Accenture buys Guidewire specialist Blackcomb Consultants
Accenture has acquired Blackcomb Consultants, a Chicago-based IT consultancy focusing on Guidewire platform implementations for property and casualty (P&C) insurers. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Founded in 2011, Blackcomb is a Guidewire Technology Partner that has completed more than 40 engagements for the P&C-focused software platform. The cloud platform leverages AI and analytics to provide solutions for underwriting, billing, claims, and customer relationship management.
Blackcomb provides services across policy administration system implementations and upgrades, production support, cloud-hosted services, performance improvement, and organizational change. The firm has 158 people across its headquarters in Chicago and development centers in Dallas and Bangalore, India.
Blackcomb’s LinkedIn writeup says it has greater bench strength and resources than smaller Guidewire boutiques, but is more agile than “global consulting ‘armies.’”
Accenture will add the Blackcomb team to its industry & function platforms group, where they will continue to work on Guidewire delivery projects.
“This acquisition strengthens our ability to help insurance carriers use technologies like artificial intelligence and analytics to improve productivity and provide hyper personalized offerings to their customers,” said John Koepke, Accenture’s technology lead for insurance in North America.
Accenture last month bought The Beacon Group, a growth strategy consulting firm based in Portland, ME, and Inspirage, a Bellevue, WA-based supply chain IT consulting firm specializing in Oracle.
“Amid market disruption and heightened consumer expectations, insurers are turning to platforms such as Guidewire to drive strategic digital and business transformation,” Victor Voss, co-founder of Blackcomb Consultants, said. “Accenture and Blackcomb Consultants share a vision focused on delivering innovation to P&C carriers of all sizes, and by joining Accenture, we will be able to scale and expand our solutions for insurers worldwide, helping them create a sustained competitive advantage.”
