NTT DATA and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have finalized a multi-year strategic partnership with a clear vision: to help organizations modernize legacy systems, accelerate responsible adoption of Agentic Artificial Intelligence, and turn experimentation into scalable, repeatable results. The partnership comes at a time when many companies have already migrated data and applications to the cloud but still face the same hurdle: how to govern and operate that new technological layer without sacrificing security, control, and compliance.
The announcement presents a collaboration designed for highly regulated and demanding sectors—from banking and insurance to healthcare, public sector, retail, energy, and manufacturing—and promises a practical approach: modernizing critical workloads, building secure cloud foundations, and accelerating innovation without architecture turning into a maze of improvised integrations.
In the words of Abhijit Dubey, President and CEO of NTT DATA, cloud computing and Artificial Intelligence are no longer “side projects,” but core elements of business transformation. The company emphasizes that the current priority is helping clients “move beyond the experimental phase” and scale Artificial Intelligence with measurable, responsible impact. Meanwhile, AWS frames the agreement as an accelerator for more organizations to modernize legacy environments and build next-generation digital experiences, combining industry-specific architectures, agent ecosystems, and compliance-driven capabilities.
Four fronts to move from promise to deployment
The partnership is organized into four workstreams that, in practice, address four common questions in any transformation committee: how to migrate, which use cases to prioritize, how to operate, and how to ensure compliance.
- Large-scale cloud transformation driven by Artificial Intelligence
The goal is to accelerate migration and modernization from on-premises environments to AWS using automation, generative AI, and “agentic” approaches (assistants capable of performing tasks with some autonomy), along with data platforms. - Industry-specific solutions on AWS
NTT DATA offers its Industry Cloud portfolio: a catalog of over 500 reusable business components and AI agents to build industry-tailored, replicable solutions aligned with each sector’s processes and compliance requirements. - Innovation in AI and data for managed services and customer experience
The partnership includes operating “secure and compliant” cloud environments at scale and modernizing contact centers on Amazon Connect to enhance customer experiences driven by AI. - Digital sovereignty and regulated solutions in AWS European Sovereign Cloud
The alliance emphasizes a critical point: data residency and operational autonomy. NTT DATA positions itself as a launch partner for AWS European Sovereign Cloud, offering services designed from the ground up to meet sovereignty requirements without compromising security, availability, or performance.
Quick table: what’s covered by the agreement and who it’s for
| Agreement Area | Where does it apply? | Practical summary |
|---|---|---|
| Migration and AI-driven modernization | Legacy systems (ERP, core banking, back-office, on-premise) | Automation and a “cloud-native” approach to speed up AWS migration and reduce operational friction |
| Industry solutions (Industry Cloud) | Regulated and high-volume sectors | Reusable components and AI agents to develop repeatable, sector-specific solutions using established patterns |
| AI and data for managed services/Customer Experience | 24/7 operations, analytics, customer service | Managing and scaling compliant environments; modernizing contact centers with Amazon Connect |
| Digital sovereignty (European Sovereign Cloud) | European governments and companies with strict requirements | Data residency controls and operational independence aligned with compliance standards |
The battle is not just technological: it’s operational and regulatory
The core message of the announcement is that cloud success is no longer defined solely by “moving loads,” but by the ability to operate with guarantees: traceability, security, auditability, and data control. In Europe, digital sovereignty has moved from an exclusive public sector concern to a key issue for regulated industries and critical supply chains.
Within this context, AWS describes its European Sovereign Cloud as a solution for clients with heightened sovereignty needs, while NTT DATA positions itself as an integrator and operator capable of translating those requirements into real architectures (not just presentations).
Talent: the bottleneck also addressed in this partnership
One of the most concrete aspects of the announcement is the focus on execution capacity. NTT DATA claims to have nearly 11,000 AWS-certified professionals and plans to train and certify an additional 10,000 over the next 3 years. It has also established a dedicated AWS-focused business unit aligned with its sales and delivery structures, indicating that the partnership aims to standardize “how services are delivered,” not just “what is promised.”
What companies should consider before jumping onto the agentic wave
Although the term “Agentic Artificial Intelligence” sounds like a qualitative leap—implying assistants that act—it also raises important questions about governance, boundaries, permissions, traceability, and accountability for errors. This is why the emphasis on “responsible adoption” is not just rhetorical: in regulated sectors, value lies not only in automation but also in being able to explain what is automated, with what data, under what controls, and with what audit trail.
Practically, the success of such alliances depends on the less glamorous side: seamless migrations, well-governed data, consistent security, stable operations, and AI models integrated into processes with proper metrics and controls.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “Agentic Artificial Intelligence” mean in a business environment?
It generally refers to AI systems capable of planning and executing tasks (with varying degrees of autonomy) within workflows, integrating with corporate tools, and operating under control and audit policies.
Why is digital sovereignty becoming more prominent in European cloud projects?
Because many organizations need to ensure data residency, operational control, and compliance—especially in regulated sectors, public procurement, or critical infrastructure—and that influences architecture, vendors, and operations.
Which types of projects benefit most from an NTT DATA–AWS partnership?
Primarily legacy modernization, large-scale migrations, building data platforms for AI, and managed operations where governance and compliance are integral to the design, not afterthoughts.
How can organizations prevent AI adoption from remaining at pilot levels?
By defining impactful use cases, governing data, establishing clear metrics, ensuring stable operations, and implementing security and audit controls from the start. Without these, scaling often stalls due to operational friction or compliance risks.
via: es.nttdata.com