• Vodafone and Microsoft to rework the client expertise utilizing Microsoft’s generative AI
• Vodafone to scale its new standalone IoT enterprise with Microsoft
• Partnership will increase M-Pesa to enhance monetary inclusion throughout Africa
• Vodafone to develop enterprise enterprise with new Microsoft companies for small and medium-sized companies (SMEs)
• Vodafone to speed up digital transformation and operational efficiencies in digital knowledge heart migration to Microsoft Azure

LONDON and REDMOND, Wash. — Jan. 15, 2024 — Vodafone and Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday introduced a brand new, far-reaching 10-year strategic partnership that leverages their respective strengths in providing scaled digital platforms to greater than 300 million companies, public sector organizations, and customers throughout Europe and Africa.

By way of the partnership, the businesses will collaborate to rework Vodafone’s buyer expertise utilizing Microsoft’s generative AI; hyperscale Vodafone’s main managed IoT connectivity platform; develop new digital and monetary companies for companies, significantly SMEs throughout Europe and Africa; and overhaul its world knowledge heart cloud technique.

Vodafone will make investments $1.5 billion over the following 10 years in cloud and customer-focused AI companies developed together with Microsoft. Moreover, Microsoft will use Vodafone’s mounted and cellular connectivity companies.

Microsoft additionally intends to spend money on Vodafone’s managed IoT connectivity platform, which is able to develop into a separate, standalone enterprise by April 2024. The brand new firm will entice new companions and clients, driving progress in functions and increasing the platform to attach extra units, autos and machines.

The digital companies generated by the brand new partnership will use the newest generative AI know-how to offer a extremely personalised and differentiated buyer expertise throughout a number of channels. They are going to be constructed on unbiased and moral privateness and safety insurance policies beneath Vodafone’s established framework for accountable AI.

Margherita Della Valle, Vodafone Group chief government, mentioned: “In the present day, Vodafone has made a daring dedication to the digital way forward for Europe and Africa. This distinctive strategic partnership with Microsoft will speed up the digital transformation of our enterprise clients, significantly small and medium-sized firms, and step up the standard of buyer expertise for customers.”

“This new technology of AI will unlock huge new alternatives for each group and each trade world wide,” mentioned Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO, Microsoft. “We’re delighted that along with Vodafone we are going to apply the newest cloud and AI know-how to boost the client expertise of a whole lot of hundreds of thousands of individuals and companies throughout Africa and Europe, construct new services and products, and speed up the corporate’s transition to the cloud.”

The businesses have recognized 5 key areas of collaboration:

• Generative AI: To extend buyer satisfaction, the businesses will apply the ability of Microsoft Azure OpenAI to ship frictionless, real-time, proactive and hyperpersonalized experiences throughout all Vodafone buyer touchpoints, together with its digital assistant TOBi (accessible in 13 nations). Vodafone workers may even be capable to leverage the AI capabilities of Microsoft Copilot to rework working practices, enhance productiveness and enhance digital effectivity.
• Scaling IoT: Microsoft intends to spend money on Vodafone’s new, standalone world Web of Issues (IoT)-managed connectivity platform, which connects 175 million units and platforms worldwide. Vodafone additionally plans to develop into a part of the Azure ecosystem making the IoT platform accessible to an enormous developer and third-party neighborhood utilizing open APIs.
• Africa digital acceleration: Microsoft intends to assist additional scale M-Pesa, already the biggest monetary know-how platform in Africa, by housing it on Azure and enabling the launch of recent cloud-native functions. The businesses are additionally launching a purpose-led program that seeks to complement the lives of 100 million customers and 1 million SMEs throughout the African continent. The purpose is to boost digital literacy, skilling and youth outreach packages, in addition to provide digital companies to the underserved SME market. The partnership goals to spice up monetary companies innovation, constructing a neighborhood of licensed builders.
• Enterprise progress: Vodafone will prolong its dedication to distributing Microsoft companies, together with Microsoft Azure, safety options and fashionable work choices corresponding to Microsoft Groups Cellphone Cellular, as a part of its technique to develop into Europe’s main platform for enterprise. This permits enterprise clients to deploy Microsoft’s cloud-based companies at tempo with low adoption and operating prices, in addition to assist the estimated 24 million SMEs throughout Europe by way of the availability of a managed platform that grows with their enterprise.
• Cloud transformation: Vodafone will speed up its cloud transformation by modernizing its knowledge facilities on Microsoft Azure. This may enhance its responsiveness to clients, whereas simplifying and decreasing the operational prices of its IT property. In consequence, Vodafone will be capable to substitute a number of bodily knowledge facilities with digital ones throughout Europe, simplifying and decreasing the operational prices of its IT property, in addition to decreasing vitality necessities and serving to ship in opposition to its sustainable enterprise technique.

About Vodafone

For extra data, please go to www.vodafone.com, observe us on Twitter at @VodafoneGroup or join with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/firm/vodafone.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) permits digital transformation for the period of an clever cloud and an clever edge. Its mission is to empower each particular person and each group on the planet to realize extra.

For extra data, press solely:

Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777, [email protected]

Vodafone Group Media Relations, [email protected]

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