Microsoft (Azure) News

Latest ranking from Brand Finance shows Deutsche Telekom remains the most valuable telecoms brand in the world, while expansive rival e& is the fastest growing.

Innovation (R&D)
Vodafone sees meaningful impact as AI hits CX and beyond
Operator’s AI director highlights significant improvements in CX for its chatbot users as multi-vendor AI raises standards and delivers consistency, also driving 20% lift in procurement efficiency. Ensuring usable and accessible data can be the biggest cost…
Weekly Briefings
Vodafonewatch Weekly: Italian deal done to kickstart 2025
Latest from Vodafone and its ecosystem, including the Italian divestment; more federal funding in Germany; a reprieve in India for embattled Vi; and a significant Chinese tie-up in Egypt…
Strategy & Change
Global Fabric: BT’s ‘biggest bet’ will be ticket to ride AI wave
BT Business CTO Colin Bannon has positioned NaaS proposition Global Fabric as the Group’s route to benefiting from an incoming wave of AI RoI.
Products & Services
Carved-out Vodafone IoT gets down to ‘hyperscaling’ business
Vodafone IoT product and marketing lead Marc Sauter relays ‘hyperscaled’ IoT aspirations as business settles as a Group spin-out…
Strategy & Change
Snowflake’s telco manifesto: Making the leap from TechCo to BizCo
Snowflake’s approach to telco focuses on enabling data-driven transformation, underpinning the collaboration, consistency and clarity that deliver measurable financial reward. From energy management to GenAI integration, the AI data cloud provider is partnering telcos to drive greater operational efficiency and unlock new enterprise opportunities in the digital era. Read more…
Network & Infrastructure
T-Mobile ‘open’ to tech that could further flesh out FWA
As rivals ramp up broadband investments, CEO Mike Sievert says operator remains “on the hunt” for capacity-enabling tech that could enable it to widen reach of its 5G Home Internet and Small Business Internet fixed wireless services.
People
BT Peoplewatch: Group appoints two execs to manage Big Tech alliances
20+ senior and strategic moves in and around BT, including new faces to lead the Group’s Big Tech and hyperscaler alliances at Group level and in Business. Plus, all change for Consumer/EE exec team and transformation appointments at Consumer and Business. Plenty more…
Strategy & Change
Vodafone to close German IoT biz grandcentrix — report
German OpCo reportedly giving up on the IoT business it acquired five years ago, in apparent cost-cutting effort.
Products & Services
Orange brings GenAI out of the shadows with B2B offer
Orange packages its own GenAI experiences and innovation into a go‑to‑market offering for enterprises.
Eventwatch
Vodafone gets GenAI in action through ‘big bets’, phased adoption
Vodafone cloud engineer Jared du Plessis says GenAI is delivering tangible results for networks, with three ‘big bets’ leading the way. RoI is front of mind, but phased approach to AL/ML integration, and a Google Cloud-powered orchestration platform, simplifies the journey…
Network & Infrastructure
DT seeks an Edge on the hypers with expanded European Telco Cloud
German operator says it now has multiple cloudified core network hubs in place in all of its Europe segment markets, plus Germany — creating a stronger platform for network management and delivery of more advanced 5G services.
Weekly Briefings
Vodafonewatch Weekly: Group taps mega-deals with Accenture, Google, e&, more
Latest from Vodafone and its ecosystem, including an extended deal with Google for GenAI deployment; Accenture-backed reset for shared services operation VOIS; e& tie-up feeds into UAE IoT contract…
Partnerships & Alliances
Perplexity wins another telco fan with Telefónica funding and sales tie-up
Group becomes next telco to partner with and invest in GenAI-powered search engine. Fresh, TV-focused services harnessing Perplexity’s platform now live, as operator seeks to advance strategic objectives. Read more…
Partnerships & Alliances
Telefónica gives TU platform a quantum security upgrade
Group adds post-quantum cryptography solution to expanding array of security offerings, partnering with Halotech Digital Services to showcase potential to improve worker safety. Read more…
Weekly Briefings
Vodafonewatch Weekly: fierce MVNO competition in Vodafone’s largest markets
Latest from Vodafone and its ecosystem as the latest UK merger concessions include MVNO compromise; O2 poaches Lyca from Vodafone Germany; fibre sharing deals signed in Germany while Vodacom South Africa works to push its only fibre JV through antitrust red tape…
Weekly Briefings
BTwatch Weekly: Strategy & Change shakeup as Kirkby sets agenda
Latest from BT: a major shakeup from CEO Allison Kirkby as she brings in McKinsey expertise to lead Strategy & Change, with Digital chief Harmeen Mehta on the way out; networks future in focus with NaaS Global Fabric nearing launch and efficiencies sought through tie-up with Orange, others; and AI beds in for in-house legal teams…
Weekly Briefings
Telefónicawatch Weekly: Group applauds Draghi’s call for telco deregulation
Operator agrees with recent EU competitiveness policy proposals, although industry bodies not so keen on recommendations. Telefónica España faces down competition in its home market, while continuing to reinforce wholesale segment. Elsewhere, Virgin Media O2 defends fibre strategy against CityFibre broadsides. Read more…
Weekly Briefings
Deutsche Telekomwatch Weekly: another 100 AIs are born
Group Chief Executive uses Digital X to re-stress commitment to AI-enabled digital transformation.
Partnerships & Alliances
Telefónica said to expand API push with Microsoft distribution tie-up
Close partners reportedly finalise deal to market Spanish group’s network APIs on Azure Marketplace.
Weekly Briefings
Vodafonewatch Weekly: UK merger turns a corner, Italian sale hit with fresh challenge
Latest from Vodafone and its ecosystem, including: closer scrutiny for Vodafone Italy sale to Swisscom; TPG cuts down, adds roaming partner; satellites in focus in African markets, just as SpaceMobile takes flight in US; more from Africa, Europe, and beyond…
M&A
Telefónica, Asterion ‘pick out top suitors’ for data centre sale
Pair said to have selected Goldman Sachs, Igneo Infrastructure Partners, and Wren House among candidates for purchase of data centre player Nabiax.