In a move to strengthen its digital offerings to clients globally, India's third largest IT services company Wipro has acquired US-based design and business consultancy firm Cooper for Rs 56 crore ($ 8.5 million), Business Standard (BS) reported on Thursday.
The roadmap laid down by Wipro's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abidali Neemuchwala is mandated to gain more expertise in digital offerings and focus on higher revenue earnings. This acquisition is in line with the company's strategy, as Cooper will be integrated with Wipro's digital arm — Designit.
Founders of US-based Cooper, Sue Cooper and Alan Cooper will join Wipro to push the company's aggressive digital strategy.
The US firm is highly credited for inventing tools and innovative approaches used in design, which include the Goal-Directed Design method and personas as a practical interaction design tool, the Economic Times reported.
"Designit and Cooper are a perfect match. Both companies are passionate about creating products, experiences, and systems that matter and are high-impact and strategic. As a combined force with Wipro, we'll take our clients to new places, and help them think like a startup again," ET quoted a statement by Mikal Hallstrup, founder and Global CEO of Designit.
With this acquisition, Wipro expands its reach in the North American market by adding capabilities in professional design education by getting access to Cooper's offices in New York and San Francisco.
"With Cooper, an acknowledged leader and pioneer in the design community with roots on the East and West coasts, we will now be the pre-eminent firm for world-class UX (User Experience) and interaction design. This, coupled with Designit's global strategic design services and our world-class engineering capability, will allow us to support the complete digital journey for our clients, helping them transform their businesses for the future," Rajan Kohli, Global Head and Senior Vice-President, Wipro Digital, was quoted in the statement.
"Designit and Cooper share a strikingly similar culture and a shared passion for turning complex problems into solutions people love," Alan Cooper, co-founder of Cooper, was quoted saying in the statement.
Earlier in 2015, Wipro acquired Designit for Rs 595 crore to add design and digital technology capabilities. Currently, Designit serve clients from across 16 offices in different markets, BS reported.
