VAR500: GlassHouse, Virtualization Partner Get Tighter; NTT Buys Keane

VAR500: Accenture Makes CRM Deal, CDW Launches Wireless Lab Contest

Top VAR500 solution providers continued to expand into growing markets such as virtualization, mobility and CRM. Accenture and NTT made acquisitions, while CDW launched a contest for elementary schools.

NTT Finalizes Deal With Keane

NTT Data completed the acquisition of Keane International. The company and its subsidiaries will remain as separate legal entities. The deal lets $13.7 billion NTT Data provide fully integrated IT services in the U.S. ’As we align with NTT Data and their global group of companies, we expect to drive growth by expanding our market reach and bringing greater visibility to our core capabilities," John McCain, Keane's president and CEO, said in a statement.

NTT recently also purchased solution provider Dimension Data.

Deloitte Exec Appointed To National Commission

Wade F. Horn, Ph.D., director of Deloitte Consulting LLP, was appointed to the U.S. Commission on Key National Indicators by Sen. Mitch McConnell. The commissioners will oversee the development of a new Key National Indicator System, with the National Academy of Sciences, to help Americans better assess the position of the U.S.

The goal of the commission is to serve the public by providing a factual and data-based indication of the major issues affecting the U.S. These issues include the economy, innovation, families, youth and children, education, infrastructure, energy, health and the environment. The measures will be available to the public, free, through a Web-based information system.

GlassHouse Tightens Ties With Virtualization Partner

Citrix Systems made a strategic investment in partner GlassHouse Technologies. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Citrix will take an advisory seat on GlassHouse’s board. GlassHouse CEO Mark Shirman called virtualization vendor Citrix "our top premier partner in virtualization technologies" in a release.

CDW Co-Sponsors Wireless Lab Contest

CDW Government LLC and Discovery Education, a provider of curriculum-based digital content services, launched the ninth annual Win a Wireless Lab sweepstakes. The grand prizes are three mobile 21st-century classrooms. Each classroom includes 20 tablet or notebook computers, an interactive whiteboard, student response system, projector, printer, document camera and $5,000 Discovery Education digital media grant. CDW-G and Discovery Education will also provide on-site training to all Win a Wireless Lab grand-prize winners. Each lab is valued at $50,000.

Accenture Expands CRM And Mobility Businesses

Accenture completed its acquisition of CAS Computer Anwendungs-und Systemberatung AG (CAS), based in Kaiserslautern, Germany. CAS provides CRM and mobility software focused on retail execution and trade promotions for the consumer products industry. Roughly 234 CAS employees based in Germany, the United Kingdom, the U.S. and Australia will join Accenture as a result of the acquisition.