History

Keane today reflects the successful marriage of thousands of individuals, hundreds of clients, tens of locations, two companies, and one vision aimed at transforming the business and IT services industry.  

It is a story that began 42 years ago with the founding of Keane and now enters its most exciting chapter via the Caritor acquisition.  As the new Keane organization moves forward, it will continue to draw upon its rich past – full of invaluable experiences, innovations, and insights – to help clients meet their business and IT goals. 

Keane’s Steady Evolution
In 1965, John Keane left IBM and founded Keane, helping to pioneer the IT services market.  By the end of the decade Keane boasted 100 employees and several offices in New England. 

In the 70s, Keane expanded rapidly, becoming a public company, and building an IT outsourcing practice for the healthcare sector.  During this time, Keane also established and expanded its project management capabilities, creating a reputation as the company that delivered projects on time, within budget, and without surprises.

Keane continued its rapid growth in the 80s and 90s via a series of acquisitions, as well as geographic expansion throughout the US and into Canada, the UK, and India.  In addition to providing premier Y2K services, Keane introduced new offerings – software reengineering, application maintenance, and business consulting services – that increased mindshare and market performance.

Global growth became a Keane hallmark in the new century, as Keane added several application development centers in India, key acquisitions in architecture and testing services, and a BPO capability that expanded the firm’s portfolio to include both business and IT solutions. 

Caritor’s Rapid Rise
Caritor (originally named IT Solutions) was founded in 1993 by Mani Subramanian – now the chairman and CEO of Keane – in San Ramon, CA.  Mani, an experienced engineer with a post-graduate diploma in business administration, immigrated to the United States in the fall of 1992.
 
With $150,000 in start-up capital, the former president of Wipro Systems set out to create a next-generation software and solutions company – an enduring global IT institution with the ability to forge strong client relationships, create leaders, and affect the lives of people over generations.  Mani felt strongly about building a company with a value proposition based on a global sourcing model and grounded in accountability. With more than 22 years of solid management experience under his belt – first at the Tata Group, where he expanded its IT services into other countries, and later at Wipro, where he increased revenue more than 400 percent in three years – Mani was prepared to make his vision a reality.

By 2005, Caritor had achieved impressive growth, secured private investment from Citigroup for joint strategic initiatives, acquired five companies, and expanded its geographic reach to Australia, Canada, France, India, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, UAE, and the United Kingdom. 

In 2007, Caritor acquired Keane, Inc., a leading provider of business and IT services with nearly a billion dollars in revenue and a marquis brand.  A transformational event for the IT services industry, Caritor’s acquisition of Keane creates a company of more than $1 billion in annual revenue and 14,000-plus professionals in 10 countries.

A Bright Future
The new Keane organization is uniquely positioned to become clients’ transformational partner of choice.  With an intense focus on building satisfying and enduring client relationships, Keane is investing in the development and delivery of innovative vertical market solutions that help clients recognize rapid, dramatic transformation of their critical IT and business functions.  Keane backs these solutions with its track record of results delivery, a fast and flexible global sourcing model, value-adding industry partnerships, and disciplined program management approaches.