Partnership aims to transform customer experience and boost financial offerings.
In a major collaboration, Vodafone and Microsoft have revealed a $1.5 billion investment deal over the next decade. The partnership will focus on the development of cloud and customer-focused AI services, aiming to transform customer experience and enhance financial offerings.
As part of the deal, Vodafone will invest $1.5 billion in the development of cloud and customer-focused AI services, working in collaboration with Microsoft. The companies plan to leverage OpenAI’s technology running on Microsoft Azure to provide a highly personalized and differentiated customer experience across multiple channels.
Vodafone’s staff will have access to Microsoft Copilot, an AI feature integrated with the Microsoft Office 365 suite. The collaboration emphasizes the use of the latest technology to create a customer experience based on unbiased and ethical policies.
Microsoft will utilize Vodafone’s fixed and mobile connectivity services and invest in the operator’s IoT platform, set to become a standalone business by April. The goal of the IoT platform is to attract new partners and customers, drive growth in applications, and expand the platform to connect more devices, vehicles, and machines.
Vodafone expressed its commitment to making the IoT platform accessible to a vast developer and third-party community using open APIs through Azure.
Margherita Della Valle, Vodafone CEO, described the partnership as a “bold commitment to the digital future of Europe and Africa.” Microsoft CEO and chair Satya Nadella emphasized that the new generation of AI would unlock massive opportunities for organizations and industries worldwide.