element61, the Performance Management consulting company, intent to acquire privately held VRS Consulting, the Business Intelligence Innovator. Founded in 2001, VRS Consulting built its reputation as a leading implementation partner of SAP Business Intelligence solutions by employing experienced, certified SAP Business Warehouse & SAP Business Intelligence consultants. VRS Consulting has been a frontrunner and innovator, dedicated to SAP Business Intelligence; with a strong focus on customer satisfaction and very specific expertise in SAP BW performance tuning, SAP BW data quality projects and SAP BI governance initiatives. The team has over 30 man-years of SAP Business Intelligence project experience.

“The acquisition of VRS Consulting is key to element61’s strategy to offer end-to-end SAP Enterprise Performance Management and Business Intelligence services” comments Stijn Vermeulen, Managing Director of element61. “With the 2007 acquisitions of Business Objects and Outlooksoft, SAP now is able to offer a complete suite of Performance Management functionality. element61 has been an early adopter by investing in both training and acquiring the right skills and people to be able to design and implement solutions based on the SAP Business Warehouse back-end infrastructure combined with the newly acquired front-end technologies. VRS Consulting extensive SAP BW experience further extends our unique SAP Business Intelligence & Performance Management skillset”.

“By combining forces with element61, we join a company that shares our focus on and passion for Performance Management” said Thierry Helderweirt, founder and Managing Director of VRS Consulting and seasoned Business Intelligence professional with more than 11 years experience.

“We are joining over 155 years of BI & PM expertise and will be able to leverage skills of senior professionals, not only in the areas of the -by SAP acquired- front-end Performance Management applications but also in functional & strategic consulting expertise around Performance Management”.

Upon the close of the acquisition, expected by fall 2009, the VRS Consulting team of 8 people will become part of the SAP Performance Management Competence Center at element61.