Accenture has signed an agreement worth approximately 200 million euros with NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) as part of the Protected Business Network (PBN) program, marking a key step toward the creation of NATO's secure, cloud-enabled digital organization. Over the next seven years, Accenture will collaborate with Leonardo on the program's implementation.
The Protected Business Network forms the basis of the NATO Alliance's classified digital operations, enabling decision makers and military personnel to communicate, coordinate and access critical data through a modern, standardized, scalable and more resilient cloud environment to external threats and service interruptions. The PBN program will replace current infrastructure and will strengthen the agility and security of NATO's digital architecture by introducing a common cloud operating model, standard engineering methodologies, and a secure environment to develop, deploy, and manage new digital services more quickly, laying the foundation for the Alliance's continued digital evolution.
Accenture and Leonardo They will design, implement, and manage the PBN's core platform on a multi-cloud environment provided by the NCIA, supporting the progressive adoption of secure cloud services by approximately 29.000 Alliance users. Thanks in part to the strengthening achieved through recent acquisitions, Leonardo will implement a Zero Trust architecture protected by its Global Cybersec Platform, a multi-agency, AI-based cyber defense platform capable of ensuring the highest levels of resilience.
The agreement, signed by NCIA General Manager Dylan Browne and Olivier Girard, Defense Industry Lead for Accenture EMEA, at the NATO Summit Defense Industry Forum in Ankara, launches the first phase of implementation of one of NATO's most important digital transformation programs. "With this agreement, NATO strengthens its commitment to innovation, digital transformation, and shared investment in future technologies. Through the Protected Business Network, the Alliance is taking a decisive step in modernizing its digital infrastructure and building an increasingly connected and data-driven organization, capable of developing and deploying digital capabilities rapidly and at scale," said Girard. Dylan Browne, General Manager of NCIA.
Mauro Macchi, CEO of Accenture EMEA, instead said: “NATO's ambition to become a fully digital Alliance represents one of the most significant transformation programs of our time, and a reinvention of this magnitude requires a trusted partner willing to take responsibility for the results. Together with Leonardo, we will provide the cloud and cybersecurity expertise needed to support the NCIA in building a resilient, interoperable, and future-proof digital backbone, while strengthening the Alliance's ability to operate and maintain its leadership.”
Lorenzo Mariani, CEO and General Manager of Leonardo, he finally commented: “In the current geopolitical scenario, this project represents a fundamental step in strengthening NATO's operational readiness, interoperability, and mission continuity. With the Protected Business Network program, Leonardo consolidates its leadership in cybersecurity at the service of mission-critical organizations.”
