How a Japanese IT giant quietly built a global empire through aggressive acquisitions
In short: Headquartered in Tokyo, NTT Data has evolved from a domestic telecommunications spin-off into a massive international IT services powerhouse. By systematically acquiring specialized consulting and software firms across the globe, the company has secured a dominant footprint in sectors ranging from SAP integration to advanced artificial intelligence development.
The origins of NTT Data trace back to 1967, when the Japan Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation launched its data communications division. Following the privatization of the parent company in 1985, the division was spun off as an independent entity in 1988. Since then, it has grown into the largest IT services firm headquartered in Japan, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone.
Growth has been driven by a relentless global acquisition strategy. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, the company absorbed firms like Germany's Cirquent, Australia's Extend Technologies, and the US-based Keane and Intelligroup. By 2016, the company made a significant move by acquiring Dell's IT services unit for $3 billion. This expansion continued into the 2020s, with the formation of the NTT DATA EMEAL entity in 2022, consolidating operations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America under one management structure.
Beyond traditional consulting and system integration, NTT Data has pivoted toward cutting-edge technology. In 2023, the company released tsuzumi, a proprietary Japanese large language model. By October 2025, it launched an updated version, tsuzumi 2, which supports multiple languages including English, Korean, French, and German. The company claims this lightweight model achieves top-tier performance while requiring only a single GPU, positioning the firm at the forefront of efficient AI deployment.
Today, the company maintains a presence in numerous countries, including the UK, China, Malaysia, Italy, and Brazil. While it remains deeply embedded in the Japanese market, its global reach is further amplified by high-profile sponsorships, such as its title role in the NTT IndyCar Series. In September 2025, the company delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange, marking a new chapter in its corporate evolution under the leadership of President and CEO Yutaka Sasaki.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: NTT Data
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