Accenture to Acquire Ookla to Strengthen Network Intelligence and Experience with Data and AI For Enterprises

Key Terms

5g technical

5G is the fifth generation of wireless technology that provides faster internet connections, lower latency, and greater capacity than previous networks. It enables quicker downloads, smoother streaming, and more reliable connections for devices. For investors, 5G represents a significant upgrade in technology infrastructure that can drive growth in related industries such as smartphones, smart cities, and the Internet of Things.

wi-fi technical

Wireless networking technology that lets devices connect to the internet and each other without cables, acting like an invisible bridge between phones, computers, sensors and routers. Investors care because Wi‑Fi influences how products and services are used, how much equipment and infrastructure companies must build or upgrade, and where revenue or costs may shift — stronger or wider Wi‑Fi can boost customer engagement, enable new services, and create security and regulatory risks that affect valuations.

ai technical

Artificial intelligence (AI) is technology that enables machines to mimic human thinking and learning, allowing them to analyze information, recognize patterns, and make decisions. For investors, AI matters because it can improve how businesses operate, create new products, or identify opportunities faster and more accurately than humans alone, potentially impacting company success and market trends.

hyperscalers technical

Hyperscalers are large technology companies that operate massive computing networks and data centers to provide cloud services, data storage, and online infrastructure at an enormous scale. They are essential to the digital economy because they enable businesses and organizations to handle vast amounts of data and run complex applications efficiently. For investors, hyperscalers represent powerful engines of growth and innovation in the technology sector.

edge data centers technical

Edge data centers are small, local computer hubs placed close to where digital activity happens—near neighborhoods, factories, or cell towers—so data can be processed nearby instead of traveling to a distant main center. For investors, they matter because they reduce delays and bandwidth costs for services like streaming, industrial sensors, and real‑time apps, creating new revenue opportunities and different capital or operating cost profiles compared with traditional large data centers.

quality of service (qos) technical

Quality of service (QoS) describes how reliably and quickly a network or service delivers data and functions—think of it as a restaurant's consistency in serving dishes on time and correctly. For investors, QoS indicates whether a company can meet customer expectations, retain users, and avoid costly outages or penalties; strong QoS supports steady revenue and growth, while poor QoS risks lost customers, reputational harm, and added expenses.

radio frequency (rf) technical

Radio frequency (RF) describes the range of electromagnetic waves used to carry wireless signals and transfer energy over the air, similar to lanes on a highway that different devices use to send and receive information. It matters to investors because RF technology and access to specific frequency bands affect the performance, cost and regulatory compliance of companies in wireless communications, consumer electronics, medical devices and industrial equipment, influencing product competitiveness and revenue potential.

quality of experience (qoe) technical

Quality of experience (QoE) is a measure of how satisfied real users are with a digital service—for example a video call, streaming video, mobile app, or telehealth visit—based on what they actually perceive: speed, clarity, reliability and ease of use. Think of it as the difference between raw ingredients and the enjoyment of a finished meal. For investors, QoE matters because it drives customer retention, usage and revenue, indicates where companies must spend to fix problems, and can signal competitive or regulatory risk.

BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has entered into an agreement to acquire Ookla, a global leader in network intelligence, competitive benchmarking and customer experience analytics. By integrating Ookla’s data products, including Speedtest®, Downdetector®, Ekahau®, and RootMetrics®, Accenture will help Communications Service Providers (CSPs), hyperscalers, and enterprises optimize the mission-critical Wi-Fi and 5G networks that power their digital core.

Accenture has entered into an agreement to acquire Ookla, a global leader in network intelligence, competitive benchmarking and customer experience analytics.

Network data is no longer just a lifeline for the telecoms industry; it now creates significant value across all sectors. As AI scales, the insights captured at the network, device, and application layers are essential to enhance fraud prevention in banking, smart home analytics in utilities, and traffic optimization in retail. Ookla’s platform, which captures more than 1,000 attributes per test, provides the foundation for these insights.

“Modern networks have evolved from simple infrastructure into business-critical platforms,” said Julie Sweet, chair and CEO, Accenture. “Without the ability to measure performance, organizations cannot optimize experience, revenue, or security. By acquiring Ookla, we will help our clients across business and government scale AI safely and build the trusted data foundations they need to deliver the reliable, seamless connectivity that creates value.”

Headquartered in Seattle, Ookla operates a portfolio of globally recognized brands in connectivity. This deep technical visibility is essential for:

• CSPs: Autonomous networks enhance benchmarking and capital planning by leveraging real-time data, predictive simulations, and AI-driven insights to optimize infrastructure investments and significantly reduce operational costs.
• Hyperscalers and Cloud Providers: To ensure the resilience of AI infrastructure and edge data centers which deliver most of the inference workloads.
• Enterprises: To design and troubleshoot mission-critical private 5G and Wi-Fi networks using Ekahau’s specialized hardware and software.

“With the Ookla portfolio, we will offer end-to-end network intelligence services essential for AI-based transformation,” said Manish Sharma, chief strategy and services officer, Accenture. “Speedtest and RootMetrics define the experience; Downdetector identifies incidents faster; and Ekahau drives digital workplace transformation through superior Wi-Fi. In an era of omni-channel and agentic access, low-latency, zero-friction connectivity is a competitive necessity, and these tools give enterprises the power to build the high-performance environments they need.”

