UK-based Vodafone is to supply global IoT connectivity for industry applications running on Oracle’s edge-cloud enterprise platform, called Enterprise Communications Platform (ECP). The US software company said Vodafone’s global SIM will “underpin” its portfolio of industry applications, as offered on its ECP system by cloud comms business Oracle Communications. The deal is with Vodafone Business IoT, offering managed IoT connectivity in 180 countries via its global enterprise sales division. The pair go way back.
Oracle has deployed dedicated cloud regions in Vodafone’s main data centres in Europe; Vodafone UK selected Oracle to support its 5G core network. Oracle’s ECP product uses edge architecture to give businesses “out-of-the-box connectivity and near real-time data intelligence” to serve new digital applications. Oracle suggested drone inspections, remote healthcare, and retail point-of-sale devices as examples of how Vodafone’s IoT airtime, running from low-power NB-IoT to high-power 5G, will be combined with its own edge-cloud support.
They listed industries such as healthcare, construction and engineering, energy and water, hospitality, and the public sector. In a joint statement, the pair also described capabilities such as embedded AI, device lifecycle and connectivity management, and “advanced media routing”. They talked about “near real-time” IoT connectivity and SIM security, plus local regulatory compliance, as further benefits of integrated cellular IoT and edge-cloud services. “Businesses… will be able to operate globally and grow more efficiently,” they said.
Erik Brenneis, chief executive at Vodafone Business IoT, commented: “We’re excited to announce the next step in our partnership with Oracle – providing reliable and secure connectivity to its ECP customers. This collaboration will help customers to expand their operations and accelerate on a global scale with compliant connectivity in over 180 countries worldwide. We look forward to our ongoing partnership with Oracle, where we can connect more customers in more countries.”
Andrew Morawski, executive vice president and general manager at Oracle Communications, said: “Connectivity is the heart of industry transformation. Using drones to inspect construction jobsites, remote monitoring the health of a patient, paying the bill tableside at a restaurant – none of these scenarios are possible without wireless connectivity and industry-specific applications working in harmony. By expanding our long partnership with Vodafone and bringing its extensive global network reach and IoT expertise together with Oracle’s wide-ranging portfolio of industry suites, we can help create new ways to delight customers and deliver new revenue streams.”
