NTT DATA, already a heavyweight in digital business and technology services, has embarked on a powerful global partnership with Google Cloud. The aim? To accelerate enterprise adoption of agentic AI and drive cloud modernisation across diverse industries. This collaboration seeks to create tailored and scalable solutions that usher in a new era of smart, agile enterprise operations.
Co-Innovation at the Heart of the Partnership
At the core of this alliance is a deep-seated commitment to co-innovation. NTT DATA brings to the table its vast expertise in AI, cloud-native modernisation, and data engineering, while Google Cloud contributes cutting-edge analytics, AI, and cloud capabilities. The goal is simple yet ambitious: to deliver industry-specific solutions that are both custom-built and globally deployable. Deployments will benefit from tried-and-tested NTT DATA frameworks and Google Cloud’s technological muscle, backed by substantial investments to drive global adoption.
The Business Case: Why Now?
Gartner forecasts end-user public cloud spending will swell to around US$723 billion in 2025, up from US$595.7 billion in 2024. This trend underlines the urgent imperative for enterprises to modernise IT infrastructure and lean into AI-powered operations. As enterprises navigate an increasingly AI-first world, the timing of this partnership is strategically aligned with broader market shifts.
What’s on the Agenda?
Agentic AI, at Scale
NTT DATA will deploy a suite of industry-tailored agentic AI solutions using Google’s Agentspace platform, Gemini models, secure data clean rooms, and modernised data platforms. These tools aim to transform analytics, decision-making, and client experiences across sectors.
Sovereign and Secure Cloud Deployments
By integrating Google Distributed Cloud, NTT DATA plans to offer both air-gapped (fully offline) and connected deployments. These solutions address heightened regulatory and sovereignty demands in sectors like finance, healthcare, and government, ensuring enterprise-grade compliance without sacrificing innovation.
Modernising Applications and Security
Expect a strong push towards mainframe modernisation, adoption of DevOps, observability, API management, cybersecurity frameworks, and SAP environments on Google Cloud. NTT DATA will provide end-to-end support—including advisory, implementation, and ongoing managed services—to ensure agility and resilience in enterprise environments.
Development Sandbox for Faster Innovation
A ready-made sandbox leveraging Google Distributed Cloud will let developers build, test, and deploy industry and sovereign cloud solutions using pre-configured templates—speeding up prototyping and time-to-market.
Powering the Ecosystem: Takumi and Smart AI Agent™ Framework
Central to the partnership’s innovation backbone is Takumi, NTT DATA’s generative AI framework. It helps guide clients from ideation through to enterprise-wide implementation, seamlessly integrating with Google Cloud’s AI stack. This is part of the broader Smart AI Agent™ Ecosystem, which combines partnerships, specialised assets, and AI-ready talent to scale responsible, business-driven AI at scale.
Building the Engine: Google Cloud Business Group
To support delivery, NTT DATA has launched a dedicated Google Cloud Business Group, staffed with thousands of engineers, architects, and consultants. This team is being upskilled aggressively, with plans to certify 5,000 engineers in Google Cloud technologies. Joint investment in global sales and go-to-market campaigns rounds out this delivery ecosystem, positioning both firms to scale solutions rapidly across key industries.
From Proof to Practice: Building on Momentum
This initiative isn’t coming out of nowhere. It builds on the firms’ 2024 co-innovation agreement in the Asia-Pacific region and NTT DATA’s acquisition of Niveus Solutions, a recognised Google Cloud specialist that bagged multiple Google Cloud Awards in 2025. This track record gives added weight to the partnership’s ambitions.
Success Story: Carrefour’s Digital Leap
Carrefour’s Head of IT Infrastructure, José Luís González Santana, shared how NTT DATA helped migrate over 380 workloads to Google Cloud, consolidating 100 legacy apps into a streamlined e-commerce platform serving 200 hypermarkets. Powered by SAP HANA, this modernised system enabled faster service launches, greater agility during peak times like Black Friday, and a more seamless customer experience.
What It Means for Clients in Nigeria & Beyond
As a reader in Nigeria, here’s what this global alliance could signify for businesses across Africa:
- Secure, Localised Cloud: With sovereign cloud options, sensitive sectors—like finance, healthcare, or public services—can comply with regulation without compromising innovation.
- Accessible AI-Powered Agents: Nigerian enterprises can explore AI agents tailored to their industry—whether in telco, retail, or government—to improve operations, customer interactions, and decision-making.
- Partnership-Led Upskilling: There’s potential for local talent to benefit from training and certification programs, improving access to Google Cloud expertise and global best practices.
Conclusion
In Nigeria’s fast-evolving tech landscape, where digital transformation is both urgent and opportunity-rich, the NTT DATA–Google Cloud partnership offers a beacon of modernisation. It combines world-class cloud infrastructure, AI leadership, and execution-ready frameworks to support enterprise evolution.
By fusing deep industry know-how with advanced cloud and AI technologies, the partners aim to empower businesses globally to innovate faster, scale smarter, and serve their customers better. It’s a big deal—one that promises to reshape how enterprises operate in a smarter, more intelligent cloud-powered era.
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