Accenture to buy Speedtest, Downdetector owner Ookla for $1.2B

What's the deal? AccentureDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has agreed to acquire Ookla, the Seattle-based network intelligence company behind Speedtest and Downdetector, from Ziff Davis for $1.2 billion in cash.

The deal includes Ookla's full portfolio: Speedtest, Downdetector, RootMetrics, and Ekahau. Ziff DavisDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →bought Ookla in 2014 for just $15 million — an 80x return.

Ookla employs around 430 people and generated $231 million in revenue in 2025, about 16% of Ziff Davis' total. Its platforms process 250 million consumer-initiated tests monthly.

Why now? Accenture sees network data as critical infrastructure for the AI era.

As enterprises scale AI systems across cloud and edge environments, connectivity performance determines application reliability. Accenture plans to integrate Ookla's real-time data into services for telecom operators, hyperscalers, and large enterprises.

"Modern networks have evolved from simple infrastructure into business-critical platforms," said Julie SweetDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Accenture's chief executive officer. The company wants to help clients "scale AI safely" using Ookla's connectivity insights.

What could go wrong? The deal awaits regulatory approval and is expected to close in the coming months.

For individual users, Speedtest and Downdetector will continue operating "as today," according to Accenture. But a new owner means a new privacy policy — and potentially new ways to monetise the data from those 250 million monthly tests.

The signal: This acquisition reflects a broader shift in how enterprises view network performance.

Tools that started as consumer utilities — checking your internet speed or whether Netflix is down — now feed enterprise analytics. Ookla's data helps banks detect fraud, utilities analyse smart homes, and retailers optimise traffic.

For Ziff Davis, the sale signals a retreat to its core media business, which includes CNETDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, IGN, and MashableDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. Chief executive officer Vivek Shah said the company sees "opportunities" in digital media amid the AI shift.

For Accenture, it's another data play. The consulting giant has been on an acquisition spreeDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → across AI, cybersecurity, and digital engineering. Ookla adds something unique: a global sensor network measuring how digital infrastructure actually performs.

The $1.2 billion price tag — roughly 5x revenue — reflects Accenture's bet that connectivity data will only grow more valuable as AI demands more from networks.

Sources: 
Ars Technica
Accenture
CNET
GeekWire
Times of India
TNW

B.S.