Vodafone to invest $1.5B over 10 years in AI services with Microsoft

Vodafone (VOD) and Microsoft (MSFT) on Tuesday announced a new,10-year strategic partnership that leverages their respective strengths in offering scaled digital platforms to more than 300M businesses, public sector organizations, and consumers across Europe and Africa. Through the partnership, the companies will collaborate to transform Vodafone’s customer experience using Microsoft’s generative AI; hyperscale Vodafone’s managed IoT connectivity platform; develop new digital and financial services for businesses, particularly SMEs across Europe and Africa; and overhaul its global data center cloud strategy. Vodafone will invest $1.5B over the next 10 years in cloud and customer-focused AI services developed in conjunction with Microsoft. Additionally, Microsoft will use Vodafone’s fixed and mobile connectivity services. Microsoft also intends to invest in Vodafone’s managed IoT connectivity platform, which will become a separate, standalone business by April.