IT company Accenture and Telstra have announced a proposed joint venture (JV) to speed up Telstra’s data and artificial intelligence (AI) roadmap.
The JV will be 60% owned by Accenture and 40% by Telstra, an Australian technology and telecommunications company.
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It will be led by global leadership teams from both Telstra and Accenture’s data and AI divisions.
Specialists from both companies will collaborate to build a “world-class” data and AI ecosystem.
As part of the alliance, Telstra is expected to benefit from Accenture’s $3bn AI investment in assets, industry solutions, ventures, acquisitions, talent, and ecosystem partnerships.
A primary focus of the JV is to “reinvent business processes” through new capabilities such as agentic AI.
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By GlobalDataThis aims to enable teams to work with intelligent AI ecosystems to optimise key tasks end-to-end.
Specialised AI tools will also be developed to support Telstra’s teams, enhancing data and AI fluency across its workforce.
Accenture chair and CEO Julie Sweet said: “We are entering a new era of AI-driven reinvention. Leading companies across the world are embracing agentic AI and generative AI to reinvent themselves using the technology and new ways of working to drive productivity and growth.
“We are also excited about combining our experience, talent and capabilities with Telstra’s to drive innovation and value for Telstra’s customers, people, and shareholders today and in the future.”
Telstra CEO Vicki Brady said: “We have made strong progress on our AI goals and already have hundreds of value-driving AI use-cases across the business. This includes generative AI tools built in-house, like AskTelstra and One Sentence Summary, which are helping our people support customers more effectively and efficiently.
“But our data and AI ambition goes well beyond introducing AI tools. It goes to the heart of what we do – connecting Australia, and Australians to the world. From building self-healing, resilient networks, to reinventing experiences for our customers and the way we work, AI will help power an exciting, connected future.”
The proposed seven-year JV is subject to consultation with Telstra’s employees and unions.
Telstra’s core data and AI workforce, based in Australia and India, will receive an offer to join the JV.
At the end of the seven-year term, JV employees will be offered roles at Telstra.
In November 2024, Accenture acquired Allitix, a US-based consulting and technology firm specialising in Anaplan solutions.
This acquisition aimed to enhance Accenture’s integrated enterprise planning capabilities, particularly in financial planning and analysis, sales performance management, and supply chain.
