Vodafone Group once again turned to Google Cloud to boost its data processing capabilities, inking a six-year partnership deal that will see the companies collaborate on development of a new analytics system.
The operator noted the system will allow it to move and process “huge volumes of data globally from multiple systems into the cloud.” It pegged the initial figure at 5,000 data feeds per day, or the equivalent of 50 terabytes per day “and growing.”
Its new system will be comprised of two parts: an integrated data platform called Nucleus, which will use hybrid cloud technology and a distribution engine called Dynamo, which will pull data from various sources and push key information back to end points where it will be used. Nucleus will be enabled by Neuron, a data ocean for analytics, which Vodafone built with Google Cloud in 2019.
Up to 1,000 employees from both companies are set to collaborate on the project. A Vodafone representative told Fierce work is already underway, noting an initial software release rolled out on April 20. The representative said the move marked “our first step on a roadmap of releases planned for the next 18 months.”
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Johan Wibergh, Vodafone CTO, said in a statement, “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.”
Among other things, Vodafone said Nucleus and Dynamo will support delivery of improved mobile and fixed connectivity and TV content, enabling it to offer personalized rewards or boost data speeds based on a user’s unique needs. It added it has pinpointed more than 700 use cases for the new system, spanning the delivery of new products and services, elimination of duplicate data sources and simplification of operations.
The Vodafone representative noted the cloud move isn’t necessarily driven by its next-generation network ambitions, stating “it is only connected to 5G in that it will support us in network planning and managing capacity, etc.”
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As part of the deal, Vodafone will migrate its entire SAP environment to Google Cloud, including core workloads and corporate modules, and create digital twins of its worldwide digital infrastructure and many of its internal support functions. The companies will also explore opportunities to provide consultancy services to other multi-national businesses or organizations.