Accenture (NYSE:ACN) has been selected by Europe’s leading entertainment company, Sky, to ensure viewers have an optimal experience when streaming and watching shows through the newly launched premium TV service, Sky Q. The Accenture StormTest platform will provide Sky customers with a consistent service through continuous monitoring and testing.

Sky Q is the next generation home entertainment system, which opens up a whole new way to watch TV. It is a family of advanced products which connects wirelessly to create a whole new ecosystem, making TV viewing seamless. With Sky Q, customers can watch their favourite TV across multiple screens and devices, in and out of the home.

With over 21 million customers, providing a reliable and seamless service to customers is critical to Sky. To assure this level of service to its viewers, the company has chosen the Accenture StormTest Platform, part of Accenture Digital Video, to accelerate device and application release cycles and provide continuous testing of service stability and performance in the live network.

Accenture StormTest Development Center applies the latest automation techniques, which helps to ensure the quality and reliability of customer-premises equipment (CPE) software releases in development, and Accenture StormTest Warning Center continuously tests and monitors Sky Q set-top boxes in deployment.

Alex Glass, director of software delivery at Sky, commented, “We always want to give our customers the best possible experience. Accenture StormTest is an important part of delivering this through Sky Q, and will help us continue to make the platform even better.”

“Change in the broadcasting industry is occurring broadly and rapidly, and Sky is a great example of a company embracing the opportunity that digital technology offers to drive high levels of customer satisfaction,” said Sef Tuma, managing director and chief strategy officer, Accenture Digital Video. “This deal showcases the value of our S3 TV Technology acquisition and the StormTest platform, a fully integrated part of our Accenture Digital Video business.”

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 approximately 373,000 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.

About Sky

Sky is Europe's leading entertainment company, serving 21 million customers across five countries: UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria and Italy. We offer the best and broadest range of content, deliver market-leading customer service and use innovative new technology to give customers a better TV experience, whenever and wherever they choose. Sky has annual revenues of over £11 billion and is Europe's leading investor in television content with a combined programming budget of £4.9 billion. The group employs 30,000 people and is listed on the London Stock Exchange (SKY).