What Accenture and Ziff Davis' Deal Means for Data Centres

Ziff Davis has sold its Connectivity division to Accenture for US$1.2bn in an all cash transaction that brings major network intelligence platforms into Accenture’s technology and consulting portfolio.

The deal places widely used connectivity measurement tools closer to organisations that design and operate digital infrastructure, including hyperscale cloud platforms and data centre environments.

The division includes several well known brands across broadband mobile and Wi-Fi testing and monitoring. Among them are Ookla and its Speedtest platform alongside Ekahau Downdetector and RootMetrics.

In 2025 the Connectivity division generated US$231m in revenue which represents about 16% of total Ziff Davis revenue. The sale therefore represents both a financial milestone for the company and a structural change for the network intelligence market.

A portfolio built on network performance data

Many of the platforms included in the acquisition play a direct role in measuring and analysing connectivity that supports digital infrastructure and data centre operations.

Ookla's Speedtest platform collects connectivity data from consumer initiated network tests across fixed broadband and mobile networks. The system records more than 1,000 attributes for each test and processes more than 250 million tests each month.

For data centres this information helps operators understand the reliability and speed of the networks that link facilities to cloud regions enterprise customers and edge deployments.

The Connectivity division also includes Ekahau which develops hardware and software for Wi-Fi design testing and optimisation. Organisations use Ekahau tools to design wireless networks in offices campuses warehouses and industrial sites.

Downdetector identifies outages by analysing reports from users while RootMetrics performs independent testing of mobile network performance.

“This is a transformative deal for Ziff Davis, representing a significant realization of value for our shareholders and a concrete illustration of the quality of the businesses in our portfolio,” says Vivek Shah, the company’s CEO.

“I would like to thank our colleagues at Connectivity for building a terrific business that delivers best-in-class network intelligence and optimisation solutions to service providers, enterprises, and regulators all around the world.

“The Connectivity team is thrilled at the prospect of joining Accenture, a leading global solutions and services company.”

Ziff Davis plans to use proceeds from the transaction for general corporate purposes and capital allocation activities in line with the terms of its outstanding debt securities.

Accenture expands network intelligence capabilities

For Accenture the acquisition strengthens its ability to integrate connectivity data into digital transformation programmes.

Julie Sweet, Chair and CEO of Accenture, says: “Modern networks have evolved from simple infrastructure into business-critical platforms.” 

“Without the ability to measure performance, organisations cannot optimise 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.”

The growth of AI computing and distributed data centre architecture makes this type of measurement increasingly important. Accenture plans to combine network measurement datasets with AI tools to support planning and optimisation of large-scale network environments.

Manish Sharma, Chief Strategy and Services Officer at Accenture, describes the portfolio as a complete view of connectivity performance across networks and digital environments.

He says: “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.”

Implications for data centres and hyperscale infrastructure

The integration of Ookla’s measurement data into Accenture’s services portfolio has clear implications for hyperscalers and data centre operators. As organisations deploy more AI infrastructure and edge facilities they require deeper visibility into the networks that connect these environments.

Hyperscale cloud providers rely on data centre interconnection networks to move data between regions and availability zones. Telemetry from platforms such as Speedtest and RootMetrics can help operators benchmark network performance across locations and detect emerging issues.

Communications service providers also use this data when planning network upgrades or deploying fibre routes that serve major digital infrastructure hubs.

Enterprises benefit as well, particularly those running hybrid cloud environments that link corporate networks with external data centre services. Ekahau’s Wi-Fi and private 5G design capabilities help organisations build and maintain high performance wireless networks across campuses and operational sites.

“With the Ookla portfolio, we will offer end-to-end network intelligence services essential for AI-based transformation,” Manish adds.

Stephen Bye, CEO of Ookla, says the integration with Accenture will expand the reach of the company’s network data and analytics.

“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.

“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.”

Ziff Davis continues to own and operate the Connectivity division until the transaction completes.