Google Cloud races to catch up in the AI deployment wars with Accenture deal

Google Cloud and Accenture are collaborating to establish a joint division focused on assisting corporations with adopting Google's AI tools and services. This new unit, called the Accenture Gemini Enterprise Business Group, represents Google's most recent attempt to enter the "forward-deployed engineers," or FDEs, market. Firms like OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, and Amazon have also recently established separate business units in an effort to turn AI model implementation into a multi-trillion-dollar industry.

As hyperscalers pour billions into AI infrastructure, the returns on investment are yet to materialize, making it crucial for AI companies to generate sufficient demand for their services. Currently, Google Cloud commands a relatively modest 6% share of enterprise AI spending in the U.S., trailing behind Anthropic and OpenAI. In response to these competitive pressures, Google Cloud has ramped up its FDE model this year, including a $750 million partner ecosystem commitment, which integrates Google FDEs across multiple consultancies, and a multi-year partnership with CVC Capital Partners to deploy FDEs into investment firm portfolios.