Accenture has announced its intent to acquire French cyber security services company Openminded, as the provider looks to strengthen its security presence in the country and across the continent.
Openminded specialises in delivering advisory, cloud and infrastructure security, cyber defence, and managed security services to its customers.
Once completed, the acquisition will add approximately 100 highly skilled cyber security employees to Accenture’s existing workforce of almost 7,000 global professionals.
The move will also extend the company’s cyber security presence and capabilities in France and in Europe, Accenture said. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Our intent to acquire Openminded is aligned with our global strategy to provide differentiated robust services to our clients in their local markets,” commented Olivier Girard, market unit lead for Accenture France and Benelux. “It would accelerate our growth in France and scale our cybersecurity capabilities within the market unit and across Europe.
“It underscores our commitment to helping clients manage the constantly changing cyber risk environment by bringing the right technology, industry understanding, and talent tailored to a company’s specific needs.”
Founded in 2008, Openminded is powered by a security operations centre and helps clients anticipate and reduce security risks, rapidly detect and respond to cyber incidents, as well as implement best practices in regulatory compliance.
The company becomes the latest addition to Accenture’s cyber security services portfolio, following a number of recent acquisitions. Back in January 2020, the professional services provider acquired Symantec’s Cyber Security Services business, firmly establishing itself as a leading presence in the managed security services arena.
Accenture then further strengthened its cyber defence capabilities through its acquisitions of Context Information Security and Revolutionary Security in March and April 2020, respectively, and then again with Real Protect in January of this year.
“Joining forces with Accenture is a great opportunity for our teams and our clients,” said Hervé Rousseau, founder and CEO of Openminded. “The alliance of our talent and capabilities perfectly leverages our expertise and would allow us to deliver on a global scale.
“Today, the fight against cyberattacks requires the implementation of the most advanced technologies, as well as the human resources to make them efficient This is the synergy we are going to build and put at the service of our clients.”
