Wipro said it has agreed to acquire US-based design consultancy Cooper, without disclosing the financial details.
“Headquartered in San Francisco, Cooper has been a leading brand in interaction design, UX and professional design education for more than 25 years,” the Indian IT company said.
Founded by Sue Cooper and Alan Cooper, the ‘Father of Visual Basic,’ the consultancy is credited with inventing many tools and approaches used in design, including the Goal-Directed Design method and personas as a practical interaction design tool, Wipro said.
The deal is expected to be closed in the third quarter of fiscal 2017-18.
Cooper employs 35 people in offices in San Francisco and New York and provides consulting and training services to top brands including Fortune 500 companies, non-profits and government agencies.
For 25+ years, Cooper has worked with thousands of top clients in virtually every industry and vertical, the company said.
It will be part of Wipro Digital, and within it, part of Designit, Wipro Digital’s design services unit. Designit has a team of 500+ designers, researchers and business designers across 14 offices worldwide and helps clients design products, services and experiences.
Wipro said the move will strengthen the company’s design and innovation capabilities, expand its reach in North America and add capabilities in professional design education.
“Increasingly, global enterprise clients recognize that design is a critical part of any digital or business transformation. By adding Cooper’s skills and expertise, Wipro will be better positioned to support its clients’ digital programs,” it said.
“Our combined capability across design, strategy and technology gives us a unique platform for working side-by-side with clients on the entirety of their digital initiatives,” said Rajan Kohli, Global Head and Senior Vice President, Wipro Digital.
“With Cooper, an acknowledged leader and pioneer in the design community with roots on the East and West coast, we will now be the preeminent firm for world-class UX (User Experience) and interaction design.”
Wipro Digital and Designit have 16 offices around the world.
“Designit and Cooper share a strikingly similar culture and a shared passion for turning complex problems into solutions people love,” said Alan Cooper, Co-Founder of Cooper.
Wipro has over 160,000 employees across six continents and its unit Wipro Digital offers strategy, design and technology services.