Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and Snowflake (NYSE: SNOW) announced the formation of the Accenture Snowflake Business Group to help enterprises accelerate AI and data transformation initiatives.

The business group will be supported by more than 5,000 Accenture SnowPro-certified professionals, which the companies describe as the largest certified talent pool in the ecosystem. The collaboration combines Snowflake's data and AI platform with Accenture's industry experience and services.

Caterpillar is working with both companies to leverage operational data for improved manufacturing quality, finance insights, and knowledge management. "Our work with Accenture and Snowflake marks a major step forward in our journey to become a truly AI-and-data-driven organization," said Jamie Engstrom, Caterpillar's chief information officer.

The partnership includes establishing a global Center of Excellence where Accenture and Snowflake teams will work with clients to apply technologies and develop solutions. The initiative leverages Accenture's AI Refinery platform alongside Snowflake's Intelligence and Cortex AI offerings.

According to Accenture research cited in the announcement, 85% of c-suite leaders plan to increase AI investments, with 67% viewing AI as a revenue growth driver rather than solely a cost-cutting tool.

"The Accenture Snowflake Business Group will help clients to better leverage Snowflake's unique foundation of reliable, accessible, contextualized data, coupled with Accenture's ability to unlock the power of advanced AI for clients faster," said Manish Sharma, Accenture's chief strategy and services officer.

Snowflake CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy stated the partnership has "empowered hundreds of organizations to unlock AI's potential and reveal previously unimaginable insights."