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.



SDAIA Lists ALLaM 7B Arabic Language Model on Hugging Face

SDAIA Lists ALLaM 7B Arabic Language Model on Hugging Face
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SDAIA Lists ALLaM 7B Arabic Language Model on Hugging Face

SDAIA Lists ALLaM 7B Arabic Language Model on Hugging Face

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has disclosed the listing of the generative Arabic Large Language Model (ALLaM) —7 billion parameters category— on the Hugging Face platform. This platform, a prominent global open-source repository for natural language processing (NLP) resources, now hosts the nationally developed model, making it accessible to a global audience of developers and researchers for utilization in artificial intelligence applications.
SDAIA asserts that ALLaM is positioned as one of the preeminent generative language models for the Arabic language worldwide, SPA reported.
This initiative aligns with the strategic objectives of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, under the leadership of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister and SDAIA Board of Directors Chairman, who supports SDAIA's mandate to strengthen the Kingdom's position as a global technology hub for artificial intelligence and digital innovation.
ALLaM is a large language model distinguished by its precision and efficacy in the comprehension and processing of Arabic. Its capabilities encompass text summarization, content generation, and other functionalities, positioning it as a tool for the development of smart applications. The model's training, conducted on an extensive and diverse Arabic language dataset, is cited as contributing to its performance across varied operational environments.
According to SDAIA, the availability of ALLaM on the Hugging Face platform is intended to facilitate access for the scientific and technical community, enabling the development of artificial intelligence-driven applications.
The listing on Hugging Face represents a phase in the model's ongoing development. ALLaM was initially integrated into IBM's Watsonx platform, which facilitated advanced Arabic language analysis and processing through artificial intelligence solutions. Subsequently, it was launched on Microsoft's Azure cloud platform, providing developers and enterprises access to advanced cloud computing environments.
During the LEAP25 conference, Qualcomm, in collaboration with the ALLaM development team, announced the model's availability on the Qualcomm AI Cloud. Additionally, the "ALLAM AI PC," a computer incorporating advanced artificial intelligence technologies designed to enhance user interaction with the Arabic language, was unveiled.