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STC Group, Microsoft Team Up for Corporate Digital Transformation Innovation across Saudi Arabia

A man passes the Saudi Telecom STC office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, February 6, 2018. (Reuters)
A man passes the Saudi Telecom STC office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, February 6, 2018. (Reuters)
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STC Group, Microsoft Team Up for Corporate Digital Transformation Innovation across Saudi Arabia

A man passes the Saudi Telecom STC office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, February 6, 2018. (Reuters)
A man passes the Saudi Telecom STC office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, February 6, 2018. (Reuters)

stc group, an engine of digital transformation, announced the expansion of its strategic partnership with Microsoft to further advance its digitalization and drive innovation across Saudi Arabia.

As part of the partnership, the organizations will jointly develop and deploy cutting-edge solutions that will transform and empower organizations across various industries, while enabling small businesses to grow and thrive in the digital economy, according to a press release by stc, SPA reported.

"Our strategic partnership with Microsoft marks a defining moment in the history of digital transformation for both stc group and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said stc group CEO Olayan Alwetaid.

“This collaboration isn't just about technology; it's about promoting a future where Saudi Arabia is at the forefront of global innovation, setting the standard for what's possible in the digital age. Together with Microsoft, we will work to bring the latest technologies to Saudi Arabia and help businesses of all sizes to embrace digital transformation, advance economic diversification, and create a more vibrant and prosperous future for our country.”

The collaboration between the organizations, the release said, aims to enable stc’s subsidiaries to explore new markets, develop disruptive business models, and bring innovative products and services to market. By jointly developing and deploying the latest advanced technologies, the partnership aims to support high-quality, safe, and secure digital experiences for businesses across the Kingdom.

The alliance will also serve as an innovation powerhouse, powering the transformation of industries from the Kingdom to the world.

“We are excited about this next phase in our journey with stc. Our aim is to empower businesses of all sizes and industries with tailored digital solutions that enable them to innovate and solve their unique challenges to drive equitable business growth.” Said President Microsoft EMEA Ralph Haupter.

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Google Offers to Loosen Search Deals in US Antitrust Case Remedy

The Google sign is shown on one of the company's office buildings in Irvine, California, US, October 20, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake
The Google sign is shown on one of the company's office buildings in Irvine, California, US, October 20, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake
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Google Offers to Loosen Search Deals in US Antitrust Case Remedy

The Google sign is shown on one of the company's office buildings in Irvine, California, US, October 20, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake
The Google sign is shown on one of the company's office buildings in Irvine, California, US, October 20, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake

Alphabet's Google proposed on Friday a loosening of its agreements with Apple and others to set Google as the default search engine on new devices, in a bid to address a US ruling that it unlawfully dominates online search.

The proposal is muchu narrower than the government's push to make Google sell its Chrome browser, which Google called a drastic attempt to intervene in the search market.

Google urged US District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington to move cautiously in deciding what the company must do to restore competition, after his ruling that the company holds an illegal monopoly in online search and related advertising. Courts have cautioned against imposing antitrust remedies that chill innovation, Google said in court papers.

That is especially true "in an environment where remarkable artificial intelligence innovations are rapidly changing how people interact with many online products and services, including search engines," Google said.

While Google plans to appeal that ruling at the end of the case, it says the upcoming "remedies" phase should focus on its distribution agreements with browser developers, mobile device manufacturers, and wireless carriers.

The judge found the agreements give Google a "major, largely unseen advantage over its rivals" and result in most devices in the US coming pre-loaded with Google's search engine.

The agreements are hard to exit, the judge said, especially for Android manufacturers, which must agree to install Google search in order to include Google's Play Store on their devices.

To fix that, Google could make them non-exclusive and, for Android phone manufacturers, unbundle its Play Store from Chrome and search, the company said in its proposal.

Google would allow browser developers that agree to set its search engine as the default to revisit that decision annually under the proposal.

REVENUE SHARING

Unlike the government's proposal, Google's would not end revenue sharing agreements, which pass a portion of ad revenue Google makes from search to the device and software companies that present it as the default search engine.

Independent browser developers including Mozilla, which makes Firefox, have said the funds are crucial to their operations. Apple received an estimated $20 billion from its agreement with Google in 2022 alone.

Kamyl Bazbaz, spokesperson for search engine competitor DuckDuckGo, said the proposal attempts to maintain the status quo.

"Once a court finds a violation of competition laws, the remedy must not only stop the illegal conduct and prevent its recurrence, but restore competition in the affected markets," he said.

Google's proposal sets the stage for a trial Mehta will hold in April, where the US Department of Justice and a coalition of states will seek to show the need for wide-ranging remedies, including making Google sell off Chrome and potentially its Android mobile operating system.

The government plans to call witnesses from OpenAI, AI search startup Perplexity, and Microsoft, according to court papers.

Prosecutors also want Google to stop paying to be the default search engine, and cease investments in search rivals and query-based AI products, and license its search results and technology to rivals.

The proposals aim to spur innovation in online search, where Mehta found Google's overwhelming market share keeps competitors from gathering the search data needed to improve their products, and prevent Google from extending its dominance in search to AI.