Vodafone Group has agreed a six-year partnership with Google to jointly build a new integrated data platform, with Vodafone transferring data from its servers to Google Cloud. The deal will see the companies collaborate on the development of a new data analytics system that will be used by 1,000 employees in both companies and potentially lead to the provision of new consultancy services to third parties.
This announcement is a good example of how mobile operators and technology giants can and are increasingly joining forces in mutually beneficial partnerships. Vodafone expects the deal to generate new products and services, improve decision-making and reduce costs. For Google, the partnership represents yet another piece of positive news for its cloud division. Google Cloud continues to improve its financial performance, with revenues growing 45% over the last year, in line with the growth experienced by other major cloud players, such as Amazon and Microsoft.