Hitachi and Google Cloud announce strategic partnership to accelerate innovation and productivity with generative artificial intelligence, business news

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501) and Google Cloud today announced a multi-year partnership to accelerate enterprise innovation and productivity through generative artificial intelligence. Hitachi will create a new business unit focused on helping companies solve industry challenges using Gemini models, Vertex AI and other cloud technologies, and will apply Google Cloud artificial intelligence to improve its own products and services. Through the partnership, Hitachi will further accelerate the growth of Lumada, its core digital business, and increase the operational efficiency of the Hitachi Group.

Under the leadership of GlobalLogic, a leader in digital engineering and a subsidiary of the Hitachi Group, the companies will form Hitachi Google Cloud business unit and Google Cloud Center of Excellence (CoE) to quickly adapt Google Cloud technology to new and existing enterprise customers. Additionally, Hitachi will partner with Google Cloud to incorporate Google Cloud’s GenAI training into Hitachi’s GenAI Professional training program. The program will deepen the expertise and managed services available through these business units, giving organizations at scale access to the resources needed to fundamentally improve the way they operate on AI.

Additional areas of focus for the partnership will include:

– New GenAI solutions for software modernization and customer service: Hitachi will use Gemini models to create solutions that help companies effectively modernize legacy software systems, and will apply Google Cloud Contact Center artificial intelligence to provide more effective and accurate customer service. For example, with Google Cloud Agent Assist, customer service representatives can get real-time assistance with knowledge and solution suggestions to help them increase productivity and provide better service. The new solutions will be compatible with GlobalLogic’s Platform of Platforms architecture, which is intended to meet the needs of intelligent enterprises.
– Enabling secure GenAI solutions for on-premises and cloud environments: Hitachi’s new solutions will support customers operating both on-premises and in the cloud, enabling enterprises to modernize operations while maintaining existing IT environments. The solutions will also be compatible with Virtual Storage Platform One, so users will be able to create GenAI applications using data stored on the Hitachi Vantara hybrid cloud platform.
– Joint market entry initiatives: Hitachi and Google Cloud will better connect their sales, marketing and engineering teams to ensure customers across industries have access to the resources they need to optimally implement and manage GenAI projects through Hitachi Google Cloud Business Unit and Google Cloud CoE. This will include GenAI specialists whom Hitachi trains on Google Cloud technologies.
– Strengthening GenAI talent development: Hitachi’s GenAI specialists play a key role in supporting customer transformation through AI, and Hitachi will train over 50,000 GenAI specialists through its global training program. As part of the program, Hitachi will provide training on GenAI solutions and Google Cloud artificial intelligence technologies.

GlobalLogic and Google Cloud have been collaborating for over 15 years and have helped provide enterprises with solutions that help them achieve their business goals efficiently and scalably.

“Through this partnership, Hitachi will leverage Google Cloud’s artificial intelligence capabilities to improve and increase employee productivity and accelerate innovation. By empowering our developers and customer success teams with Google Cloud GenAI solutions such as Vertex AI and Gemini models, Hitachi will be able to better serve the needs of its customers across industries and complex domains such as energy, mobility, manufacturing and services digital,” he said Toshiaki TokunagaExecutive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer at Hitachi.

Nitesh BangaCEO of Hitachi’s Digital Engineering business unit and president and CEO of GlobalLogic, added: “Through this global alliance, Hitachi strategically aligns its go-to-market approach with Google Cloud to achieve tangible results. We are creating clear paths to collaboration, ensuring greater efficiency and acceleration in delivering solutions to our collective customers. This investment in establishing our Google Cloud business unit will provide the necessary energy, focus and cohesive teamwork necessary to achieve the desired accelerated time to market, which will translate into innovation . for rapid revenue growth.”

“To address complex business challenges with generative AI, enterprises need advanced technology and technical expertise to successfully implement it in their organizations,” he said Tomasz Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud. “Our collaboration with Hitachi will provide customers with the resources they need to optimally create, deploy and manage every stage of their generative AI projects.”

About Google Cloud

Google Cloud is the new path to the cloud, providing AI, infrastructure, developer, data, security and collaboration tools built for today and the future. Google Cloud offers a powerful, fully integrated and optimized AI stack with its own planet-scale infrastructure, custom chips, generative AI models and development platform, and AI-powered applications to help organizations transform. Customers in over 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted technology partner.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi drives social innovation, creating a sustainable society through the use of data and technology. We solve customer and society challenges with Lumada solutions using IT, OT (operational technology) and products. Hitachi operates in 3 business sectors “Digital Systems and Services” – supporting the digital transformation of our customers; “Green Energy & Mobility” – contributing to the decarbonization of society through energy and rail systems and “Connective Industries” – connecting products through digital technology to provide solutions across industries. Driven by digitalization, ecology and innovation, we strive to develop through co-creation with our clients. The company’s 3-sector revenue for fiscal year 2023 (ended March 31, 2024) was 8,564.3 billion yen, with 573 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 270,000 employees worldwide. More information about Hitachi can be found on the company’s website at www.hitachi.com.

About Lumad

About GlobalLogic

GlobalLogic (www.globalllogic.com) is a leader in intelligent digital engineering. We help brands around the world design and build innovative products, platforms and digital experiences for the modern world. By integrating experience design, complex engineering and data expertise, we help our clients imagine what’s possible and accelerate their transition to the digital business of tomorrow. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, GlobalLogic operates design studios and engineering centers around the world, extending our deep expertise to clients in the automotive, communications, financial, healthcare and life sciences, manufacturing, media and entertainment, semiconductor and technology industries. More information can be found at www.globalllogic.com.

About Hitachi Vantar

Hitachi Vantara is changing the way data drives innovation. Hitachi Vantara provides the database that the world’s leading innovators rely on. Through data storage, infrastructure systems, cloud management and digital expertise, the company helps clients build the foundations for sustainable business growth. More information can be found at www.hitachivantara.com.