Vodafone offers small businesses cybersecurity, AI capability with Google tie-up

LONDON, April 22 (Reuters) - ‌European mobile ​and ​broadband operator Vodafone said it would offer its small business customers advanced cybersecurity ‌and agentic AI through its $1 billion strategic tie-up ⁠with Google Cloud agreed in October 2024.

The security product ‌will be a managed ‌detection and response service enabled by Google Security Operations designed to protect small businesses from increasingly ​frequent and sophisticated cyber threats, Vodafone said on Wednesday.

It will launch in Germany, in ⁠compliance with the region's stringent data protection standards, before rolling out across ​additional European markets later this year, it said.

The agentic AI product - Vodafone Business ​AI Concierge with Google Gemini - ‌is designed to engage with a small business's customers to answer inquiries and ⁠book appointments, it said.

It will initially be available in Greece and Germany, Vodafone said. Pricing for both ⁠products has not been announced.

Fanan Henriques, Vodafone's business product and ​international business director, said the products would help small businesses to start using AI without complexity or risk.

"By combining ‌our network and support with Google Cloud's AI expertise, we’re making advanced, secure ‌AI practical for everyday business use - starting with ⁠innovations like AI ‌Concierge, one of ​the first telephony integrations with Gemini," he said.

(Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Kirsten ‌Donovan)

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