Technology

Vodafone and Google Deepen Strategic Partnership with Ten Year, Billion+ Dollar Deal including Cloud, Cybersecurity and Devices Across Europe and Africa

Published

2 years ago

October 8, 2024

Partnership aims to bring new generative AI (gen AI) powered devices through Google’s Gemini models to millions of Vodafone’s customers across Europe and Africa

Vodafone will expand access to Google’s AI-powered Pixel devices with its fast 5G network in Europe, and continue promoting the Android ecosystem.Vodafone TV aims to become even more personalised and engaging, with improved content search and recommendations using Google Cloud’s gen AI across its set top boxes, with a view to rolling out advertising using Google Ad Manager in the future.Companies intend to enable Vodafone to offer Google One AI Premium subscription plans, which include Gemini Advanced, in select territories by 2025.Vodafone to expand its partnership with Google Cloud, building on its existing private data repository, and will use Google Cloud’s Vertex AI enterprise-ready AI platform to quickly bring new services and innovation to Vodafone’s customers.Vodafone will develop a new cloud-native security service for its business customers leveraging Google Cloud’s Security Operations platform.

LONDON, Oct. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Vodafone and Google today announced a ten year strategic expansion of their existing partnership to bring new services, devices, and TV experiences to millions of Vodafone’s customers across Europe and Africa, supported by Google Cloud and Google’s Gemini models.

The agreement will bring storage, security, and AI assistance to Vodafone’s customers in 15 countries, as well as its partners in an additional 45 markets worldwide, while Google will use Vodafone’s fixed and mobile connectivity services to improve workforce productivity.

Margherita Della Valle, Vodafone Group chief executive, said: “Together, Vodafone and Google will put new AI-powered content and devices into the hands of millions of more consumers. Using these services, our customers can discover new ways to learn, create and communicate, as well as consume TV, on a scale we haven’t seen before.”

“Our expanded partnership with Vodafone will help bring our most advanced AI products and services, including our Gemini models, to more people across Europe and Africa,” said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet. “I’m excited to see how Vodafone’s consumers, small businesses and governments, will use generative AI and Google Cloud to transform the way they work and access information.”

Leading the Way in Enhanced Consumer Experiences

A key focus of the Vodafone and Google partnership is to help consumers take advantage of the latest hardware and digital technologies, including AI and cloud-based applications. Vodafone and Google will work together to improve and expand the range of products and services available in stores and online, supported with a refreshed customer experience rooted in the benefits of AI. Google and Vodafone are working towards enabling Vodafone to offer YouTube subscription-based products and Google One subscription plans, such as storage plans and AI Premium plans to consumers, in addition to offering a range of Pixel and other Android devices.

Vodafone and Google will work towards enhancing Vodafone TV (which is powered by Android TV), using Google Cloud’s advanced gen AI capabilities to provide additional content discovery features, rewards, and offers, as well as content monetization with Google Ad Manager to deliver a better ads experience. The teams are also exploring a more deeply-integrated YouTube experience across Vodafone TV devices.

Digital Transformation & Security: Powered by Google Cloud’s gen AI

Vodafone and Google Cloud already have a strong track record of collaboration. The companies have worked together to create a data repository (data lake) that houses Vodafone’s data and its existing AI and data analytics services on Google Cloud to ensure maximum security and adherence to legal requirements. With the expanded partnership, Vodafone will use Vertex AI, Google Cloud’s enterprise-ready AI platform, to build, deploy, and scale machine learning models and AI applications powered by Google’s Gemini models. This will help increase the speed and ease with which Vodafone’s operating companies in multiple countries can innovate and launch new products.

Through this partnership, Vodafone aims to offer its business customers enhanced cyber protection with its own soon-to-be-developed cloud-native cybersecurity solution, utilising Google Cloud’s Security Operations platform. It will provide security incident and event management, as well as the latest software-based protection tools. Vodafone will also use Google Cloud’s Security Operations platform when developing certain products and services to further ensure that they are secure by design to help keep customers safe online.

