PricewaterhouseCoopers Buys Stake in Belgian Web Designer

With the goal of adding an e- before its consulting services, PricewaterhouseCoopers Thursday acquired a 50 percent stake in a Belgium Web design company.

The professional services giant bought Evisor for an undisclosed sum. The design firm specialized in Web design and e-commerce applications, as well as Internet consulting.

The two companies aim to combine skills and offer customized solutions to businesses with an eye on the Web. PwC also expects to draw upon Evisor’s experience in application programming and Web design as part of its drive to add total Net business solutions to its portfolio of global management consulting services.

Evisor expects that PwC’s consulting skills and ERP installation base will also serve to enhance Evisor’s consulting services and integrated e-business solutions, the company’s founders, Lode Vandermeulen and Jan Teblick, stated in a report.

Through the deal, PwC also expects to tag up another local support to its overall European operations.

“In a recent survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, we found that only 11 percent of Europe’s largest organizations have fully implemented e-business solutions. This number is small compared to companies based in other markets such as the U.S. where e-business is further developed,” said Andy Zimmerman, PricewaterhouseCoopers’ global e-business leader at its management consulting services practice.

Zimmerman added that PwC believes that Evisor has mastered the ability to “recognize the challenges facing European companies.”