Founded in 2006 and a division of Ziff Davis, Inc., Ookla’s team of approximately 430 experts specializes in software engineering, radio frequency engineering and data science. Ookla’s data platform is anchored by more than 250 million consumer-initiated tests per month, complemented by controlled drive, walk, and embedded testing options. Together, these elements deliver a rich and resilient combination of quality of service (QoS), radio frequency (RF) signal data, and quality of experience (QoE) insights that answer more connectivity questions and drive better business outcomes.

“Joining Accenture will allow us to scale our premiere network data business across the world’s largest enterprises and accelerate our goal of creating better connected experiences,” said Stephen Bye, CEO, Ookla. “Our combined capabilities will enable us to more effectively serve CSPs, AI infrastructure providers, edge data centers and enterprise networks. Together, we will redefine how the world measures, understands and experiences connectivity.”

The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of required regulatory approvals. Terms of the transaction will not be disclosed by Accenture.

About Accenture
Accenture is a leading solutions and services company that helps the world’s leading enterprises reinvent by building their digital core and unleashing the power of AI to create value at speed across the enterprise, bringing together the talent of our approximately 784,000 people, our proprietary assets and platforms, and deep ecosystem relationships. Our strategy is to be the reinvention partner of choice for our clients and to be the most client-focused, AI-enabled, great place to work in the world. Through our Reinvention Services we bring together our capabilities across strategy, consulting, technology, operations, Song and Industry X with our deep industry expertise to create and deliver solutions and services for our clients. Our purpose is to deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity, and we measure our success by the 360° value we create for all our stakeholders. Visit us at accenture.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “likely,” “anticipates,” “aspires,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “positioned,” “outlook,” “goal,” “target” and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance nor promises that goals or targets will be met, and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These risks include, without limitation, risks that: Accenture and Ookla will not be able to close the transaction in the time period anticipated, or at all, which is dependent on the parties’ ability to satisfy certain closing conditions; the transaction might not achieve the anticipated benefits for Accenture; Accenture’s results of operations have been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by volatile, negative or uncertain economic and geopolitical conditions and the effects of these conditions on the company’s clients’ businesses and levels of business activity; Accenture’s business depends on generating and maintaining client demand for the company’s services and solutions including through the adaptation and expansion of its services and solutions in response to ongoing changes in technology and offerings, and a significant reduction in such demand or an inability to respond to the evolving technological environment could materially affect the company’s results of operations; risks and uncertainties related to the development and use of AI could harm the company’s business, damage its reputation or give rise to legal or regulatory action; if Accenture is unable to match people and their skills with client demand around the world and attract and retain professionals with strong leadership skills, the company’s business, the utilization rate of the company’s professionals and the company’s results of operations may be materially adversely affected; Accenture faces legal, reputational and financial risks from any failure to protect client and/or company data from security incidents or cyberattacks; the markets in which Accenture operates are highly competitive, and Accenture might not be able to compete effectively; Accenture’s ability to attract and retain business and employees may depend on its reputation in the marketplace; if Accenture does not successfully manage and develop its relationships with key ecosystem partners or fails to anticipate and establish new alliances in new technologies, the company’s results of operations could be adversely affected; Accenture’s profitability could materially suffer due to pricing pressure, if the company is unable to remain competitive, if its cost-management strategies are unsuccessful or if it experiences delivery inefficiencies or fail to satisfy certain agreed-upon targets or specific service levels; changes in Accenture’s level of taxes, as well as audits, investigations and tax proceedings, or changes in tax laws or in their interpretation or enforcement, could have a material adverse effect on the company’s effective tax rate, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition; Accenture’s results of operations could be materially adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; Accenture’s debt obligations could adversely affect its business and financial condition; changes to accounting standards or in the estimates and assumptions Accenture makes in connection with the preparation of its consolidated financial statements could adversely affect its financial results; as a result of Accenture’s geographically diverse operations and strategy to continue to grow in key markets around the world, the company is more susceptible to certain risks; if Accenture is unable to manage the organizational challenges associated with its size, the company might be unable to achieve its business objectives; Accenture might not be successful at acquiring, investing in or integrating businesses, entering into joint ventures or divesting businesses; Accenture’s business could be materially adversely affected if the company incurs legal liability; Accenture’s work with government clients exposes the company to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment; Accenture’s global operations expose the company to numerous and sometimes conflicting legal and regulatory requirements; if Accenture is unable to protect or enforce its intellectual property rights or if Accenture’s services or solutions infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or the company loses its ability to utilize the intellectual property of others, its business could be adversely affected; Accenture may be subject to criticism and negative publicity related to its incorporation in Ireland; as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the “Risk Factors” heading in Accenture plc’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated in Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the second quarter of fiscal 2025, and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accenture’s expectations.

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Molly McDonagh

Accenture

+44 7825 023 622

molly.mcdonagh@accenture.com

Hannah Unkefer

Accenture

+1 206 839 2172

hannah.m.unkefer@accenture.com

Source: Accenture