UK-based Vodafone has been a busy operator recently and its latest move is a strategic partnership with Google to do all kinds of cloudy stuff.
The mutual commitment lasts no less than six years and is all about providing Vodafone with data analytics to help it develop new digital products for its customers. The two companies are going to jointly build a data platform called Nucleus, which will house a data analytics system called Dynamo. Ultimately, apart from amusingly named pieces of geekery, this seems to be all about Vodafone taking its digital transformation to the next level.
“Vodafone is building a powerful foundation for a digital future,” said Johan Wibergh, Vodafone CTO. “We have vast amounts of data which, when securely processed and made available across our footprint using the collective power of Vodafone and Google Cloud’s engineering expertise, will transform our services, to our customers and governments, and the societies where they live and serve.”
“Telecommunications firms are increasingly differentiating their customer experiences through the use of data and analytics, and this has never been more important than during the current pandemic,” said Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud. “We are thrilled to be selected as Vodafone’s global strategic cloud partner for analytics and SAP, and to co-innovate on new products that will accelerate the industry’s digital transformation.”
The platform will apparently be able to process 50 terabytes of data per day once it’s fully up and running, and has 1,000 employees of both companies collaborating on it. Here are some of the things Vodafone reckons it will be able to do better because of it:
- Enhancing Vodafone’s mobile, fixed, and TV content and connectivity services through the instantaneous availability of highly personalised rewards, content, and applications.
- Increasing the number of smart network services in its Google Cloud footprint from eight markets to the entire Vodafone footprint.
- Empowering data scientists to collaborate on key environmental and health issues in 11 countries using automated machine learning tools.
- Providing a complete digital replica of many of Vodafone’s internal support functions using artificial intelligence and advanced analytics.