Messer Group GmbH, one of the world’s leading producers of technical and medical gases, has signed an outsourcing contract with Accenture for the performance of IT and application management services. The cooperation will last for nine years and is worth around 50 million dollars.

The contract covers the performance of all IT services by Accenture for the over 100 Messer Group locations throughout Western and Eastern Europe. This outsourcing process is part of a strategic restructuring of the entire IT infrastructure. The aim is to enable the Frankfurt-based company to better respond to future growth.The tasks to be performed by the management, technology and outsourcing service provider include the consolidation and administration of existing SAP systems, the development of tailor-made logistics applications as well as the establishment of and support for an IT help desk for all Messer Group employees. Accenture will also be responsible for the operation of all Messer servers, which they will monitor from their computer center in Kronberg.“Working with a strong outsourcing partner like Accenture means that there is nothing else in the way of consolidating our entire IT landscape,” says Harald Pinger, Finance Director of the Messer Group. “Focusing on our core competencies will allow us to increase efficiency in the long term, thus driving future growth.”“Our solution provides the Messer Group with high-quality, cost-effective IT services at all of their locations and in every business division throughout Europe,” explains Thomas Riggert, Managing Director of Accenture. “This makes it possible for the company to flexibly adapt its IT landscape to constantly changing business requirements.”

Accenture

Accenture is a global provider of services in the areas of management, technology and outsourcing. The company helps its customers increase efficiency and productivity with the ultimate goal of implementing innovations. Accenture boasts comprehensive knowledge of several industries, business process know-how, international teams and expertise in project implementation, allowing them to provide the right employees, abilities and technologies to improve the performance of their customers. With about 95,000 employees in 48 countries, the company generated net sales of 11.8 billion dollars in the last fiscal year (as of August 31, 2003). Their website can be found at www.accenture.de (Austria: www.accenture.at / Switzerland: www.accenture.ch).

The Messer Group

Messer is one of the leading producers of industrial gases, with over 60 companies operating in 32 countries throughout Europe and Asia. International activities are directed from Frankfurt, while the central technical functions of logistics, engineering, production and application technology are managed in Krefeld. In 2004, the over 4,200 employees will likely generate consolidated sales of over 500 million euros.Messer Group offers one of the largest product portfolios in the market, ranging from acetylene to xenon. The company produces industrial gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, helium, inert welding gases, special gases, medical gases and several different gas mixtures.In their advanced centers for research and development, the Messer Group develops application technologies for gases in almost all industry sectors, in food processing, medicine, research and science.

Accenture, Campus Kronberg 1,
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Sonja Fink
Tel.: +49 (0) 6173 94 66 273
Fax: +49 (0) 6173 94 46 273
E-Mail: sonja.fink@accenture.com