Technology company Accenture recently entered into a decisive agreement to acquire cybersecurity company BCT Solutions to bolster the Defence, National Security and Public Safety capabilities in Australia and New Zealand.
Founded in 2015 by defense force veterans Patrick Batch and Angus Heatly, BCT Solutions is specialized in command and control, cyber security, and cyber defense services. The latest acquisition help Accenture strengthen its cybersecurity and cyber defense capabilities and accelerate its strategy to provide end-to-end services to its government clients.
“BCT will complement Accenture’s Defence, National Security and Public Safety capabilities in Australia, extending the reach and scale of our business to transform bold ideas into breakthrough outcomes for our public sector clients,” said Catherine Garner, who leads Accenture’s Health & Public Service practice in Australia and New Zealand. “BCT’s impressive experience and capabilities will enable us to enhance the services we provide to government agencies in Australia — ultimately helping improve the lives of citizens.”
“We are excited to join forces with Accenture to address the pressing challenges facing the Defence and broader public sector landscape,” said Angus Heatley, a Director at BCT Solutions. “Most of the BCT workforce are veterans and have the deep, first-hand defence and national security industry experience, skills and understanding to better equip the men and women of Australia’s Defence force. Together with Accenture, we can further tailor services to our clients’ ever-changing security needs and ensure they are building resilience from the inside out.”
Recently, Accenture launched the Accenture Federal Services (AFS) Cyber Center, a state-of-the-art facility in San Antonio that provides cybersecurity capabilities on an as-a-service basis to help government agencies and the Department of Defense manage, detect and respond to the increasing volume and velocity of cyber threats that target government networks.
The Cyber Center offers a suite of security-as-a-service solutions and leading-edge capabilities in advanced adversary simulation, orchestration & automation, and managed detection and response. An interdisciplinary team of advanced cyber defense experts deploys advanced technologies — including artificial-intelligence-based cyber intelligence — to help government agencies quickly and cost-effectively identify, emulate and eliminate threats.
The Cyber Center is part of a larger AFS expansion in San Antonio. The company currently employs more than 1,300 people at its two primary San Antonio locations and recently announced plans to invest $5 million and add 500 full-time jobs over the next four years to enhance and expand the operations of its Advanced Technology Center in the city.
Accenture is also extending its commitment to provide student internships and apprenticeships that advance industry-relevant skills and provide on-the-job training opportunities to help train the next generation of U.S. technology talent. AFS recently became the anchor industry partner for San Antonio Cyber P-TECH, which gives students the skills, credentials and industry-specific associate degrees necessary for high-wage, high-demand careers in cybersecurity.
