Accenture (NYSE:ACN), working in collaboration with MIT Professional Education, the engineering, science, and technology training arm of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have launched the Accenture Business Process Innovation Academy, a new training and certification program designed to help employees gain expertise in the key technologies that are driving today's Business Process services, including outsourcing. In turn, these employees can use this knowledge to help clients innovate and achieve business outcomes such as increased revenue or decreased costs beyond operations.

According to a recent Accenture-sponsored study from HfS Research, most enterprises are not investing enough resources in training to develop and better equip their outsourcing management teams. This can prevent enterprises from realizing greater business value from their outsourcing engagements. The Accenture Business Process Innovation Academy will provide employees with opportunities to grow their skill set in ways that enhance both their own careers and Accenture's services. The program will provide Accenture employees with the ability to become functional, industry experts, who apply analytic insights that drive high performance for business process engagements. The program consists of live virtual classroom sessions, including real-time engagement with MIT professors, as well as self-study materials, and opportunities to collaborate outside of the classroom through online forums. Employees will also work on active business projects in order to put their new skills to work in real-world scenarios.

"The Accenture Business Process Innovation Academy is an investment in our employees that allows them to explore new thinking, test ideas, and gain access to thought leadership from leading experts," said Mike Salvino, group chief executive for Accenture BPO. "Our clients will see the results of this investment as they are supported by a team that can readily apply new business process innovations to help drive more efficient business processes and valuable business results."

"We are pleased to extend our long-standing training relationship with Accenture, by offering MIT expertise in technology and innovation-areas that are synonymous with MIT's name and mission. We look forward to collaborating again with Accenture to advance the company's investment in their employees' future, in order to expand and elevate the technical knowledge and thinking of their employees from around the world," said Bhaskar Pant, executive director of MIT Professional Education. "The training programs developed will keep up with the needs of today's global economy and workforce; and will be taught by world-renowned authorities from MIT faculty."

Employees who successfully complete the program will be awarded a certificate of completion by Accenture in conjunction with MIT Professional Education. The first participants are expected to receive certificates of completion in July 2014.

About MIT Professional Education

MIT Professional Education is the arm of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, that provides professionals engaged in engineering, science, and technology worldwide a gateway to renowned MIT research, knowledge, and expertise, through advanced training and education programs designed specifically for working professionals. MIT Professional Education's homepage is: http://professionaleducation.mit.edu.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services, and outsourcing company, with approximately 281,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world's most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$28.6 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2013. Its home page is: www.accenture.com.

Accenture
Julie Bennink, + 312-693-7301
julie.l.bennink@accenture.com
or
MIT Professional Education
Clara Piloto, + 617-253-3760
piloto@mit.edu