Vodafone and Microsoft they announced a major ten-year strategic partnership to improve digital services and customer experience for more than 300 million businesses, public sector bodies and consumers across Europe, the UK and Africa.
Vodafone will invest $1,5 billion over the next decade in cloud and artificial intelligence services to be developed with Microsoft. Key areas of cooperation include building artificial intelligence, improving the Internet of Things (IoT), accelerating digital initiatives in Africa, business development and cloud transformation.
Margherita Della Valle, CEO of the Vodafone Group, said:
"Today, Vodafone has made a bold commitment to the digital future of Europe and Africa. This unique strategic partnership with Microsoft will accelerate the digital transformation of our business customers, especially small and mid-sized companies, and enhance the quality of the customer experience for consumers.”
One of the key aspects of this partnership is Microsoft's investment in Vodafone's IoT (Internet of Things) managed connectivity platform.
This platform, which is set to become a standalone business by April 2024, is an important part of Vodafone's service offering. The investment from Microsoft is not only financial, but also a strategic move to leverage Vodafone's extensive fixed and mobile connectivity services.
