Accelera’s broadened capability will enable organisations to lead the way in disruptive change, leveraging cloud with in-built security
Tuesday, July 21 2020
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – Accelera has announced the immediate acquisition of Sydney-based cloud security and automation services company Ayenem for an undisclosed sum. The move will further enhance Accelera’s comprehensive consulting, delivery and operational services capability to ensure environments are built from the ground up with security baked in.
Building on Accelera’s early mover advantage in bringing practical, strategy-led disruption and digital transformation consulting to market, the acquisition adds Ayenem’s expertise in DevOps automation, security-focused DevSecOps and cloud platforms, including containers.
Accelera Founder and CEO, Anthony Woodward, says Accelera began with a view to helping government and mid-market companies achieve change through engaging “top down”, where strategy drives technology, and not the other way around.
Woodward founded Bulletproof Networks, which went on to list on the ASX in 2014 and was acquired by AC3 in 2018. With his decades of experience steering technology-led transformation programs, Woodward knows a well-considered strategic approach requires strong delivery capability.
“There comes a point where you need strong technology delivery capability and we have been on the lookout for partners to bring this into the tent,” Woodward says. “We’ve been doing technology and security delivery work with Ayenem for a while, so it made sense to move the game up to have a focused go-to-market in the space.”
Filling the secure cloud gap
The acquisition fills a significant gap in the market for migrating organisations to public cloud and providing continuous support.
Ayenem Co-Founder and incoming Accelera CTO, Matt Flannery, says the two main roadblocks to cloud adoption are security and cost. Ayenem brings a strong security focus to migrating organisations to public clouds, focusing on getting it right from the beginning.
“Many organisations migrate to the cloud to implement highly agile DevOps processes – only to then try and retrofit security. Our approach is to bake in a security framework from the beginning. That means ongoing support and continuous services with a security focus.”
Accelera will also build on Ayenem’s existing relationship with Amazon Web Services (AWS). While there are many hundreds of AWS partners, Ayenem’s strong security, best-practice and automation skills make it a stand-out. Having in-house strategic capability to bring to the discussion through the pre-existing Accelera Consulting offering adds a further feather to their cap.
“We’ve been working with customers through their Digital Transformation journey, and have been providing value through the lens of cloud migration and security. Joining forces with Accelera made a lot of sense, as our already exceptional technical delivery capabilities provide significantly more value, because we now provide business strategy and direction that aligns with technical outcomes.” Flannery says.
Cutting through the consulting landscape
Accelera is set to cut through a crowded consulting market by offering leading tech capability and a strategic focus in one go-to-market.
“We’re on various state and federal government panels. Typically, agencies have to go and procure from a number of providers to get the technology and strategy they need, but with us you will get a cohesive offering from one provider. A separation between strategy and implementation can lead to disjointed, far-from-perfect projects. Accelera brings these two together to allow a program of technical delivery to underpin a strategic program of transformation.
A traditional approach taken by government agencies to secure data has been to deploy their own platforms and data centres, where there is little flexibility or innovation capability.”
“We are seeing government agencies increasingly wanting to drive change,” Flannery says. “They can put together a rapid prototyping environment in a public cloud, but then have to retrofit security.”
“DevOps has allowed for continuous integration and testing, and while the built-in technology in the cloud has been easy to leverage, it often doesn’t take security into account. Untested rapid iterations can undo security, and this a real problem when it comes time to move from development into production, where heavy compliance and privacy controls have to be considered.”
Accelera will continue to deliver all services on shore, a key part of its value proposition.
“One thing we see driving a lot more cloud uptake is that on-premises is not really on-premises anymore,” Woodward says. “When people are working remotely, they find their on-premise platforms are not secure or fast enough to deliver what teams need. Organisations are now well-positioned to take advantage of having their workforce remote from the office for long periods of time as a driver to accelerate their migration to cloud.”
Starting with a strong partner mix
By bridging strategy and secure cloud delivery, Accelera will drive customer outcomes with a technology-agnostic mindset.
Accelera is consolidating Ayenem’s partners – AWS, Aqua Security and HashiCorp – under its banner, leveraging the market-leading capabilities of each for best fit in engagements.
“We are there to guide customers through the digital journey – from strategy to delivery, and help clients select the right cloud and security technologies,” Flannery says.
“This merger brings the expertise to build an innovation framework and the underlying technology platforms together powerfully. This is a first step in a journey of enabling innovation with the technology underpinnings to truly deliver workable, manageable outcomes.”
A new era for business IT
With significant experience in the mid-market, Accelera’s acquisition of Ayenem provides a cohesive offering to that market. According to Woodward, the key is to focus on business outcomes that drive technology delivery. He believes mid-market customers are generally more agile and able to adapt quickly, provided there is clear value in engagements with external providers.
“The mid-market is more receptive to products that are right-fit for purpose with predictable costs. Our delivery model works for customers to achieve pragmatic outcomes, tapping into enterprise-grade capabilities to bring industry best practice to bear. We believe all organisations can leverage the best as they disrupt and transform.” Woodward says.
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About Accelera
Accelera is built on more than 25 years of experience in helping organisations navigate change and technology. We know the ability to innovate and drive transformative change from within is the most powerful force an organisation can build.
Once embedded, these capabilities will outlast the latest blinking lights or technical buzzwords.
Our strategy-led approach means your organisation’s priorities, challenges and ideas are captured from the start. We work with you to build lasting strategies, reinforced by technology, to drive your potential. Our excellence in technical design and delivery brings strategies to life, while keeping a pragmatic eye on leveraging what you have, and staying cost-effective.
