Peoria, Ill. (July 15, 2003) -- Clifton Gunderson, one of the nation's best-known super-regional accounting firms, wants to garner the same kind of recognition for its technology consulting operations.
The Peoria, Ill.-based CPA firm, ranked 17th on Accounting Today's Top 100 Firms list with $136.7 million in 2002 revenue, has placed all of its technology consulting operations into Clifton Gunderson Technology Solutions, a new business which will manage and market itself independent of the firm's other practices. Until now, the firm had been marketing technology as one of the many services available from its accounting and assurance services offices.
"There are many good things that a technology practice picks up by being associated with a CPA firm, but technology is a different business than accounting and, as we have gotten bigger, we want to stop running technology as a CPA firm, and start running it as a technology business," said Matt Camden, Clifton Gunderson chief technology officer and head of CGTS.
Plans call for CGTS to become a technology services force throughout CG's market areas, and to be a framework that ensures all of the firm's technology services and products are available at all local offices within the unit. CG launched the new business with a total of 150 employees -- 100 of whom are consultants, and eight partners. The technology plan is similar to a consolidation of financial planning and investment services that CG made in 2001.
The newest combination of offerings could be significant. Clifton Gunderson's technology consulting work spans software, hardware and networks, and caters to 11 different vertical industries. It handles products from several leading developers of software for small and midsize businesses, including Best Software, Microsoft Business Solutions, Intuit and Open Systems, and boasts expertise in seven software specialties -- accounting, human resources, payroll, manufacturing, customer relationship management, security and electronic commerce.
-- John M. Covaleski
