NTT DATA, a global leader in digital business and technology services, is marking a major milestone in its 30-year collaboration with Cisco by launching AI-powered Software Defined Infrastructure services (SDI) for Cisco’s infrastructure and software products. This latest evolution reinforces the companies’ longstanding partnership, aimed at helping organisations modernise IT infrastructure and accelerate digital transformation.
“With AI-powered SDI services, we’re leveraging our strategic vision to provide organisations proactive, intelligent automation, helping them navigate the complexities of hardware and software alignment to business,” said Aditya Afzulpurkar, Senior Vice President, Technology Solutions, NTT DATA, Inc. “We are proud of the evolution of our partnership with Cisco as both companies go beyond traditional services to help clients solve real business challenges in the era of AI.”
Meeting an Urgent Market Need
Modern infrastructure requires a non-traditional approach. According to NTT DATA’s 2024 GenAI research, 80% of organisations agree that inadequate or outdated technology is holding back organisational progress and innovation efforts. In fact, 94% of C-suite executives believe legacy infrastructure is greatly hindering their business agility. AI infrastructure investments are a critical part of organisations’ ability to modernise, and companies know the clock is ticking, yet only 13% are ready to leverage AI and AI-powered technologies to their full potential, according to Cisco’s 2024 AI Readiness Index.
“As businesses navigate increasingly complex technology lifecycles, they need partners who combine automation, intelligence, and measurable results,” said Leslie Rosenberg, Research Vice President, Network Lifecycle and Infrastructure Services, IDC.“SDI services deliver on all three, redefining the way enterprises manage IT infrastructure.”
NTT DATA’s SDI services for Cisco products deliver intelligent automation and real-time insights to optimise infrastructure, reduce costs and drive business outcomes. NTT DATA has invested significantly in AI capabilities to provide clients with assured outcomes, asset management and more.
“For over 30 years, NTT DATA and Cisco have collaborated in delivering innovation and accelerating customer success,” said Shannon Leininger, Vice President, Global Partner Sales at Cisco. “NTT DATA will now also provide AI-powered digital infrastructure services to enable future-proofed workplaces and AI-ready data centres — bringing together networking and security to empower organisations with a modern digital infrastructure for the AI era.”
Key Capabilities of NTT DATA’s AI-Powered SDI Services
- Outcomes-Based Shared Success Plans: clearly outlined goals, identification of risks and rewards and ensuring accountability.
- AI-Powered Service Reliability: smart technology that helps keep systems running smoothly, reducing unexpected breakdowns ensuring reliability.
- AI Driven License Management: advanced tracking and analysis to prevent costly software issues, optimise resources and eliminate unnecessary expenses.
- Business Focused Technology: Every tech investment is guided by strategies that prioritise client satisfaction, innovation, security and aligns IT services.
- Seamless Digital Access: a user-friendly, digital-first interface including a mobile application to provide instant updates on requests, risks, licenses and helpful AI insights.
Advancing Three Decades of Collaboration
NTT DATA is Cisco’s only Gold partner across 34 countries, earning 40 awards at Cisco’s 2024 Partner Summit, including three global partner of the year awards. Their collaboration has supported over 4,000 enterprises worldwide, providing lifecycle services to enhance business agility. With over 14,000 technical experts in 50+ countries, they deliver solutions ranging from small branch networks to global enterprise infrastructures, including private 5G.
Proven Success and Live Showcase
NTT DATA’s AI-powered SDI services are available globally. Attendees can experience this innovation firsthand at Cisco Live Americas 2025 on June 9, 2025, where NTT DATA will showcase how AI-powered infrastructure management is revolutionising IT.
