BT Business & Accenture to deploy AI across services

BT Business has entered a multi-year partnership with Accenture to deploy artificial intelligence across its operations, focused on services for UK businesses and the public sector.

The work will extend BT's existing use of AI in service management and operations. It will also draw on BT's network data and insight platforms, while building on its existing relationship with ServiceNow, BT's core service management platform.

Under the arrangement, BT plans to introduce AI-led operational tools into customer-facing services, including systems designed to analyse faults and, in some cases, resolve issues automatically under controlled conditions.

In cyber security, the programme is intended to help BT identify and address threats and vulnerabilities more quickly. This has become more important as AI reshapes the security environment and accelerates the emergence of new risks.

The initiative also covers customer process redesign. BT plans to use AI-based journey mapping to reshape end-to-end customer processes across its business services division.

Operational shift

The agreement reflects broader changes in the telecoms sector, where operators are seeking new ways to automate service delivery, improve fault management and respond more quickly to customer demands. The industry has been under pressure to modernise operations while maintaining secure and reliable services for large organisations and public bodies.

Accenture pointed to its own research on the pace of that transition in telecoms. According to the findings, only one in five telecom providers are leading the shift to AI- and data-led operating models.

The research found that providers taking this approach report stronger customer loyalty, faster time to market, and better network fault detection and resolution times than their peers. The figures were 65% versus 48% for customer loyalty, 68% versus 39% for time to market, and 57% versus 39% for fault detection and resolution.

BT Business Chief Executive Officer Jon James said the partnership is linked to the company's role in national infrastructure.

"BT has a unique responsibility in supporting much of the UK's critical infrastructure. Working with Accenture, we are investing to bring our customers the latest in AI-Ops capability, combined with our unique data and networks, to enhance the UK's resilience as well as accelerating the responsible deployment of efficient and autonomous systems," said Jon James, Chief Executive Officer, BT Business.

The programme is expected to affect managed services provided to both private and public sector customers. BT plans to use a mix of specialist delivery teams, automation and agentic AI in service operations across the customer lifecycle.

Partner roles

Accenture's role centres on service management and the application of AI tools across BT's managed services business. ServiceNow remains part of the set-up through the service management platform BT already uses.

Andrew McCaffer, who leads the BT account at Accenture, said the project responds to rising expectations for secure and uninterrupted services.

"As customer expectations increase and technology environments become more complex, enterprises are under increasing pressure to deliver always on, secure services. Accenture is supporting BT by applying AI responsibly at scale across its managed services business, drawing on deep industry expertise to strengthen resilience, speed up resolution and enhance the customer experience," said Andrew McCaffer, Managing Director and Client Account Lead for BT, Accenture.

ServiceNow also outlined its role in the programme, highlighting the combination of BT's network data, Accenture's implementation work and its own AI systems.

"By combining BT's unrivalled network insight, Accenture's expertise in scaling AI across complex environments, and ServiceNow's AI control tower for business reinvention, we're making agentic AI a reality for BT's customers. The difference will be tangible - fewer disruptions, faster resolution, more resilient services. Together, we're setting a new standard for enterprise managed services, and redefining the telco marketplace," said Damian Stirrett, Group Vice President and General Manager, UK & Ireland, ServiceNow.