Accenture and Deloitte expand their digital businesses in Hungary

Accenture and Deloitte are expanding in Hungary. While Accenutre is looking to add 200 new professionals to its team in the country this year, mainly in its technology and digital arms, Deloitte recently opened a new Cyber Security Center to serve the rapidly growing Central European market for information security services.

Despite a turbulent political environment, Eastern Europe's consulting market has recorded solid growth for a number of years. It has surpassed a total value of €1.1 billion, and despite geopolitical tensions and mixed signals from governments and corporates, the outlook has continued to look positive for the steadily developing economies, thanks to the rapidly evolving technology sectors in the region.

As a result, the consulting industry as a whole has been working to expand into the growing locale. In recent months, this has seen global consulting firms Accenture and Deloitte both bolster their presences in Eastern Europe. In May 2017, Big Four professional services firm Deloitte opened its first and only European regional service centre in Romania. The new location announced plans to employ 800 by 2020, following its opening. Then, in November, Accenture opened a new Business Process Outsourcing Centre in Brasov, Romania, unveiling plans to employ some 100 people the coming year. Following those projects, the duo have both expanded their businesses into neighbouring Hungary.

Accenture adds to Hungarian headcount

Accenture is expanding its Technology Services and Digital capabilities in Hungary via the new Accenture Advanced Technology Center in Budapest. After hiring an additional 150 employees in Hungary last year, the local unit of global professional services firm Accenture is looking at hiring a further 200 in 2018.

The new Váci Greens location in Budapest is part of the Accenture Global Delivery Network and will offer a collaborative environment with access to a global network of Accenture professionals, especially in North America and Western Europe, according to a release from the firm. As of January 2018, all of Accenture’s Technology Delivery Centers – part of the Accenture Global Delivery Network, with 318,000 professionals in more than 50 centers – will become Advanced Technology Centers, emphasising an increased focus on innovation and new advanced technologies.

Accenture currently employs approximately 350 professionals in Hungary, located at two offices in Budapest, delivering services and solutions in consulting, digital, technology and operations, with a focus mainly in Europe. Now, recruiting efforts to bring a further 200 on board will focus on university graduates and local professionals, contributing to Accentureʼs global goal of a gender-balanced workforce, with 50% women and 50% men by 2025.

Deloitte expands Cyber Security offering

Following a troublesome 2017 for Deloitte’s Cyber Security offering, when news broke that the firm had itself been the victim of a high-profile hack, the world’s largest Cyber Security consultancy has focused on growing its offering in Hungary. The firm’s new Cyber Intelligence Center (CIC), in Budapest, will serve the Central European region. The centre was built in response to the growing demand for managed cyber-security services, Deloitte said.

Deloitte uses its network of 1,200 cyber security professionals in the EMEA region to support organisations in becoming secure, vigilant and resilient. The new dedicated center has now made these capabilities available to Hungary and other countries in Central Europe, notes the press release.

The Budapest CIC becomes the latest wing of Deloitte’s global network of more than 20 similar centres, which operate in priority locations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia and Pacific regions offering 24-hour security services. The center will employ a staff of 40 to provide services for 18 countries in the region, and will be supported by Deloitteʼs CIC in Madrid, which operates with a staff of 200, according to a report by Hungarian news wire MTI.

Artur Monteiro, Director of Deloitteʼs Cyber Intelligence Center in Central Europe, said, “In the past few months, we have worked closely with several organisations in the region to help them cope with incidents targeting their clients and their operational infrastructure. The emerging risks urge Hungarian companies to change from a reactive security model into one based on intelligence and modern services.”