Capgemini strengthens its digital leadership with the acquisition of digital strategy and design consultancy Idean

Paris, February 16, 2017 – Capgemini, a global leader in consulting, technology and outsourcing services, announced today the acquisition of Idean, a fast-growing digital strategy and experience design consultancy, headquartered in Palo Alto, with additional studios in Austin, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Helsinki and Berlin. Idean will reinforce the Group’s user-centered and digital-first experience design and strategy services, particularly in North America, and extend its network of Digital studios; helping to meet growing customer demand for the Group’s end to end digital services.

“Customer demand is shifting; service providers who bring digital design, creativity, and agility to redefine the customer experience are developing a strategic dialog with their clients, driving uniquely differentiated outcomes, and gaining market share as true digital partners. The acquisition of Idean is part of the Group’s growth strategy focused on innovation and digital particularly in North America,” comments Paul Hermelin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Capgemini Group. “Idean’s Scandinavian design ethos and Silicon Valley mindset are a perfect fit to further enhance Capgemini’s progressive digital customer experience offerings.”

Founded in Helsinki, Finland, in 1999, Idean focuses primarily on digital user experience (UX), customer experience (CX), and digital strategy. Over the last eighteen years its team of now 150+ digital strategists, experience designers and front-end developers have been working for a wide array of US and European clients, including disruptive Bay Area start-ups, global tech leaders many of whom are west coast based, prominent brands in automotive and consumer electronics, and companies reinventing themselves for the digital era; clients include LG, Mercedes-Benz, Sony, Volkswagen, 23andMe, Airbus, Cole Haan, Ericsson, IBM, Intel, and Kesko. Starting from a deep understanding of users, Idean engages with clients in three main areas: envisioning strategic opportunities, designing and building digital experiences, and changing cultures by developing competencies in new ways of working and design thinking.

“We formed Idean to help organizations identify new strategic opportunities and create digital design experiences that were based on a deep understanding of their users,” explains Risto Lahdesmaki, CEO and Founder of Idean, who will join Capgemini. “Joining forces with Capgemini is extremely exciting and the logical next step of our journey. Idean clients will immediately benefit from an expanded and extensive portfolio of services for digital strategy and CX transformation, deep industry expertise in connected vehicles and IoT, and global end-to-end delivery. For our people, joining Capgemini will also open up new opportunities, from working on new clients and new projects with Capgemini teams, to expanded career prospects.”

This transaction is expected to close by the end of February 2017.

About Capgemini

With more than 190,000 people, Capgemini is present in over 40 countries and celebrates its 50^th Anniversary year in 2017. A global leader in consulting, technology and outsourcing services, the Group reported 2016 global revenues of EUR 12.5 billion. Together with its clients, Capgemini creates and delivers business, technology and digital solutions that fit their needs, enabling them to achieve innovation and competitiveness. A deeply multicultural organization, Capgemini has developed its own way of working, the Collaborative Business Experience^TM, and draws on Rightshore^®, its worldwide delivery model.

Learn more about us at www.capgemini.com.

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