PwC to channel Google Apps into heart of enterprise

One of the world's biggest technology companies has struck a channel partnership with the world's second-largest audit firm in a deal that should drive Google Apps deep into the heart of corporate accounts.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has revealed a joint business relationship with Google, spanning productivity and communications apps as well as Google's public cloud.

While the announcement was short on specific detail, it is expected that PwC will resell Google solutions to its customers – no small opportunity for Google, considering PwC claims more than 100,000 clients worldwide, including 90 percent of the FT Global 500 list.

Amit Singh, president of Google for Work, said the partnership "will provide and build solutions to help companies drive transformation and PwC will help bring the best of Google to work".

"As part of this new relationship, PwC will help their clients evaluate and plan their move to the cloud. Any company can benefit from the ability to work better together from anywhere with Drive for Work and Android.

"PwC will also help clients build custom applications and mobile solutions relevant to their industries – improving processes like invoicing and talent management – using Google Cloud Platform," according to the statement.

PwC, a $34 billion-turnover advisory giant, is also practising what it preaches, rolling out Google Apps such as Gmail, Calendar, Hangouts, Drive and Docs to 40,000 employees in the United States and 5,000 here in Australia.

The deal between Google and PwC is just the latest blurring between business consultancy and cloud solutions among major audit firms.

Deloitte – which just pips PwC in revenue, turning over $34.2 billion in 2014 – has been leading the charge, swallowing up a host of Australian software integrators and launching its own cloud platform.

Meanwhile, Accenture has been providing high-end management and technology consultancy to enterprise since 2001, and also operates Avanade, a joint venture with Microsoft.

Microsoft could be seen as the biggest loser out of the Google-PwC deal, considering the Redmond-based vendor's dominant foothold in the corporate world.

PwC also has close ties with the Windows creator, including a strategic alliance based around Microsoft Dynamics ERP, CRM and business intelligence tools announced in 2013.