Accenture announced it has entered an agreement to purchase Ookla, the company behind widely used platforms such as Speedtest and Downdetector, from Ziff Davis for $1.2 billion cash.
The move highlights the growing importance of network data as enterprises scale artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and next generation connectivity.
TL;DR
- Accenture agreed to acquire Ookla from Ziff Davis for $1.2 billion in cash.
- Ookla owns widely used connectivity platforms including Speedtest, Downdetector, Ekahau, and RootMetrics.
- Accenture plans to integrate Ookla’s data into services that help telecoms, hyperscalers, governments, and enterprises optimize Wi-Fi and 5G networks.
- Network intelligence is becoming increasingly important as AI infrastructure, cloud computing, and edge data centers expand.
The acquisition also includes Ekahau, which helps enterprises design and troubleshoot wireless networks, and RootMetrics, which monitors mobile network performance across carriers.
Accenture plans to integrate these platforms into its own offerings aimed at communications service providers, hyperscalers, government agencies, and enterprises. The goal is to help organizations optimize mission critical Wi-Fi and 5G networks that power modern digital infrastructure.
“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.”
Growing Importance Of Network Data For AI, Cloud, And Edge Infrastructure
The acquisition reflects how network intelligence is becoming a core component of digital transformation strategies. As artificial intelligence deployments expand and cloud services grow, enterprises require detailed insight into connectivity performance across devices, networks, and applications.
Ookla’s data platform captures more than 1,000 attributes per connectivity test and processes over 250 million consumer initiated tests every month. The system combines radio frequency signal information, quality of service metrics, and real world user experience data to provide deep visibility into network performance.
Accenture intends to apply these insights across multiple sectors. Potential applications include improving fraud detection in banking, enabling smart home analytics for utilities providers, and optimizing customer traffic patterns in retail environments.
The data will also help hyperscalers and cloud providers ensure the resilience of AI infrastructure and edge data centers that deliver a large portion of inference workloads.
Speedtest, Downdetector, RootMetrics And Ekahau Strengthen Enterprise Connectivity Tools
Founded in 2006 and operating as a division of Ziff Davis, Ookla has built a global reputation in network performance measurement and benchmarking. The company employs around 430 specialists across software engineering, radio frequency engineering, and data science.
Each of the company’s products contributes a different layer of network intelligence. Speedtest and RootMetrics deliver detailed performance benchmarking, Downdetector detects outages and incidents in real time, and Ekahau provides specialized hardware and software used to design and troubleshoot enterprise Wi-Fi and private 5G networks.
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“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.”
Manish Sharma, chief strategy and services officer at Accenture, said the combined technologies will allow the company to deliver end to end network intelligence services needed for AI driven transformation.
He added that Speedtest and RootMetrics help define network experience, Downdetector identifies incidents faster, and Ekahau supports digital workplace transformation through advanced Wi-Fi capabilities.
The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals before the transaction is finalized.
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