Vodafone to build AI analytics platform on Google Cloud

(Image credit: Vodafone)

Vodafone is migrating its data analytics platform to Google’s cloud infrastructure, claiming the move will allow the operator to benefit from more detailed, rapid insights that will optimise its networks and customer service.

Both parties will work together on the creation of Vodafone Neuron – a custom real-time data analytics platform that gathers data from more than 600 servers in 11 countries into a single repository.

Once complete, Neuron will allow management to make more informed decisions and take automated actions that improve levels of service, reduce costs, and increase revenues.

Vodafone deals

For example, it could automatically assign more capacity in busy parts of the network, support Vodafone’s 5G service, or automatically push offers to customers when they are most likely to make purchases.

Currently, Vodafone’s data platform is hosted on legacy Hadoop architecutre. Google cloud tools have been migrated into the platform to facilitate a mass migration of data.

“Neuron serves as the foundation for Vodafone’s data ocean and the brains of our business as we transform ourselves into a digital tech company,” said Simon Harris, Group Head of Big Data Delivery at Vodafone.

“Not only will we be able to gain real-time analytics capabilities across Vodafone products and services, it will also allow us to arrive at insights faster, which can then be used to offer more personalized product offerings to customers and to raise the bar on service.”

In a separate announcement, Vodafone Business has secured a major global partnership with Ryanair. The seven-year agreement will see Vodafone transform the airline’s infrastructure trough the use of cloud, unified communications, SD-WAN, IoT, and cybersecurity technologies.

This will support more than 300 Ryanair sites in 40 countries, covering 153 million passengers, and will touch every stage of the customer journey. This includes online booking, boarding, in-fligth transactions, training centres, offices, and data centres. Ryanair already has 20,000 IoT connections and will be able to add a new site within 10 days as part of the arrangement.

“This extended partnership with Vodafone will provide us with the technical support to allow us to make improvements quickly and seamlessly, including migration to a new wide area network that will enable Ryanair be more agile in its connectivity,” said John Hurley, Ryanair CTO.

Finally, closer to home, Vodafone UK has reached a five year extension to its agreement with reseller Olive Communications, covering 5G, IoT and landline services.

Steve McCaskill is TechRadar Pro's resident mobile industry expert, covering all aspects of the UK and global news, from operators to service providers and everything in between. He is a former editor of Silicon UK and journalist with over a decade's experience in the technology industry, writing about technology, in particular, telecoms, mobile and sports tech, sports, video games and media.