• Google’s cloud and AI service will underpin products for Vodafone’s business customers
• MDR is a cybersecurity platform while Concierge is a customer service agent
• Google also announces partnership with Proximus

Vodafone Business and Google Cloud have announced an expansion of their strategic partnership with two new solutions to equip small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) with advanced cybersecurity and agentic AI.

The new services include a new managed detection and response (MDR) service enabled by Google Security Operations; and Vodafone Business AI Concierge with Google Gemini, described as the first in a suite of planned agentic AI solutions.

The MDR solution brings together Google’s global security analytics and AI-driven threat intelligence with Vodafone’s experience in serving the SMB market across Europe to support businesses with identifying and mitigating threats in real time. It will initially launch in Germany before being rolled out to other European markets later in the year.

The Concierge service is a multi-modal, AI agent, including voice and data, designed to operate autonomously within a business environment. It uses Vodafone’s network to handle critical but repetitive tasks, such as engaging naturally with customers, answering inquiries and booking appointments.

Vodafone framed the latest announcement as a key milestone in the $1bn, 10-year strategic partnership it signed with Google Cloud in October 2024.

The announcement comes during a busy week in Europe for Google Cloud which, despite all the talk of cloud and data sovereignty, has managed to snag more deals with operators in the region, albeit one with a more international flavour. 

On Tuesday, it announced an extension of its collaboration with Proximus Global, which integrates BICS, Telesign and Route Mobile under one umbrella. The aim of this latest accord is to enable BICS to offer cloud-based numbering services to enterprises across more than 40 countries, replacing legacy phone systems. Google will refer customers to BICS for full PSTN replacement and cloud-based numbering services. Seckin Arikan, CEO of Proximus Global, described the partnership as a “seismic moment for BICS and the culmination of years of hard work building industry-leading global networks”. He also pointedly noted that it “shows the strategic importance of hyperscaler partnerships for seamless, cloud-based communication solutions”. 

– Anne Morris, Contributing Editor, TelecomTV