities.

Accenture plans to invest in a dedicated practice of go-to-market and SAP-certified SaaS professionals to deliver these services, which are designed to be simple, secure, fast, and future-ready. The offerings also include additional services such as change readiness, business process management, and cybersecurity.

The announcement does not provide specific financial details or projections but does include forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties that could affect actual results.

This expansion aims to cater to the unique requirements of high-growth companies, offering a pathway to the cloud that is both efficient and secure. Notably, Accenture has maintained dividend payments for 21 consecutive years and recently showed a dividend growth of 14.7%, demonstrating its commitment to shareholder returns while investing in growth initiatives. For detailed financial analysis and more insights about Accenture’s performance, investors can access the comprehensive Pro Research Report available on InvestingPro, which covers over 1,400 top US stocks. This news is based on a press release statement.

In other recent news, Accenture has expanded its learning and development services by acquiring Ascendient Learning from Alpine Investors. This acquisition aims to enhance Accenture’s capabilities in IT and digital skills training, adding nearly 75 professionals to its team and broadening its suite of technology training solutions. Piper Sandler has adjusted its price target for Accenture to $364 from $396, maintaining an Overweight rating. This follows Accenture’s second-quarter earnings report, which showed revenue and earnings per share exceeding expectations, though operating income slightly missed forecasts.

Additionally, Baird has revised its price target for Accenture to $372 from $390 while keeping an Outperform rating. Despite recent volatility in Accenture’s stock price, Baird sees potential in the company’s strong market position and quality of earnings. Meanwhile, BMO Capital Markets has maintained a Market Perform rating with a $355 price target for Accenture, noting the importance of contract durations in revenue assessments. Piper Sandler has expressed a cautious outlook for the IT services industry, yet sees Accenture as potentially benefiting from AI initiatives.

These developments reflect Accenture’s strategic moves and market analysts’ varied perspectives on its future performance.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

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