Hitachi partners with Google Cloud to drive AI innovation

Hitachi has announced a strategic partnership with Google Cloud to advance enterprise innovation and productivity using generative artificial intelligence (AI). The collaboration will lead to the creation of a new business unit within Hitachi, aiming to address industry-specific challenges through AI models, particularly Gemini models and Vertex AI, and various cloud technologies. Furthermore, Hitachi plans to incorporate Google Cloud's AI technologies into its own range of products and services.

The multi-year partnership, designed to enhance Hitachi's core digital business, Lumada, and streamline operational efficiencies within the Hitachi Group, was unveiled in a joint statement from the companies. Lumada is a key digital initiative at Hitachi, integrating advanced data analytics and AI technologies to drive digital transformation in various industries. The formation of the Hitachi Google Cloud Business Unit and the Google Cloud Center of Excellence (CoE) will be spearheaded by GlobalLogic, a Hitachi Group subsidiary renowned for its expertise in digital engineering.

GlobalLogic and Google Cloud have collaborated for over 15 years, empowering enterprises to meet their business objectives efficiently and at scale. This long-standing relationship will now serve as a foundation to scale Google Cloud technology rapidly for new and existing enterprise customers. The initiative will also include a focus on training through Hitachi's GenAI Professional training programme, which aims to enhance managed services and deepen expertise in Google Cloud's generative AI solutions.

One of the critical areas of focus for the partnership will be the development of new generative AI solutions for software modernisation and customer service. Hitachi intends to employ Gemini models to modernise legacy software systems and adopt Google Cloud Contact Center AI to improve customer service experiences. Notably, Google Cloud Agent Assist will be implemented to provide real-time knowledge assistance and resolution suggestions to customer service representatives, enhancing their productivity and service quality.

The partnership also aims to introduce secure AI solutions compatible with both on-premises and cloud environments. This will enable enterprises to modernise their operations while maintaining existing IT infrastructures. Additionally, these solutions will work seamlessly with Hitachi Vantara's Virtual Storage Platform One, allowing users to build generative AI applications leveraging data stored on a hybrid cloud platform.

Hitachi and Google Cloud also plan to align their sales, marketing, and engineering teams more closely. This alignment will help ensure customers across various industries can efficiently deploy and manage generative AI projects. Hitachi's GenAI Professionals, who are trained in Google Cloud technologies, will be instrumental in supporting these initiatives.

As part of its global training programme, Hitachi aims to train over 50,000 GenAI Professionals, including specialised training in Google Cloud's AI technologies. This extensive training initiative will ensure that Hitachi's workforce is well-equipped to meet the demands of AI-driven digital transformation.

Toshiaki Tokunaga, Executive Vice President and Executive Officer at Hitachi, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership. "Through this partnership, Hitachi will leverage Google Cloud's AI capabilities to improve and enhance employee productivity and accelerate innovation. By augmenting the capabilities of our developers and customer success units with Google Cloud GenAI solutions, such as Vertex AI and Gemini models, Hitachi will be able to better serve the needs of its customers in diverse industries and across complex domains such as energy, mobility, manufacturing and digital services," he said.

Nitesh Banga, CEO of the Digital Engineering Business Unit at Hitachi and President & CEO of GlobalLogic, highlighted the strategic nature of the alliance. "Through this global alliance, Hitachi is strategically aligning its go-to-market approach together with Google Cloud to drive tangible results. We are establishing clear pathways for collaboration, ensuring enhanced efficiency and acceleration in delivering solutions to our collective clients. This investment in building our Google Cloud Business Unit will provide the necessary energy, focus, and cohesive teamwork essential for achieving the desired accelerated time-to-market, translating innovation into swift revenue growth," he stated.

Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, corroborated the significance of the partnership. "To solve complex business challenges with generative AI, enterprises need advanced technology and the technical expertise to successfully deploy it throughout their organisations. Our partnership with Hitachi will provide customers with the resources needed to optimally build, implement, and manage every stage of their generative AI projects," he remarked.