Global consulting and technology services firm Accenture has agreed to acquire Ookla, the Seattle-based network intelligence company best known for Speedtest and Downdetector, in a deal valued at $1.2 billion in cash. The acquisition comes from Ziff Davis, which has owned Ookla since 2014. Accenture plans to integrate Ookla's connectivity data into its enterprise services to help telecom operators, cloud providers, and enterprises optimise networks that support AI and digital infrastructure.

Ookla operates a set of widely used network measurement platforms that track internet performance and connectivity quality worldwide. Its best-known product, Speedtest, allows users to measure internet bandwidth and latency, while Downdetector monitors service outages across digital platforms. The company also operates RootMetrics, which measures mobile network performance, and Ekahau, software used to design and troubleshoot Wi-Fi networks.

Together these platforms generate a vast dataset on global internet performance. Telecommunications providers, cloud companies, and infrastructure operators use this data to benchmark network performance, diagnose connectivity issues, and evaluate infrastructure upgrades.

Accenture's interest lies in combining this real-time connectivity intelligence with its enterprise consulting and AI deployment services. The company argues that as businesses scale AI systems and cloud workloads, network performance becomes a critical layer of the digital stack, especially for 5G and Wi-Fi infrastructure powering modern applications.

The acquisition is structured as a $1.2 billion cash transaction for Ziff Davis' connectivity division. The portfolio includes Ookla and related products such as Speedtest, Downdetector, RootMetrics, and Ekahau.

The connectivity unit generated $231 million in revenue in 2025, representing roughly 16 percent of Ziff Davis' total revenue.

Financial terms beyond the headline price were not disclosed publicly, including the internal valuation breakdown across the individual products. The transaction remains subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close in the coming months. During that period, Ziff Davis will continue to operate the business.

For Ziff Davis, the sale represents a strategic narrowing of focus around its media and digital publishing businesses, which include outlets such as IGN, Mashable, and CNET.

The deal arrives at a moment when network infrastructure is becoming tightly intertwined with enterprise AI adoption. As companies deploy AI systems across cloud environments, data centres, and edge infrastructure, connectivity performance increasingly determines application reliability and user experience.

Accenture has been expanding its capabilities in data, AI, and cloud engineering through a long series of acquisitions. The company completed dozens of deals across AI, cybersecurity, and digital engineering services in recent years as it positions itself as a transformation partner for enterprises modernising their technology stacks.

Ookla's datasets offer something many consulting firms lack: global real-time measurements of network performance across millions of devices and connections. In a world where enterprise software increasingly depends on distributed infrastructure, such data becomes valuable not only for telecom providers but also for cloud hyperscalers and large enterprises.

In the end, Speedtest started as a simple tool to check internet speed. Under Accenture, its underlying data may become something more strategic: a global sensor network for understanding how digital infrastructure behaves in real time. Whether that insight translates into new enterprise services will determine the real value of the $1.2 billion bet.