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NEW YORK--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Accenture (NYSE:ACN) has entered into an agreement to acquire Singapore-based NewsPage Pte Ltd (aNewsPagea), a leading provider of integrated distributor management and mobility software for the consumer goods industry in emerging markets.

"We are pleased that Accenture has recognized the strength of the NewsPage products, and the valuable work that we deliver for our clients"

NewsPage provides software products to some of the worldas largest consumer goods companies. Upon closing, the acquisition will complement the capabilities of the Accenture CAS software platform, a leading integrated software platform that supports the consumer goods industry sales processes, and help strengthen its capabilities in emerging markets. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The Accenture CAS software platform helps consumer goods companies achieve greater trade efficiency and sales by enabling improved product availability on the shelf and increasing their ability to efficiently collaborate with retailers, while supporting the management of large, mobile sales and distribution forces.

Upon closing, the acquisition of NewsPage will add distributor management and mobility capabilities to the Accenture CAS software platform through a lean, user-friendly application. Also, NewsPage will bring a multi-platform mobility capability to the Accenture CAS solution, allowing it to run on Windows, Android and iOS devices. NewsPageas products are delivered on a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) basis or on-location.

The combination of the Accenture CAS software platform and NewsPageas products will offer consumer goods companies the ability to manage all of their sales processes on a single global sales platform a" from trade promotion management and optimization to retail execution, and from distributor management to direct store delivery, merchandising and customer service.

aThis acquisition is important as it will enhance Accentureas ability to help global consumer goods companies by supporting all route-to-market sales and delivery models across mature and emerging markets,a said Fabio Vacirca, senior managing director of Accentureas Consumer Goods & Services practice. aNewsPage has a strong client base of global consumer goods brands that have benefited from its products. Its addition will strengthen Accentureas software capabilities in emerging markets and reinforce Accentureas position as a leading provider of integrated sales software for the consumer goods industry.a

Once the transaction has closed, approximately 128 NewsPage employees will join Accenture, and will continue to focus on product development, client sales and delivery. This team will be integrated into the Accenture Software organization.

aWe are pleased that Accenture has recognized the strength of the NewsPage products, and the valuable work that we deliver for our clients,a said Tim Yoon, CEO of NewsPage. aWe believe that the combination of our two organizations will create a compelling offer for consumer goods companies in emerging markets. Now we will be able to meet our clientas software implementation needs in countries outside of our traditional geographic area, benefiting from Accentureas global reach and experience. This will be particularly useful where clients want business process changes before they implement the software platform.a

The acquisition is subject to closing requirements and is expected to close within 60 days.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 249,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the worldas most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$25.5 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2011. Its home page is [ www.accenture.com ].

Accenture Software combines deep technology acumen with industry knowledge to develop differentiated software products. It offers innovative software-based solutions to enable organizations to meet their business goals and achieve high performance. Its home page is [ www.accenture.com/software ]. For more information on Accenture CAS, please visit [ www.accenture.com/accenturecas ].

About NewsPage

NewsPage, a market leader in mobility, has been in the business of developing and deploying industry-ready mobile applications since 1993. NewsPage Distributor Management is an end-to-end enterprise solution that caters for businesses that sell thru distributors. NewsPage has an extensive install base worldwide with more than 60 successful systems running in 20 countries across 7 different time zones in multiple languages. For more information, visit [ www.newspage.com.sg ].

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. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These include, without limitation, risks that: the company and NewsPage will not be able to close the transaction in the time period anticipated, or at all, which is dependent on the partiesa ability to satisfy certain closing conditions; the transaction might not achieve the anticipated benefits for the company; the companyas results of operations could be adversely affected by volatile, negative or uncertain economic conditions and the effects of these conditions on the companyas clientsa businesses and levels of business activity; the companyas business depends on generating and maintaining ongoing, profitable client demand for the companyas services and solutions, and a significant reduction in such demand could materially affect the companyas results of operations; if the company is unable to keep its supply of skills and resources in balance with client demand around the world and attract and retain professionals with strong leadership skills, the companyas business, the utilization rate of the companyas professionals and the companyas results of operations may be materially adversely affected; the consulting and outsourcing markets are highly competitive, and the company might not be able to compete effectively; the companyas results of operations (including its net revenues and operating income) and the value of balance-sheet items originally denominated in other currencies could be materially adversely affected by unfavorable fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates or changes to existing currencies; the company could have liability or the companyas reputation could be damaged if the company fails to protect client and company data or information systems as obligated by law or contract or if the companyas information systems are breached; the companyas Global Delivery Network is increasingly concentrated in India and the Philippines, which may expose it to operational risks; as a result of the companyas geographically diverse operations and its growth strategy to continue geographic expansion, the company is more susceptible to certain risks; the companyas results of operations could materially suffer if the company is not able to obtain sufficient pricing to enable it to meet its profitability expectations; if the companyas pricing estimates do not accurately anticipate the cost, risk and complexity of the company performing its work or third parties upon which it relies do not meet their commitments, then the companyas contracts could have delivery inefficiencies and be unprofitable; the companyas work with government clients exposes the company to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment, including risks related to governmental budget and debt constraints; the companyas business could be materially adversely affected if it incurs legal liability in connection with providing its services and solutions; the companyas results of operations and ability to grow could be materially negatively affected if the company cannot adapt and expand its services and solutions in response to ongoing changes in technology and offerings by new entrants; outsourcing services subject the company to different operational risks than its consulting and systems integration services; the companyas services or solutions could infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or the company might lose its ability to utilize the intellectual property of others; the company has only a limited ability to protect its intellectual property rights, which are important to the companyas success; the companyas ability to attract and retain business and employees may depend on its reputation in the marketplace; the companyas alliance relationships may not be successful or may change, which could adversely affect the companyas results of operations; the company may not be successful at identifying, acquiring or integrating other businesses; the companyas profitability could suffer if its cost-management strategies are unsuccessful, and the company may not be able to improve its profitability through improvements to cost-management to the degree it has done in the past; many of the companyas contracts include performance payments that link some of its fees to the attainment of performance or business targets and/or require the company to meet specific service levels, which could increase the variability of the companyas revenues and impact its margins; changes in the companyas level of taxes, and audits, investigations and tax proceedings, or changes in the companyas treatment as an Irish company, could have a material adverse effect on the companyas results of operations and financial condition; if the company is unable to manage the organizational challenges associated with its size, the company might be unable to achieve its business objectives; if the company is unable to collect its receivables or unbilled services, the companyas results of operations, financial condition and cash flows could be adversely affected; the companyas share price and results of operations could fluctuate and be difficult to predict; the companyas results of operations and share price could be adversely affected if it is unable to maintain effective internal controls; the company may be subject to criticism and negative publicity related to its incorporation in Ireland; as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the aRisk Factorsa heading in Accenture plcas most recent annual report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accentureas expectations.