Accenture buys Ookla-parent unit, Downdetector from Ziff Davis in $1.2 billion cash deal

Accenture

IT major Accenture has agreed to acquire the connectivity division of Ziff Davis for $1.2 billion in cash, bringing into its fold globally recognised network intelligence brands including Ookla, Speedtest, Ekahau, Downdetector, and RootMetrics.

The all-cash transaction, announced on March 3, is expected to close in the coming months.

The acquisition strengthens Accenture’s network intelligence and AI-led enterprise capabilities. Headquartered in Seattle, Ookla operates a data platform anchored by more than 250 million consumer-initiated tests per month, capturing over 1,000 attributes per test across device and application layers.

The platform combines quality of service, radio frequency signal data, and is used by hyperscalers and enterprises to benchmark performance and monitor outages.

Julie Sweet, chair and CEO of Accenture, said modern networks have evolved into business-critical platforms and that measuring performance is essential to optimise experience, revenue and security.

The company said integrating the Ookla portfolio would help clients build stronger data foundations as AI adoption scales across industries.

The Connectivity unit generated $231 million in revenue in 2025, accounting for about 16 percent of Ziff Davis’ total revenues. The division employs around 430 specialists in software engineering, radio frequency engineering and data science.

Ziff Davis said the transaction would unlock shareholder value while enabling the business to scale under a global services company. Proceeds from the deal, net of taxes and closing adjustments, will be used for general corporate purposes and capital allocation activities in line with the company’s outstanding debt terms.

Following the sale, the Connectivity division’s financial results are expected to be classified as discontinued operations in Ziff Davis’ consolidated financial statements beginning the first quarter of fiscal 2026. Ziff Davis will continue to operate the division until the transaction is completed.