Accenture’s AI-driven reorganization as DXC and Cognizant expand. (June 22–29, 2025)
The Industry Pulse: 3 Takeaways for the week
Providers are all-in on AI
Efficiency and ROI drive every conversation
Geopolitical and regulatory factors can’t be ignored
Accenture Re-org
Accenture last week announced a major reorganization around “Reinvention Services,” a new integrated unit unifying its strategy, consulting, creative (Accenture Song), and technology operations. The move, effective Sept 1, is explicitly aimed at accelerating AI-led solution delivery and growth. Manish Sharma (currently CEO of Americas) will helm the unit as Chief Services Officer, and leadership changes will cascade (e.g. new consulting and technology leads) to align with this AI-focused model. Accenture’s CEO Julie Sweet noted the firm is “writing the playbook” to become the most AI-enabled, client-focused services company, underscoring how central generative AI is to its vision.
With Accenture’s lead, other IT services giants are likely evaluating similar “AI-first” operating models. More providers could streamline service lines and integrate AI capabilities across offerings to meet clients’ demand for faster ROI.
Talent & Delivery Expansion Trends
A significant development this week was Cognizant’s announcement of a major new campus in Visakhapatnam, India, as part of its ongoing expansion beyond tier-1 cities. The planned facility, spread over 22 acres in the Vizag IT park, will be built in phases and create capacity for 8,000 employees by 2029.
DXC Technology has opened a new office in Farnborough, UK, launching an Aerospace and Defense Hub to support the UK's national security and defence sectors.
AI-First Deal Wins and Client Engagement Transformations:
Carnival Cruise Line has entered a multi-year agreement with DXC Technology to manage its global technology infrastructure. DXC will oversee IT systems across Carnival's 29 ships, shoreside offices, and port facilities, aiming to enhance operational efficiency and guest experiences through scalable services, automation, and robust cybersecurity measures.
Infosys has announced a strategic collaboration with Zoetis, the world's leading animal health company, to enhance Zoetis' IT operations and digital capabilities. The long-term partnership aims to integrate advanced AI solutions and automation services, providing Zoetis with greater agility to respond to evolving business landscapes and customer needs.
Unifying theme in recent deal activity is the prominence of AI and automation objectives. Nearly every new project – be it cloud migration, ERP upgrade, or managed services – now comes with an AI/ML component in the scope. Clients are explicitly seeking out providers that can embed AI-driven analytics, chatbots, and predictive tools into solutions. Providers that have ready-to-deploy AI frameworks or partnerships (OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, etc.) are favoured. We expect this trend to accelerate in coming quarters, effectively raising the competitive bar for winning new deals.
Strategic Alliances and New Initiatives
HCLTech – AMD Alliance: HCLTech and chipmaker AMD announced a strategic alliance to co-develop “future-ready” enterprise solutions in AI, digital, and cloud. The partnership includes co-investment in innovation labs and joint development centers to build and test new use cases on AMD’s high-performance processors
HCLTech – Salesforce: HCLTech also expanded its collaboration with Salesforce to accelerate enterprise adoption of Salesforce’s new “Agentforce” autonomous AI agent platform. It’s worth noting HCL is not alone here – Cognizant also announced new Salesforce Agentforce services this week, as it was a launch partner for the platform. Cognizant is already implementing Agentforce for 25+ clients and reported impressive early results (one retail client saw a 52% reduction in case handling time after adopting AI agents). The race is on among service providers to become the go-to “AI enabler” for SaaS ecosystems like Salesforce.
In summary, partnerships have become just as critical as client contracts for IT services players. These alliances allow providers to rapidly fill capability gaps (e.g. leveraging a cloud provider’s AI chips, or a startup’s algorithm) and present a unified solution to enterprises.