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.



Stricken Ubisoft Says to Close British Studio

The Ubisoft Entertainment logo is seen at the Paris Games Week (PGW), a trade fair for video games in Paris, France, October 29, 2019. (Reuters)
The Ubisoft Entertainment logo is seen at the Paris Games Week (PGW), a trade fair for video games in Paris, France, October 29, 2019. (Reuters)
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Stricken Ubisoft Says to Close British Studio

The Ubisoft Entertainment logo is seen at the Paris Games Week (PGW), a trade fair for video games in Paris, France, October 29, 2019. (Reuters)
The Ubisoft Entertainment logo is seen at the Paris Games Week (PGW), a trade fair for video games in Paris, France, October 29, 2019. (Reuters)

Struggling French games giant Ubisoft said Monday that it would close a British studio and lay off 185 people across Europe as part of a restructuring.

The job cuts, which also affect operations in Germany and Sweden, were "part of our ongoing efforts to prioritize projects and reduce costs that ensure long-term stability", Ubisoft told AFP.

Monday's announcement covered the closure of Ubisoft's studio in Leamington in central England and layoffs at another in Newcastle, as well as in Duesseldorf and Stockholm.

The 185 job cuts across Europe compare with around 18,000 worldwide employees at the group.

Ubisoft had already closed studios in San Francisco and Osaka and began winding down its Sydney operation after shooter "XDefiant" last year failed to strike a chord with players, shedding 277 jobs.

Another blow had come with the lukewarm reception of another game, "Star Wars: Outlaws", which missed sales expectations.

And in January, Ubisoft announced a delay to the release of the latest instalment in its money-spinning flagship series "Assassin's Creed", to March 20.

The step forced bosses to lower their financial forecasts for the year, and Ubisoft's shares have fallen more than 40 percent in the past 12 months.

It has said it is considering its "strategic and capitalistic options" going into 2025, with rumors the company could be bought out and taken off the stock market.