Sarah Sybert
Accenture has formed Accenture Cloud First under a three-year, $3 billion investment. The division will help clients accelerate digital transformation to increase speed and scale. Accenture has appointed Karthik Narain to lead Accenture Cloud First and join the Global Management Committee, effective October 1.
“Accenture Cloud First and our substantial investment demonstrate our commitment to delivering greater value to our clients when they need it most. Digital transformation requires cloud at scale, and post-COVID leadership requires that every business become a ‘cloud first’ business,†said Julie Sweet, chief executive officer, Accenture.
Accenture Cloud First is a multi-service group of 70,000 cloud professionals that will leverage Accenture’s industry and technology capabilities and ecosystem partnerships with a focus of enabling organizations to move to the cloud with greater speed and value.Â
The division will integrate Accenture’s cloud expertise, including cloud migration, infrastructure, and application services; industry and cross-industry insights, data and Applied Intelligence capabilities; Accenture Interactive’s experience design skills; and insights from the company’s experience in modernizing and operating large IT estates.Â
Accenture Cloud First will advance cloud and digital transformation, across edge computing and cloud, focusing on security, data privacy, artificial intelligence, sustainability and ethics. The $3 billion investment will be used to continue advancing industry roadmaps, data models and solutions.
Additionally, the investment will expand cloud AI data and AI architectures; integrated full-stack infrastructure and applications capabilities; cloud tools, assets and automation to drive lower unit cost and innovation; and research and development in edge computing and related cloud technologies.
Narain, technology industry veteran, will lead Accenture Cloud First. He most recently served as the lead for Accenture Technology, where he guided Global 2000 brands in using the power of the cloud and other technologies to transform their businesses.Â
With more than two decades of experience, Narain has led innovative technology programs for clients across a variety of industry sectors, including Software and Platforms, Financial Services and High Tech. Karthik also previously led Technology services for Accenture’s Communications, Media and High Tech industry segments.Â
About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services in strategy and consulting, interactive, technology and operations, with digital capabilities across all of these services. We combine unmatched experience and specialized capabilities across more than 40 industries — powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. With 513,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture brings continuous innovation to help clients improve their performance and create lasting value across their enterprises.
