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Telstra and Accenture Launch Silicon Valley Hub to Rapidly Advance Benefits of AI for Telstra Customers and People

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Telstra and Accenture Launch Silicon Valley Hub to Rapidly Advance Benefits of AI for Telstra Customers and People
News

News

Telstra and Accenture Launch Silicon Valley Hub to Rapidly Advance Benefits of AI for Telstra Customers and People

2025-05-14 07:22 Last Updated At:07:41

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 13, 2025--

Telstra and Accenture (NYSE: ACN) today launched an AI Silicon Valley hub, a first-of-its-kind innovation facility for Telstra to incubate and accelerate its top priorities.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250513496422/en/

As part of the Telstra and Accenture joint venture, which officially kicked off in April, the hub provides direct access to cutting edge technology, top engineering talent and collaboration spaces with ecosystem partners, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Databricks and Microsoft.

The hub will connect with teams in Sydney, Melbourne and Bangalore as part of Accenture Connected Innovation Centers— creating a virtual door where teams can ideate, collaborate, build and test in a secure environment. With top global experts working with the joint venture team, the hub will deliver foundational architecture and solutions that enable Telstra to realize its AI-first ambitions.

Telstra Group Executive for Product and Technology Kim Krogh Andersen said, “Advances in AI technology are happening at incredible speed – we’ve seen the conversation shift from generative AI to include agentic AI in the space of months, and this technology will change the game. To extend our network leadership and reinvent customer experiences, we will take our innovation to the next level by combining our domain expertise with the best AI minds, in the heart of technology advancement, Silicon Valley.”

Across the seven-year joint venture, the AI Silicon Valley hub will accelerate Telstra’s foundational AI architecture that will power AI use cases and unlock business intelligence. It will also drive advanced engineering and applied research and development to fast-track Telstra’s data and AI roadmap. The initial priorities include to:

“Bringing together leading research and engineering talent to innovate and build solutions for our customers and people is exactly what this joint venture is about. With some of the best minds in emerging tech and advanced AI, and an ecosystem of partners, we’re opening up pathways to access global talent to build technology that creates value for our customers and our people, faster,” Krogh Andersen said.

Karthik Narain, group chief executive – Technology and CTO, Accenture, said, “Telstra’s AI strategy is a bold, whole-of-business strategy that sets a new industry standard. Strategic partnerships, like what we have with Telstra, are an important source of competitive advantage for winning in this AI era. They bring out the best out of both organizations. This hub represents a nexus of breakthrough innovations for our teams in Silicon Valley, Australia and India, enabling co-development and learning across the ecosystem.”

About the joint venture

Telstra and Accenture announced a joint venture in January 2025, which commenced in April 2025, to rapidly accelerate Telstra’s data and AI roadmap to further extend its network leadership, improve customer experience, and help its teams operate more efficiently and effectively. Steered by joint global leadership, the JV comprises specialists from Telstra and Accenture’s data and AI teams to build on Telstra’s work creating a world-class data and AI ecosystem, modernizing its data and AI platforms, and embedding responsible AI by design.

About Telstra

Telstra is Australia’s leading telecommunications and technology company. We offer a full range of services and compete in all telecommunications markets in Australia, operating the largest mobile and wi-fi networks. Globally, we provide end-to-end solutions including managed network services, global connectivity, cloud, voice, colocation, conferencing and satellite solutions. We have licenses in Asia, Europe and the United States and offer access to more than 2,000 points of presence across the globe. For more information visit www.telstra.com.

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world’s leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services—creating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent- and innovation-led company with approximately 801,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the world’s leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology and leadership in cloud, data and AI with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. Our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Song, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360° value, enable us to help our clients reinvent and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360° value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at accenture.com.

Telstra and Accenture launch AI Silicon Valley hub in Mountain View (Pictured left-to-right: Teresa Tung, Raphael James, Kim Krogh Andersen, Arnab Chakraborty, Karthik Narain, Jay Subrahmonia)

Telstra and Accenture launch AI Silicon Valley hub in Mountain View (Pictured left-to-right: Teresa Tung, Raphael James, Kim Krogh Andersen, Arnab Chakraborty, Karthik Narain, Jay Subrahmonia)

ATLANTA (AP) — Players who leave the NFL to return to college won't be allowed to come back to the league this season.

NFL executive Troy Vincent reiterated the longstanding policy at the league's meetings Wednesday, saying players who go back to college will be ineligible to play in 2026. Vincent said any player who does that would instead become a free agent for the 2027 season.

The comments came one day after the Southeastern and Big Ten conferences banned players who were on NFL rosters from being able to play at their schools. Atlantic Coast and Big 12 conference leaders were also discussing the topic this week.

At least two players who signed with NFL teams as undrafted free agents this offseason were hoping to return to college and play at No. 11 LSU.

Tight end Dae'Quan Wright originally signed with Philadelphia as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi following the draft. He was waived by the Eagles on Aug. 10 and claimed by Cleveland the following day. He spent about two weeks with the Browns without playing in an exhibition game before being waived on Monday. He cleared waivers Tuesday and now wants to go to LSU to play for his former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin.

Defensive lineman Zxavian Harris signed with New Orleans in May as an undrafted free agent out of Ole Miss and participated in the offseason program. He was placed on the non-football injury list at the start of training camp in July and was waived Aug. 8. He wasn't claimed by any team and also wants to go back to college to play for Kiffin.

Both players entered the NFL draft because they had used up their four years of eligibility. The NCAA announced a rule change in June allowing players who began college in 2023 or later to have five years to play five years of sports in college.

That rule didn't apply to Wright and Harris, who entered college in 2022 but they are among the players who have sued the NCAA, arguing they’re being deprived of education and potential NIL financial benefits by being excluded from the rule.

Cal football general manager Ron Rivera said Wednesday he hopes the ACC joins the Big Ten and SEC in turning away former pros.

“I think when somebody makes a decision, goes in a certain direction, I think they’ve made their decision,” said Rivera, a former NFL player and coach. “I’m disappointed that people are looking for ways to cheat the system or beat the system.”

In Tennessee, the state's Court of Appeals granted the NCAA’s motion that puts on hold an order that would have given former Vanderbilt player Jalen Washington and 18 other basketball players a fifth year of eligibility.

The ruling gives the NCAA a win in ongoing litigation across the nation in federal and state courts involving college athletes who contend they should get a fifth year of competition under revised NCAA eligibility rules adopted in June.

Washington, who transferred to Tennessee, and the other plaintiffs are now ineligible pending resolution of the NCAA’s appeal of the lower court’s ruling.

Washington was the lead plaintiff in a complaint filed July 6 by the Texas Trial Group seeking the injunction. Others included Chendall Weaver, last at Texas; A.J. Storr of Mississippi; Jason Edwards of Providence; and Daniel Egbuniwe of St. Bonaventure.

The NCAA also has won stays of injunctions in Ohio and New Jersey state courts and in a federal court in Colorado.

Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here. Visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full college football coverage here.

Troy Vincent speaks during a news conference at an NFL football owners meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Troy Vincent speaks during a news conference at an NFL football owners meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Cleveland Browns tight end Dae'Quan Wright warms up before a preseason NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Cleveland Browns tight end Dae'Quan Wright warms up before a preseason NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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