One of the world's largest consulting firms, NTT Data, invests in The Cloud People Group

Combining world-class ServiceNow and SAP delivery

NTT DATA is investing in The Cloud People, making the ServiceNow specialist its Nordic spearhead. The investment positions NTT DATA as a leading global ServiceNow Elite partner in a market that has tripled its total addressable market potential through AI-powered business automation.

Since its founding in 2019, The Cloud People (TCP) has established itself as the leading pure-play ServiceNow partner in Northern Europe. NTT DATA is now acquiring a majority stake in the company. The global consulting group is investing in TCP to strengthen its ServiceNow business and expand its presence across Northern Europe and the Nordic region.

Following the investment, TCP will operate as an independent subsidiary of NTT DATA Business Solutions, a division of NTT DATA. NTT DATA is one of the world’s largest consulting firms, with more than USD 30 billion in annual revenue and close to 200,000 employees worldwide. NTT DATA Business Solutions has a strong focus on SAP technologies and artificial intelligence (AI).

“By becoming part of NTT DATA Business Solutions, we are moving from being a European challenger to becoming a global ServiceNow player. This significantly strengthens our delivery capabilities,” says Bjørn Jarl, CEO of The Cloud People.

A leading ServiceNow partner in Europe

The 100 percent focus on ServiceNow, combined with a modern business model that invites customers into a transparent consultant house of expertise, has made the company one of the fastest-growing ServiceNow partners in Europe, achieving Elite Partner status. 

TCP delivers services across the entire ServiceNow platform, from IT Service Management and workflow automation to customer service and security operations. After six years, TCP has reached NOK 500 million in revenue and operates offices across the Nordics, Northern Europe, the United States, and Brazil.

“As part of NTT DATA, we can continue to grow with a level of stability that financial investors cannot offer. At the same time, we become part of one of the world’s largest consulting organizations. This creates expansion opportunities that go beyond even our most ambitious goals. Like us, NTT DATA places strong emphasis on certifications, proven expertise, and delivery of the highest quality. That makes us a strong cultural fit, built on openness and a firm belief in demonstrable competence,” Jarl continues.

“Many of our Nordic customers use both SAP and ServiceNow, but have lacked a single, strong partner capable of taking end-to-end responsibility for their solutions. With The Cloud People, we gain the strongest ServiceNow expertise in the Nordics, which we can combine with our extensive experience in SAP delivery. This enables faster value creation, better integrations, and a much stronger foundation for AI,” says Morten Arnesen, Managing Director Norway & Sweden at NTT DATA Business Solutions.

Closer collaboration with ServiceNow

The investment in The Cloud People comes as ServiceNow and NTT DATA expand their strategic partnership to accelerate AI-driven transformation for global enterprises. As part of this collaboration, ServiceNow named NTT DATA a strategic AI delivery partner. Both organizations are committed to co-developing and marketing AI-powered solutions that enable large-scale automation and operational efficiency. This strengthened alliance provides a robust platform for NTT DATA Business Solutions and The Cloud People to collaborate to drive innovation and deliver next-generation, AI-enabled ServiceNow offerings to customers worldwide.

The Cloud People has also established a dedicated AI Center of Excellence for ServiceNow and has already delivered projects with documented results for more than 20 customers in Northern Europe. With NTT DATA Business Solutions’ global presence and delivery capacity, the company will now scale the development of smarter workflows and more advanced AI solutions globally.

“This investment in The Cloud People represents a strategic choice for NTT DATA in the Nordic region. ServiceNow is becoming an increasingly important platform for organizations looking to automate, modernize, and adopt AI at scale. With TCP, we gain a team with deep expertise, proven delivery capabilities, and a strong culture of quality. Together, we can take a leading position in the Nordic market and deliver integrated solutions that combine ServiceNow, SAP, and AI in the way customers have been asking for,” Arnesen adds.

The Cloud People will continue to operate as before, as an independent subsidiary under the name “The Cloud People, an NTT DATA Business Solutions company.” Bjørn Jarl will continue as CEO. The investment adds 130 customers and 300 TCP consultants to NTT DATA.