Both companies intend to jointly promote the use of universal industry standards in areas such as online safety, responsible AI development, network performance, and interoperability to drive economies of scale in industrial efficiency, boost innovation, and improve public services at scale. Through this partnership, Vodafone will put AI-powered cloud, content, and connectivity into the hands of more people.

Note to Editors
The key benefits of the Vodafone and Google partnership include:

Leading the Way in Enhanced Consumer Experiences

Empowering consumers with AI: Vodafone intends to make it easier for consumers to experience the power of AI through a wider range of AI-powered Google Pixel devices and other Android phones coupled with its fast 5G pan-European network. Vodafone will also help customers learn about AI features with improved online guides, dedicated in-store experiences, and freshly trained staff.Offering a best-in-class TV platform: Vodafone and Google will work towards Vodafone TV customers enjoying AI-generated search and recommendations for personalised TV content, applications, and rewards. This expands on the news in 2023 that Vodafone’s adoption of Android TV became the preferred platform for Vodafone TV, now live in seven countries. This collaboration also empowers Vodafone to optimise its infrastructure using Google Cloud’s gen AI capabilities, and unlock new opportunities in advertising and market expansion. Google Ad Manager is intended to act as the main platform for the monetization of Vodafone’s addressable TV inventories, providing a better ads experience for users.Extending the reach of cloud and AI to consumers: Google and Vodafone aim to offer Vodafone’s consumers a range of services built using advanced cloud-based AI. This may include storage for photos, video and files using Google One, and Google One AI Premium with Gemini Advanced for those who want the extra power of Google’s most capable AI models. The parties are also working to expand the availability of subscription-based YouTube services to Vodafone customers. All such services will be supported by Vodafone’s extensive fixed and mobile networks in the relevant territory.

Digital Transformation & Security: Powered by Google Cloud’s generative AI

Expanding business services powered by Google Cloud: Google and Vodafone will enhance their existing cloud partnership. Google is already the public cloud provider for all Vodafone’s analytics, including anonymised and aggregated big data, business intelligence, marketing, and network analytics. Vodafone will use Vertex AI, Google Cloud’s enterprise-ready AI platform, to build, deploy, and scale machine learning models and AI applications powered by Google’s Gemini models, 1.5 Pro and Flash. Vodafone will bolster its commitment to distributing and building upon Google Cloud-based services, including cybersecurity, data analytics and AI.Enhancing security and threat detection: Vodafone will build a new cloud-native cybersecurity offering for its business customers utilising Google Cloud’s Security Operations platform so they can better protect themselves and respond in real time to cybersecurity threats. In addition, Vodafone will draw on the strengths of its own in-house team of 900 cybersecurity experts, along with Google Cloud’s Security Operations platform, to further secure Vodafone’s operations at scale from external threats.Transforming the back office with gen AI: Google and Vodafone experts will build products and scale priority use-cases for digital, IT, and network teams to help automate fault detection, streamline back-office operations and more. Google will also create a gen AI training programme for Vodafone employees to help them enhance their own digital credentials and operational efficiencies by using scaled AI applications internally, and with partners.

About Vodafone

Vodafone is a leading European and African telecoms company. We provide mobile and fixed services to over 330 million customers in 15 countries (excludes Italy which is held as a discontinued operation under Vodafone Group), partner with mobile networks in 45 more and have one of the world’s largest IoT platforms. In Africa, our financial technology businesses serve almost 79 million customers across seven countries – managing more transactions than any other provider. Our purpose is to connect for a better future by using technology to improve lives, businesses and help progress inclusive sustainable societies. We are committed to reducing our environmental impact to reach net zero emissions by 2040.

For more information, please visit www.vodafone.com, follow us on X at @VodafoneGroup or connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/vodafone.

About Google

Google’s mission is to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Through products and platforms like Search, Maps, Gmail, Android, Google Play, Google Cloud, Chrome and YouTube, Google plays a meaningful role in the daily lives of billions of people and has become one of the most widely-known companies in the world. Google is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.

