Accenture (NYSE:ACN) has entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire Arismore, a privately held company in France that specializes in providing security services, including identity and access management (IAM), as well as enterprise architecture and change management services.

The acquisition requires prior consultation with the relevant works councils and would be subject to customary closing conditions. Financial terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

“Acquiring Arismore would be a significant step forward in our growth strategy and would solidify our position as a leading provider of digital identity management and security services in France,” said Kelly Bissell, managing director of Accenture Security. “As we continue to add firepower and build momentum in our security business, we would take advantage of this acquisition to bring our extensive portfolio of end-to-end security services to clients across Europe. We look forward to completing this acquisition and laying a solid foundation with Arismore for delivering security innovations to clients.”

Once completed, the acquisition would bring to Accenture complementary security solutions and services, a strong client base and a talented team of 270 highly skilled security and enterprise architecture professionals.

“Accenture and Arismore share the belief that digital trust and digital transformation are at the heart of business transformation. We are both committed to continuously innovating IAM and enterprise architecture services that will help organizations build digital trust while benefiting from the power and flexibility of the cloud” said Eric Boulay, president & CEO, Arismore. “The entire team at Arismore is extremely excited by this opportunity to join Accenture Security, and we look forward to supporting its growth in the field of identity management and other security capabilities.”

Founded in 2002, Arismore provides security and enterprise architecture services for numerous top-tier organizations in the telecommunications, media, distribution, energy, transportation, banking and insurance sectors. Arismore is headquartered in Saint-Cloud, France, and has additional offices in Villeneuve d’Ascq and La Ciotat.

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions – underpinned by the world’s largest delivery network – Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With more than 384,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.

Accenture Security helps organizations build resilience from the inside out, so they can confidently focus on innovation and growth. Leveraging its global network of cybersecurity labs, deep industry understanding across client value chains and services that span the security lifecycle, Accenture protects organization’s valuable assets, end-to-end. With services that include strategy and risk management, cyber defense, digital identity, application security and managed security, Accenture enables businesses around the world to defend against known sophisticated threats, and the unknown. Follow us @AccentureSecure on Twitter or visit the Accenture Security blog.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “likely,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “positioned,” “outlook” and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. 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