Microsoft has announced a plan to scale up M-Pesa services as part of a 10-year strategic partnership with Vodafone targeting Europe and Africa.
- Microsoft will house M-Pesa on Azure and enable the launch of new cloud-native applications.
- The multinationals are also launching a program that seeks to enrich the lives of 100 million consumers and 1 million SMEs across the African continent.
- Vodafone will invest $1.5 billion over the next 10 years in cloud and customer-focused AI services developed in conjunction with Microsoft.
The companies have identified Generative AI, Scaling IoT, Enterprise growth, cloud transformation and Africa Digital Acceleration as five key areas of collaboration.
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 centre cloud strategy.
“This unique strategic partnership with Microsoft will accelerate the digital transformation of our business customers, particularly small and medium-sized companies, and step up the quality of customer experience for consumers,” Margherita Della Valle, Vodafone Group chief executive said.
“This new generation of AI will unlock massive new opportunities for every organisation and every industry around the world,” said Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO, Microsoft.
Additionally, Microsoft will use Vodafone’s fixed and mobile connectivity services. It also intends to invest in Vodafone’s managed IoT connectivity platform, which will become a separate, standalone business by April 2024.
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