Accenture was founded in 1989 as a technology consultant and systems integrator.  It was a privately held company until July of 2001 when it was first listed on the NYSE (symbol is ACN).  Today, Accenture has become a global management consultant, technology services and outsourcing company with net revenues of $15.55 billion for the fiscal year ended in August 2005.

Accenture’s services entail 17 focused industry groups including aerospace, communications, government, retail, and utilities.  Each of these industries is classified under one of five operating groups so that Accenture’s solutions show a more thorough understanding of their recommendations within a particular industry.  The company allows an individual to search for information online by industry (17 industry categories to choose from), by subject (consulting, technology, or outsourcing), by role (designed for a CEO, CFO, or CIO), or by research organization.  Once an individual selects how she would like to search, then that person is given a sample list of previous findings.  The information given is very limited and would more than likely not be extremely useful for the average user.  Because Accenture is a consulting firm, they strongly encourage individuals to contact them concerning their specific research needs.