Vodafone & Centrica to Power Digital Transformation Deal

Vodafone Business has signed a four-year partnership with Centrica, the parent company of British Gas and Hive, to deliver Workplace Services and connectivity across 80 UK sites and 30,000 devices. 

Supported by Vodafone Intelligent Solutions (VOIS) and consultancy CGI, the agreement supports Centrica’s shift to a more integrated, agile and digital operation.

Nick Gliddon, Business Director at Vodafone, says: “This partnership is a catalyst for real change.

“By combining our advanced connectivity, IT services and automation with the collective expertise of Vodafone Business and our partners, we are creating a new blueprint for how businesses can transform at scale. 

“We’re enabling smarter, faster and more resilient operations - delivering benefits that will be felt by teams and customers across the UK.”

IT services across offices and workforce

Vodafone Business, working with VOIS and CGI, delivers fixed and mobile connectivity to Centrica’s national office estate and field workforce. 

It also provides End-User Compute Services, including end user management, Microsoft Office 365, cloud access, Power Apps and support for Centrica’s ServiceNow platform. 

These services are supported by IT service desk and deskside support functions.

The aim is to simplify Centrica’s IT systems, reduce complexity and introduce flexible automation tools that increase productivity and enhance experiences for employees and customers.

Centrica moves away from a traditional managed service model and adopts a new approach based on data visibility and automation. 

Using GenAI and machine learning, the company aims to create tailored, data-led experiences.

Gary Adey, CEO at VOIS, says: “At VOIS, we bring together talent, technology and transformation to help businesses accelerate their growth, increase productivity, simplify systems and create better experiences for their customers. 

“The new partnership marks a landmark deal for VOIS since partnering with Accenture and launching our new commercial blueprint for Shared Operations. 

“It also highlights our potential to deliver long-term value and we’re excited to work with Centrica, Vodafone Business and CGI on this ground breaking partnership.”

Data centre modernisation and support

The partnership also targets improved data centre and infrastructure management. With connectivity and compute services spread across 80 sites and tens of thousands of devices, Vodafone helps consolidate and modernise the environment.

CGI plays a central role, offering infrastructure support and AI-led service desk functions to help Centrica maintain critical systems. 

The services focus on boosting resilience and supporting employees in delivering energy to millions of homes.

Tara McGeehan, President of CGI UK and Australia, says: “CGI is proud to partner with Vodafone Business to help Centrica strengthen its infrastructure and networking capabilities. 

“By combining our award-winning service desk with AI-driven automation at the core and our service management capabilities, we will deliver a step change in resilience, productivity and user experience that boosts efficiency and empowers employees to keep critical services running. 

“Together with Vodafone Business and VOIS, we will create a seamless, responsive digital experience that empowers Centrica’s people to work smarter, stay connected and make a real difference to millions of households.”

New offers and social impact

Vodafone, British Gas and Hive also plan new combined offers linking home connectivity with energy. 

This follows a successful Hive thermostat offer for Vodafone customers. The joint offers aim to create more value for households and support connected energy services.

As part of the agreement, Vodafone supports Centrica’s community initiatives through the British Gas Energy Trust, helping tackle fuel poverty in the UK.

About Data Centre LIVE: The Global Summit

Paul Greenley, Vodafone Senior Principal Manager DC Infrastructure & Facilities, Group Data Centre's, will be joining The Data Centre Operations Forum at Data Centre LIVE: The London Summit in London.

The Data Centre Operations Forum will explore strategies to optimise processes, enhance resilience and maintain operational excellence in increasingly complex and high-demand environments.

Ben Krikler, Head of Energised Futures and Director of Research & Innovation, Centrica, will be joining the Sustainable Technology Solutions panel at Data Centre LIVE: The London Summit in London.

This panel focuses on adopting technology solutions that improve efficiency while reducing environmental impact.

The event will be held at Exhibition White City, London on May 20-21, featuring more than 50 expert speakers.

Grab your tickets now and save over £200 with early bird tickets!