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Deloitte Acquires Northern Ireland Digital Transformation Firm Etain

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 02: The Deloitte offices stand in 2 New Square on October 2, 2018 in London, England. The government has called for a review of the British auditing industry after a series of scandals including the collapses of Carillion and BHS revealed serious failures in the auditing process. The ‘Big Four’ accountin...

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 02: The Deloitte offices stand in 2 New Square on October 2, 2018 in London, England. The government has called for a review of the British auditing industry after a series of scandals including the collapses of Carillion and BHS revealed serious failures in the auditing process. The ‘Big Four’ accounting firms, which are Deloitte, PwC, Ernst & Young (EY) and KPMG audit the large majority of the UK’s largest listed companies. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Deloitte has acquired Northern Ireland-based Etain, and will integrate the data and digital transformation specialist firm with Deloitte’s Consulting practice. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

This is technology M&A deal number 173 that ChannelE2E has covered so far in 2022. See more than 1,000 technology M&A deals for 2022, 2021, and 2020 listed here.

Deloitte Consulting to Acquire Etain

Founded in 1999, with offices in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Etain has around 70 employees, including data engineers, cloud developers and technical solution architects who deliver data and digital applications as well as bespoke software solutions, according to the company's website. The business has completed over 400 digital transformation projects for a wide range of organizations across both the private and public sector, according to a statement from Deloitte about the acquisition.

This acquisition will double the size of Deloitte’s AI and data solutions practice in Belfast, creating Northern Ireland’s largest AI and data practice. This will enable the firm to devise, deliver and run more ambitious data and digital transformation programs across the UK, Deloitte said.

Deloitte Acquires Etain: Executive Commentary

Anne-Marie Malley, managing partner, Deloitte
Anne-Marie Malley, managing partner for consulting, Deloitte
Peter Shields, director, Etain

Anne-Marie Malley, managing partner for consulting at Deloitte, said:

“From advancing healthcare discoveries to transforming well-worn legal processes, AI and data solutions are allowing businesses to break incredible boundaries. Doubling the size of Deloitte’s AI and data solutions practice in Belfast by adding Etain’s deep technical expertise will allow us to grow the scale and sophistication of the projects that we deliver. Ultimately, this will equip UK organisations with unrivalled expertise in AI and data, sparking new innovation and bolstering business resilience within fiercely competitive global market conditions.”

Peter Shields, director of Etain, added:

“Since launching Etain more than two decades ago, the number of organisations turning to us to create bespoke solutions to solve their most pressing challenges has continued to grow. Working as part of Deloitte will allow us to grow the scale of the projects that we undertake, bolstering our team’s skills in building intricate software solutions with rich data expertise and an extensive global network.”

Danny McConnell, lead consulting partner for Deloitte in Northern Ireland, concluded:

“Belfast has established itself as a dynamic hub for innovation, with a strong reputation for business, technology and new software development, in particular. We’re continuing to invest in the rejuvenation of the city, which is among the fastest growing technology capitals in Europe. Growing our Belfast Technology Studio with the acquisition of Etain, at completion, will enhance the culture, capability and creativity of this team and ensure that we are working with the very best talent within the city’s burgeoning technology community.”

Deloitte's Digital Hubs in the UK

Deloitte has placed an emphasis on growing its technology-focused hubs across the UK over the last few years. In addition to Belfast, the firm has opened hubs in Bristol, Edinburgh and Reading over the past seven years to meet the growing demand for digital support, the company said in the statement.

The company's Belfast Technology Studio plays a leading role in the development of AI, data solutions and analytics and employs more than 1,000 people across two offices in the city center.

Sharon Florentine

Sharon manages day-to-day content on ChannelE2E and serves as Editorial Director for CyberRisk Alliance’s Channel Brands. She also covers enterprise-class technology companies, strategic alliances and channel partner strategies. Sharon is a veteran tech journalist and editor with more than 25 years experience in the industry, and has previously held key editorial, content and leadership positions at Techstrong Group, CIO.com, Ziff Davis Enterprise and CRN.

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