Chicago – October 8, 2012 (HR Technology Conference) - Appirio today announced its intent to acquire Knowledge Infusion, which will create the world’s largest cloud-powered Human Capital Management (HCM) consultancy. By marrying Appirio’s unmatched cloud expertise, technology innovation and global scale with Knowledge Infusion’s deep domain knowledge of HR, talent management and change management practices, enterprises finally have a partner that can help them prepare for and capitalize on the new way people work across all business domains.
“We have always considered cloud, social and mobile not just technology, but engines for business transformation,” said Chris Barbin, CEO of Appirio. “By combining forces with Knowledge Infusion, a recognized expert in people-focused processes, we can help business, HR and IT leaders develop the right strategy to ensure they engage employees as effectively as they would customers. That strategy, supported by the right technological innovation, can optimize how work gets done at a time when people’s expectations and motivations have drastically changed because of the consumerization of technology.”
Started in 2005, Knowledge Infusion has provided core HR, talent acquisition, talent management and social collaboration consulting services to more than 350 clients. This includes organizations like Amgen, Best Buy, Campbell’s, Dell, Hertz, Merck, Nationwide, Novo Nordisk, Starbucks and Target. The company’s end-to-end services model, on-demand subscription advisory services, and focus on customer success has made it one of the fastest growing HR technology consultancies in the world. In addition to its advisory work, Knowledge Infusion has become a trusted deployment partner of Workday, SuccessFactors, and Salesforce.com’s Work.com.
“McGraw-Hill is partnering with both Knowledge Infusion and Appirio to help us become a more nimble organization,” said John Berisford, Chief HR Officer at McGraw-Hill. “It is terrific to see their deep domain expertise, strategic thinking and creativity come together."
“All organizations must take an outcomes-based approach when applying technology to transform and optimize their business,” said Naomi Bloom, Managing Partner of Bloom & Wallace. “When using a consulting partner to support these efforts, organizations need one that combines deep domain expertise and state-of-the-art technical knowledge, with a commitment to delivering rapid, cost-effective results. That's why I couldn't be more delighted that Knowledge Infusion and Appirio have decided to join forces. Together they will create a new and much-needed consultancy, sitting between the ‘big T’ process transformation shops and the product-based implementation mechanics. Their focus on business strategy, organizational design, and enterprise technology, all focused on business outcomes, will benefit their customers, partners and our entire industry.”
Appirio was started in 2006 with the mission to help enterprises power their business with the cloud, and has since helped more than 400 enterprises use cloud providers like Workday, Salesforce.com and Google to improve core business processes from HR and financials to sales, service and marketing.
Once the acquisition is final, expected in November 2012, the combined company will bring to bear nearly 600 strategy and technology experts on three continents, a global crowdsourcing developer community, and an integrated suite of applications, assets and analytics that ensure the best outcome for transformation initiatives.
“Like Appirio, we saw a fundamental shift happening in how companies did business, how the workforce was changing, and the inability for traditional service providers to help business leaders adapt to that shift,” said Jason Averbook, CEO and co-founder of Knowledge Infusion, who will become Appirio’s Chief Business Innovation Officer. “Appirio’s track record of innovation, their disruptive services model and culture make it a perfect home for Knowledge Infusion. We’re excited to work together to help organizations move beyond traditional HR and deliver on the full potential of people at work.”
Useful Links:
- ChalkTalk about Knowledge Infusion joining Appirio
- Appirio Chief Strategy Officer Narinder Singh blogs about Knowledge Infusion joining Appirio
- Knowledge Infusion CEO and co-founder Jason Averbook blogs about joining Appirio
- Register for a webinar to learn more about the combination of Knowledge Infusion and Appirio
Appirio is a global technology-enabled services provider, helping companies power their business with cloud, social and mobile technologies from leaders like salesforce.com, Google and Workday. Appirio has worked with more than 400 enterprise customers including organizations like the City of Los Angeles, Facebook, Flextronics, International Hotels Group, Japan Post Network, Ltd., L'Oreal, NetApp, NYU, Starbucks, Thomson Reuters and VMware. Appirio's technology-enabled professional services are supported by a team of 500+ cloud experts and CloudSpokes, a more than 50,000 person-strong global cloud developer community. The company's expertise and innovation have been recognized by organizations such as the World Economic Forum, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, InformationWeek, Gartner and IDC. Appirio has offices that span the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific, and is backed by Sequoia Capital, GGV Capital and General Atlantic.
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