The Australian IT Company That Caught Capgemini's Attention
Empired Limited - Managing Director Russell Baskerville
Empired Limited | Consensus Software Award Winner 2004
In 2004, Empired Limited was recognised by the Consensus Software Awards for its innovation, technical capability and strong commercial potential.
At the time, Empired was an emerging Australian technology company with a clear vision—to help organisations harness technology to improve performance, productivity and long-term business outcomes. Founded in Perth in 1999 with just $10,000 in capital, the business had already begun building a reputation for delivering innovative enterprise technology solutions and exceptional customer service.
The Consensus Awards identified Empired as a company with the capability to become a leader in Australia's rapidly evolving technology sector.
Over the following seventeen years, Empired transformed from a small Western Australian technology business into one of Australia's leading digital transformation and managed technology services companies.
The company expanded throughout Australia and New Zealand, building long-term partnerships with government, enterprise and corporate clients while developing deep expertise across cloud computing, data and analytics, cybersecurity, workplace modernisation and business applications.
Empired also became one of Microsoft's leading partners in the Asia-Pacific region, recognised for delivering complex enterprise technology solutions and helping organisations successfully navigate digital transformation.
Its consistent growth culminated in a listing on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), where the company continued to expand through strategic acquisitions, organic growth and a relentless focus on innovation and customer outcomes.
By 2021, Empired employed more than 1,000 technology professionals and had established itself as one of Australia's most respected technology consulting businesses.
That same year, the company entered a significant new chapter when it was acquired by Capgemini, one of the world's largest consulting, technology services and digital transformation organisations, in a transaction valued at approximately A$233 million.
The acquisition significantly strengthened Capgemini's presence across Australia and New Zealand while recognising the exceptional business Empired had built over more than two decades.
Today, the expertise, people and capabilities developed by Empired continue to support organisations throughout the region as part of the Capgemini Group, which employs more than 340,000 people across more than 50 countries.
The journey of Empired is a powerful reminder that great companies are rarely built overnight.
From a startup launched with just $10,000 to one of Australia's most respected ASX-listed technology companies, Empired demonstrated the vision, resilience and commitment required to build lasting commercial success.
For Consensus, Empired represents exactly the type of organisation the Awards were established to identify—businesses with genuine innovation, exceptional leadership and the potential to become industry leaders.
Long before the acquisition, before the national expansion and before becoming one of Microsoft's most trusted partners, Consensus recognised the potential that already existed within the business.
Empired's journey is not simply an acquisition story.
It is the story of Australian entrepreneurship, sustained innovation and the extraordinary outcomes that can be achieved when great ideas are matched with strong leadership and long-term vision.