Accenture Credit Services has been a success story since its launch in 2011: it currently serves over 100 lending institutions globally worldwide. Growth has been driven by acquisition: the unit was launched following Accenture's acquisition of Zenta, a provider of residential and commercial mortgage processing services in the U.S. And last month, Accenture acquired Mortgage Cadence, a mortgage loan origination ISV in the U.S. market. Today’s announcement marks the next stage of growth: expansion into a fast-growth emerging market.

The Brazilian market is particularly important both as the largest economy in Latin America and as a gateway country to other Latin American countries (due to Brazil having many of the same lenders and regulatory thought leadership for the rest of Latin America). Because Accenture's credit services are focused on loan origination, this market entry should help propel Brazil's overall mortgage market growth.

Accenture is looking to replicate the success of Accenture Credit Services in the capital markets sector, last month launching a post-trade securities processing business with Soc Gen as the foundation client.

It has not experienced a similar level of success in insurance industry-specific BPO in recent years, though acquisitions such as Duck Creek would indicate this was the ambition.

(NelsonHall recently published a comprehensive Key Vendor Assessment on Accenture, available to subscribers.)