In a bid to modernize functioning and achieve enhanced operational facility, Rio Tinto –a mining company – has joined hands with Accenture and announced that its key IT systems will be moved into the public cloud. This latest move will see the mining company adopt a new delivery model; it will involve the transition of its information systems and technology (IS&T) services to a cloud-based “As-a Service” solution. This solution aims to modify and reshape Rio Tinto’s current enterprise resource planning (ERP) and Information Management (IM) platforms; with this programme, applications will be consolidated and hosted in the public cloud. According to the deal, Accenture will be responsible for monitoring and upgrading applications while ensuring the enhancement of global service desk and site support functions. The solution benefits from the support of a co-located innovation center and Rio Tinto’s adoption of it, marks a significant step towards a cloud-first policy. Also, it constitutes a consumption based pricing mechanism which will lead to flexibility in costs and ensures that it is in sync with the nature of existing business demand. “We selected Accenture to help us manage this transformation based on its global delivery capabilities, its vision for the intelligent business cloud and its ability to support our digital transformation programme,” says Simon Benney, CIO, Rio Tinto Group.