To make Accenture even more relevant and competitive, we continue to invest aggressively across the company—both organically and through strategic acquisitions. In fiscal 2017, we significantly stepped up our pace of acquisitions, deploying approximately $1.7 billion across 37 transactions—nearly twice our investment in fiscal 2016—with the majority of our acquisitions in the New.
For Accenture, acquisitions are an engine to drive organic growth by enhancing our differentiation in the marketplace. In fiscal 2017, key acquisitions in digital included SinnerSchrader, a digital agency in Germany, and Paris-based OCTO Technology, a leading digital consulting firm. In cloud, we acquired DayNine, one of the largest providers of Workday solutions, and Phase One, a leader in Salesforce solutions for US federal clients. And in security, we acquired Arismore, a French company specializing in identity and access management, and iDefense, a cyber threat intelligence business.
We strengthened our capabilities in New IT, including Agile development methodologies, with the acquisitions of SolutionsIQ in the United States and Concrete Solutions in Brazil. In addition, we continue to build our expertise in key industries with acquisitions such as Kurt Salmon in retail, InvestTech in capital markets, and Seabury Group in aviation.
We also continue to make significant investments in our unique Accenture Innovation Architecture. Leveraging specialized capabilities across the company—from research, ventures and labs to studios, innovation centers and delivery centers—we are pioneering new ways of collaborating with clients to co-create, scale and deliver disruptive, cutting-edge solutions.
As part of our innovation-led approach, we continue to open new facilities around the world. In fiscal 2017, we opened 16 Liquid Studios—where we accelerate software development—and eight delivery centers as well as innovation hubs in Bengaluru and Houston, which bring together multiple elements of our Innovation Architecture.
We also opened The Dock in Dublin, a multidisciplinary research and incubation hub, where the entire Innovation Architecture comes to life. The Dock is a launch pad for more than 200 designers, developers, researchers and experts in artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, augmented reality and the Internet of Things to create and rapidly prototype innovative solutions for our clients.
Accenture Labs, which celebrated its 30th anniversary during the year, is applying technology not just for clients, but also to solve complex social challenges through its “Tech4Good” initiative. Our team in Bengaluru developed an artificial intelligence smartphone solution that delivers real-time narration to help the blind navigate the world and live more productive lives.