By: LInda Rosencrance
Microsoft Gold Certified Partner BDO Canada LLP, a Canadian accounting and advisory firm, has merged with Etelligent Solutions Inc. (ESI), a Canadian consulting firm and Microsoft Gold Partner, effective December 16, 2016 . BDO Canada is a member of UK-based BDO International Limited.
BDO’s IT solutions practice “helps organizations align technology to their overall business strategies using Microsoft technology,” as the company described in a press release about the merger. BDO Solutions specializes in implementing Microsoft Dynamics AX, GP, NAV, CRM and business analytics.
BDO Solutions has been named Microsoft Dynamics Canadian Partner of the Year Award three times and is a member of the Microsoft Dynamics President’s Club and Inner Circle.
BDO expects the addition of ESI offices in Calgary and Edmonton, all specializing in Dynamics GP, NAV and CRM, to strengthen BDO’s IT solutions practice. Merging with ESI will “create one of the more experienced consulting teams in Canada,” with over 60 professionals serving Alberta and specifically the Edmonton-Red Deer-Calgary corridor, officials stated.
Through its mergers BDO states that it focuses on acquiring the best talent, with knowledge and expertise in key markets across Canada. ESI’s staff includes financial consultants, project managers, business analysts, technical specialists and support staff.
Since ESI was founded in 2000, the company “has developed into a trusted Microsoft Solutions partner,” stated Jim Krahn, managing partner of BDO’s Calgary office. “Their status as a Microsoft Gold Partner speaks not only to their technical knowledge, but also to the quality of their staff. We look forward to working together to deliver high quality services as we meet the needs of our clients.”
ESI’s Calgary and Edmonton offices will work with BDO’s existing offices in those markets. ESI expertise complements BDO’s current offerings by adding more professionals to BDO’s IT Solutions practice, BDO officials said.
This is the second merger for BDO in the past two years for BDO. In April 2015, BDO Solutions merged with Systemgroup Consulting Inc., which now operates under the BDO name, bringing an expanded range of services and resources to the Greater Toronto Area and across Canada.
In October of last year, BDO USA LLP (part of the international BDO network) joined forces with Microsoft to bring cloud accounting services to midmarket clients. At that time, the companies announced BDODrive, a new and integrated solution for financial management, accounting services and business intelligence that leverages Dynamics NAV, Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Azure.
In February of 2016, BDO Solutions achieved Microsoft Gold Cloud CRM Competency, and announced a new senior manager for its Dynamics CRM practice.