Accenture wins QBE work

in brief IT services titan has won a five-year deal to provide the European division of insurance giant QBE with application development and maintenance services.

A statement distributed by Accenture said the outsourcing agreement would help the insurer accelerate its current business transformation program, which it said was designed to boost operational efficiency and improve service levels to customers as well as partners like brokers.

"Accenture will also provide a change management program to QBE to help accelerate the roll-out of the insurer's core underwriting systems, improve its underwriting front-end and simplify its IT infrastructure," said the IT services company.

An Accenture spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on what, if any, relationship there was between the Australian head office of QBE and Accenture. Not much is known about how QBE supports its operations through technology. MIS Magazine has reported that the insurer has a relationship with troubled Indian outsourcer Satyam, as well as with Acer on desktop and server hardware.