OREANDA-NEWS. NTT DATA, Inc., a leading IT services provider, announced a definitive agreement to acquire Optimal Solutions Integration, Inc. (Optimal), an award-winning SAP(r) services partner headquartered in Irving, Texas, and one of the largest firms in North America focused exclusively on SAP solutions and services. The acquisition further strengthens NTT DATA's ability to accelerate the near and long-term value companies can gain from their SAP investments.

NTT DATA is a leading global provider of SAP lifecycle services spanning key industry segments for both mid-size and large enterprises. As part of NTT DATA's strategy to continue accelerating its global business growth, the acquisition of Optimal will fortify NTT DATA's existing North American SAP consulting, deployment and application management business which has been experiencing double-digit growth.  

"Optimal complements and brings further innovation to support the growing market demand for emerging technologies in the SAP space such as HANA, big data, analytics, mobility, and cloud, areas where NTT DATA is heavily focused today," stated Robb Rasmussen, President of NTT DATA's Enterprise Services.  "Optimal is well-respected in the SAP ecosystem and brings business process expertise in industries such as Consumer, Retail, Wholesale and Distribution, Mining, Public Sector, and Manufacturing."

Optimal offers a broad range of planning, implementation, and maintenance services for the SAP product suite.  These services, in addition to a diverse collection of SAP-based accelerated implementation solutions, serve to enhance NTT DATA's existing portfolio of SAP lifecycle management, technical and functional expertise, experienced offshore capabilities, accelerators, and industry solutions.

Clients of both companies gain enhanced SAP-related innovation through the unique combination of Optimal's Lab in Irving, NTT DATA's Solution Lab in Hyderabad, India, and the new NTT Group Innovation Institute in Silicon Valley. Optimal clients will be able to leverage NTT DATA's extensive global reach and gain access to the expanded set of IT services from NTT DATA and its sister NTT Group companies.   

"This combination is all about growth," said Gurvendra Suri, CEO of Optimal. "We are very excited to bring our SAP expertise to NTT DATA to strengthen its leadership position in the market. This combination strengthens an already robust SAP services portfolio, providing more options for our clients and opening up new opportunities to expand and innovate in ways others cannot."

Today, NTT DATA boasts SAP-related revenues exceeding \\$1B annually, which expands further with Optimal's 2012 fiscal year revenue of \\$153M.  With the acquisition expected to close in early 2014, NTT DATA will have approximately 7,500 SAP professionals, including more than 950 from Optimal.