Armanino McKenna LLP Accelerates Growth of Information Technology Practice; Thibault Associates Merges with East Bay's Largest Accounting Firm, Creating a Significantly Expanded IT Consulting Team.

SAN RAMON, Calif. & PLEASANT HILL, Calif. -- Armanino McKenna LLP (www.amllp.com), one of the largest accounting and consulting firms in California and a top 100 firm nationally, announced it has joined forces with Thibault Associates, Inc. (TAI) (www.thibault.com), one of the largest independently owned resellers of computer hardware and software in Northern California and a network integration and support specialist.

The transaction, effective August 1, 2005, creates a new IT consulting practice which will include more than 40 professionals, making it one of the largest full-service IT consulting practices of any accounting firm in California. The majority of TAI's employees will transition to Armanino McKenna's headquarters in San Ramon. Terms and value of the deal were not disclosed.

"This is our third merger in 2005 and we want the market to know that we are making a strategic commitment to offering a broader depth of services to our clients," says Managing Partner Andy Armanino. "We are not aware of any other accounting firm in California that is now as equipped as we are to provide turnkey enterprise technology solutions for business clients in the mid-market to large corporate market segments."

The combined group will be certified by such providers as Microsoft, Best Software, Hewlett-Packard, Cisco, Citrix and many others.

Tom Mescall, managing director, IT Solutions for Armanino McKenna, stresses that the merger adds three new client advantages:

--Expansion of the Microsoft Business Solutions practice, including Great Plains and CRM.

--Increased capabilities for network design, hardware installation and IT security.

--Increased programming skills for web-based projects.

"Our IT clients now have a larger pool of resources for systems implementation, programming and IT consulting to ultimately help them extract the full power of their hardware and software to increase business efficiency," says Mescall. "Having a full range of services will allow us to bring more solutions to our clients in a much more efficient way."

TAI President Tom Thibault says that joining forces with Armanino McKenna adds depth for TAI clients by offering an expanded knowledge base and leveraging the business acumen of CPAs.

He adds that according to a recent Bay Area survey Armanino McKenna was ranked one of the best places to work in the Bay Area and the merger gives TAI employees a great foundation to be a part of. "Armanino McKenna is a growing firm with a reputation for quality and a desirable workplace," he says. "Both our clients and our employees are big winners in this deal."

Microsoft Business Solutions, maker of Great Plains accounting software is upbeat about the combination, says Jeff Young, general manager, Microsoft Business Solutions. "Both TAI and Armanino McKenna have been important resellers of Microsoft Great Plains over the years," he says. "The bringing together of these two leading reselling partners is good news for our mutual customers in Northern California."

As an HP PartnerONE Gold level authorized channel partner, TAI maintains a direct VAR relationship with HP and ranks among a select group of channel partners for the computer maker. As a high-volume reseller of HP servers, notebook and desktop PCs, printers and other equipment, TAI has deep expertise in the hardware maker's products. "The Hewlett-Packard platform is the gold standard for mid-size and large businesses," says Thibault.

HP strongly supports the value-added reseller model and the use of channel partners as local experts delivering technology solutions to clients, says Tom LaRocca, vice president of partner development and programs at HP. "HP has enjoyed a solid relationship with TAI and this merger offers new opportunities for Armanino McKenna business customers," LaRocca says.

About Armanino McKenna LLP

Armanino McKenna LLP (www.amllp.com) is one of the largest accounting and consulting firms in California and a top 100 firm nationally in terms of annual revenue. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the 52-year-old firm specializes in serving the accounting and consulting needs of technology companies, waste management companies, non-profit organizations, manufacturing and distribution companies, healthcare businesses and organizations, and educational institutions. Armanino McKenna employs 178 professionals and staff at its headquarters in San Ramon, as well as offices in San Francisco, San Leandro, San Jose and San Diego, California.

About TAI

Thibault Associates, Inc. (TAI) is a systems integrator located in the East Bay suburbs of San Francisco, California. TAI launched operations in 1988 and specializes in selling and supporting premium quality computer equipment, components and software. TAI employs system engineers, technicians and programmers certified by Microsoft, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, Citrix and Cisco.