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SOURCE Google Cloud

Technology

Highstar Launches Full-Chain Battery Cell Portfolio for AI Data Centers

Published

42 minutes ago

July 27, 2026

NANTONG, China, July 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Highstar unveiled its full-chain battery cell solution for artificial intelligence data centers (AIDCs) at the 2026 GGII Energy Storage Industry Summit. The portfolio spans three critical power layers: grey-space UPS and high-voltage direct current (HVDC) systems, white-space battery backup units (BBUs), and grid-side energy storage.

Targeted cells for grey-space and white-space challenges

As AI workloads increase rack density and load volatility, data centers require faster response, dependable backup, controlled temperature rise and stronger lifecycle performance. Highstar’s solution centers on two products for the layers closest to computing loads.

For grey space, the 85Ah high-rate lithium iron phosphate cell is designed for UPS and HVDC systems that must deliver high power rapidly and sustain reliable backup under frequent pulse conditions. High-rate discharge, thermal control, safety and durability support compact system design while helping operators balance availability with lifecycle cost. In addition, the 50Ah sodium-ion battery cells are better suited for operation across a wide temperature range of -40°C to 80°C.

For white-space BBUs, Highstar offers a portfolio of tabless cylindrical cells spanning 18650 and 21700 formats, with both LFP and high-nickel NMC chemistries. Designed for BBU applications, these cells deliver high instantaneous power, low internal resistance, reduced temperature rise and enhanced safety, while accommodating different rack-space, power and cost requirements.

Completing the chain with grid-side storage

The grid-side system uses 314Ah lithium-ion cells and 160Ah sodium-ion cells, balancing long-duration energy storage, cycle life, and rapid power support. Together, the three layers create a coordinated portfolio extending from rack-level protection and system-level backup to upstream energy storage.

The portfolio combines lithium-ion and sodium-ion chemistries with prismatic and cylindrical platforms. Highstar’s technology integrates cathode, anode, electrolyte and separator development with structural approaches including tabless current collection, precision pressure relief and directional venting.

From individual cells to application collaboration

The full-chain architecture is designed to reduce selection and integration complexity for power equipment suppliers, system integrators and data center operators. It also provides a common foundation for joint validation and application-specific development across AIDC power architectures.

During the summit, Highstar also participated in the launch of the “2026 Global AIDC Power Supply Industry Development Blue Book” and was honored as a “Top Benchmark in AIDC Energy Storage,” earning authoritative recognition from the industry.

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SOURCE Jiangsu Highstar Battery Manufacturing Co.,Ltd.

Technology

Huawei Unveils Upgraded Xinghe Intelligent Network for Southern Africa

Published

42 minutes ago

July 27, 2026

JOHANNESBURG, July 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At the Huawei Network Summit 2026 held in Johannesburg, Huawei unveiled its upgraded Xinghe Intelligent Network Solution for the Southern African region under the new philosophy of “Secure and Intelligent Connectivity.” This move reaffirms Huawei’s efforts to advance all intelligence across industries together with customers and partners.

With the rapid rise of AI agents, AI is expanding beyond daily office tasks into mission-critical production services. Industry focus has recently pivoted from token consumption to Daily Active Agents (DAA)—signaling the arrival of mass agent adoption, which in turn necessitates fully upgraded next-generation networks.

Leon Wang, President of Huawei’s Data Communication Product Line, said, “As AI moves into core production, networks are shifting from ubiquitous ultra-broadband to AI-centric architecture building on four pillars: lossless compute to unleash computing power; integrated sensing and communications to enable AI perception; full-scope security to address AI-driven threats; and network autonomy to ensure always-on services.”

Powered by a next-generation intelligent network foundation, Southern Africa’s digital and intelligent transformation is embarking on an all-new path.

“Today, AI is becoming a key driver of global innovation, and its adoption in Africa is transitioning from pilot exploration to real-world deployment, accelerating intelligent transformation across sectors such as finance, education, and public services,” said Vincent Chen, Vice President of Enterprise Business, Southern Africa Region, Huawei. “For the Southern African market, Huawei’s goal is to advance all intelligence across industries by collaborating with industry partners to build intelligent, secure, and reliable network infrastructure for the AI era.”

