In recent weeks, a variety of IT service providers and consulting firms have intensified their focus on artificial intelligence (AI) to boost enterprise AI demand.
One notable development is Accenture’s expanded collaboration with Nvidia, which has led to the establishment of the Accenture Nvidia Business Group. This initiative aims to support organizations in swiftly scaling their AI adoption. Accenture reports a significant surge in generative AI (GenAI) orders, reaching $3 billion in the current financial year.
Utilizing Nvidia’s AI technologies, including AI Foundry, AI Enterprise, and Nvidia Omniverse, alongside its own AI Refinery, Accenture aims to lay the groundwork for “agentic AI functionality” in areas such as process transformation, AI-powered simulations, and sovereign AI. The goal is to replace manual tasks with AI systems capable of understanding user intent, generating new workflows, and responding intelligently to environmental factors.
Accenture’s AI Refinery will be available on all public and private cloud platforms and will work in conjunction with other Accenture business divisions to enhance AI integration within the software-as-a-service and cloud AI landscape. “Our partnership with Nvidia is a groundbreaking move, enabling our clients to leverage generative AI as a catalyst for transformation,” stated Julie Sweet, Accenture’s chair and CEO.
The company has mobilized 30,000 professionals worldwide for training focused on helping clients reinvent their processes and scale their AI adoption.
Additionally, Accenture is expanding its Center for Advanced AI by establishing new engineering hubs in Singapore, Tokyo, Malaga, and London, building on existing facilities in Mountain View, California, and Bangalore, to enhance technical capabilities for agentic AI systems.
AI Innovations Across the Sector
In September, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) announced an enhancement of its AI-driven cybersecurity suite with the introduction of TCS Managed Detection and Response (MDR) powered by Google Security Operations. TCS claims this new service employs AI, machine learning, and automation to streamline threat detection and response for security teams, continuously monitoring for risks and suggesting corrective actions.
Kyndryl has also broadened its service offerings around Microsoft’s Copilot for Microsoft 365 to accelerate AI integration in workplaces. The new services aim to assist clients in developing effective Copilot use cases, enhancing decision-making and driving digital transformation while expediting Copilot implementation.
In August, Infosys expanded its partnership with Nvidia to promote innovation and operational excellence in the telecommunications sector. With its Topaz services, Infosys plans to enable telecom companies to adopt generative AI technologies for improving customer experiences and optimizing network operations.
IT services provider Wipro has begun utilizing Google’s Vertex AI and Gemini models for client projects, enhancing productivity with generative AI tools and innovating solutions based on these models.
At EY, the firm is deploying Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales and Copilot for Sales to 100,000 employees by 2025, primarily to streamline internal sales processes. Hanne Jesca Bax, EY’s global vice-chair for markets, noted that this initiative serves as a demonstration for clients in regulated industries about how such AI deployments can be effectively managed.
Making AI More Accessible
Established server manufacturers are also unveiling new products and services in response to rising customer interest in AI. HPE, in collaboration with Nvidia, is developing HPE Private Cloud AI, which aims to provide a user-friendly, cloud-based solution for developing generative AI applications. HPE claims this offering allows developers to create AI-powered virtual assistants with a simple click.
Dell is partnering with Red Hat to provide PowerEdge servers equipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI, described as a foundational model platform that supports the development, testing, and deployment of AI and GenAI models.
Lenovo has introduced a suite of services aimed at accelerating AI transformation by making “private AI” readily accessible for businesses, enabling them to leverage their proprietary data to build and scale GenAI workloads.
Growing Demand for AI Skills
A recent Gartner survey conducted among 300 organizations in the US and UK revealed that 56% of software engineering leaders identify AI and machine learning (ML) engineers as the most sought-after professionals for 2024. Respondents indicated a substantial skills gap in applying AI and ML within applications.
The concerted efforts of major IT service firms to enhance their AI capabilities illustrate the industry’s commitment to addressing this skills gap. New product offerings and services from key IT consulting firms and PC server manufacturers emphasize the urgency for businesses to train their own generative AI models and host AI applications either on-premise or in private cloud environments.