Vodafone Teams Up with Google Cloud on Data Analytics

FILE PHOTO: The Vodafone logo is seen at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, February 28, 2018. REUTERS/Sergio Perez
FILE PHOTO: The Vodafone logo is seen at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, February 28, 2018. REUTERS/Sergio Perez
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Vodafone Teams Up with Google Cloud on Data Analytics

FILE PHOTO: The Vodafone logo is seen at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, February 28, 2018. REUTERS/Sergio Perez
FILE PHOTO: The Vodafone logo is seen at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, February 28, 2018. REUTERS/Sergio Perez

Mobile operator Vodafone Group Plc and Alphabet Inc's Google Cloud entered a strategic partnership to jointly develop data services, Vodafone said on Sunday.

About 1,000 workers in Britain, Spain and the United States will be asked by both companies to create "Nucleus", a new cloud-based storage and analytics portal which will host Vodafone's data.

Nucleus will be capable of processing around 50 terabytes of data a day within the cloud, Vodafone said in a statement.

"Both companies will drive the use of reliable and secure data analytics, insights, and learnings to support the introduction of new digital products and services for Vodafone customers simultaneously worldwide," the statement added.

Google did not respond to Reuters request for a comment. The news was first reported by the Financial Times on Sunday.

As part of the six-year agreement, both companies will also develop a system called 'Dynamo', which can extract and transport data across different countries where the British-based telecom company operates.

According to the FT report, the two companies also want to sell consultancy services to other multinational businesses looking to move huge amounts of data to the cloud in the future.



Apple’s China Smartphone Shipments Slide 9% in First Quarter

The Apple logo is seen at a mall in the financial district of Shanghai on April 14, 2025. (AFP)
The Apple logo is seen at a mall in the financial district of Shanghai on April 14, 2025. (AFP)
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Apple’s China Smartphone Shipments Slide 9% in First Quarter

The Apple logo is seen at a mall in the financial district of Shanghai on April 14, 2025. (AFP)
The Apple logo is seen at a mall in the financial district of Shanghai on April 14, 2025. (AFP)

Apple's shipments of smartphones in China slumped 9% in the first quarter from a year earlier and it was the only major manufacturer to see a decline, according to data from research firm IDC.

Apple, which ranks fifth in China's smartphone market, saw shipments fall to 9.8 million phones, giving it a market share of 13.7%, down from 17.4% in the previous quarter.

It was Apple's seventh straight quarter of decline.

By contrast, market leader Xiaomi saws its shipments surge 40% to 13.3 million while industry-wide shipments grew 3.3%.

IDC analyst Will Wong said Apple's premium pricing structure has prevented the US company from capitalizing on new government subsidies introduced in January which fueled growth in the first quarter.

The government subsidies for smartphones and some other consumer electronics refund consumers 15% of products with a sticker price under 6,000 yuan ($820).