With the explosive growth of AI agents, new scenarios and requirements are emerging rapidly, placing unprecedented technical demands on networks.

“Network infrastructure faces four major challenges on enterprises’ digital and intelligent journeys. These include the ever-widening gap between computing supply and demand; traffic pattern shifts driven by AI agents; surging O&M complexity; and new AI-driven attacks compounding the vulnerabilities of new systems,” said Arthur Wang, Vice President of Huawei’s Data Communication Product Line. “To address these challenges, Huawei has upgraded its Xinghe Intelligent Network Solution under the ‘Secure and Intelligent Connectivity’ philosophy. The first is an intelligence upgrade, expanding AI beyond O&M into the entire network. The second is a security upgrade, advancing from single-point defense to end-to-end protection that deeply converges network and security. Through these two key upgrades, we aspire to build the solid connectivity foundation for every enterprise in the Agentic AI era.”

Huawei also unveiled its upgraded Xinghe Intelligent Network product portfolio and the Xinghe AI CloudCampus SaaS Service Platform for the Southern African region. Shi Lei, Vice President of the NCE Data Communication Domain of Huawei’s Data Communication Product Line, stated, “In the past, intelligent O&M was a luxury exclusive to large enterprises. Now, we have deeply integrated AI into the cloud management service platform, enabling SMEs to easily access these capabilities as a cloud service. This is more than tech inclusion; it is about making AI network services genuinely accessible, affordable, and actionable.”

Also at the summit, Huawei presented honorary awards to 12 long-term customers for their remarkable shared journey in the data communication domain. Furthermore, industry pioneers across finance, healthcare, transportation, electric power, and ISP shared real-world success stories in accelerating digital transformation.

Looking ahead, Huawei will remain committed to its “AI for All, All on Secure IP” vision, continuously upgrading its Xinghe Intelligent Network Solution under the “Secure and Intelligent Connectivity” philosophy to stride into the intelligent era with customers and partners.

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/huawei-unveils-upgraded-xinghe-intelligent-network-for-southern-africa-302834898.html

Technology

AnX Robotica Launches NaviCONNECT™: Connecting the Future of Capsule Endoscopy

Published

42 minutes ago

July 27, 2026

PLANO, Texas, July 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AnX Robotica, a leader in advanced gastrointestinal diagnostic solutions, today announced the commercial launch of NaviCONNECT™, its next-generation cloud platform designed to streamline capsule endoscopy workflow, simplify practice management, and enhance connectivity across the NaviCam® portfolio of products.

NaviCONNECT provides healthcare providers with secure, cloud-based access to capsule studies and reporting, enabling clinicians to access studies from virtually anywhere. Designed to support the evolving needs of GI practices and health systems, NaviCONNECT delivers a modern, scalable platform that enhances operational efficiency, simplifies software updates, and provides the foundation for future innovations in artificial intelligence and enterprise connectivity.

“NaviCONNECT represents a significant milestone in our vision of delivering a fully connected capsule endoscopy ecosystem,” said Stu Wildhorn, Vice President of Marketing and Product Management at AnX Robotica. “By moving to a secure cloud-based platform, we are providing our customers the option of a simpler, more efficient way to manage capsule studies today while creating the infrastructure to support future AI capabilities, enterprise analytics, and expanded clinical workflow solutions.”

NaviCONNECT seamlessly integrates with the AnX Robotica NaviCam Small Bowel portfolio, including NaviCam SB with ProScan™ and NaviCam XS and is designed for future capsule technologies.

The launch of NaviCONNECT reinforces AnX Robotica’s commitment to advancing capsule endoscopy through innovative technologies that improve workflow, expand clinical capabilities, and enhance the experience for both providers and patients. As the foundation for the company’s digital strategy, NaviCONNECT will continue to evolve with new capabilities designed to support enterprise customers, AI-driven clinical insights, and the future of gastrointestinal diagnostics.

For more information about NaviCONNECT and the complete portfolio of AnX Robotica diagnostic technologies, visit www.anxrobotica.com.

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SOURCE AnX Robotica