Vodafone to add 7,000 software engineers in digital services drive

Vodafone is set to add around 7,000 software engineers to its European workforce by 2025, to meet surging demand for digital connectivity and help develop its own digital services.

The initiative will be carried out through a combination of recruitment, re-skilling existing employees, and insourcing, and is part of the company’s increased investment to meet the demand for digital connectivity, which it says has been accelerated by the pandemic and growing up to 50% every year.

Vodafone is hoping to transform into a provider of new generation connectivity and digital services at scale across Europe and Africa. The company said expanding its software capabilities will allow it to build new products and services at a lower cost and own the associated intellectual property. It hopes this will lead to cost savings of around 20%.

Through a combination of digital skills hubs and adopting leading software practices, it will be able to launch new products and services 50% faster and in multiple countries at the same time, the company added.

“Vodafone is rapidly shifting up the gears to support the dramatic digital transformation that businesses and society are undergoing,” said Johan Wibergh, chief technology officer of Vodafone. “We are building a global software brand with a diverse and inclusive culture, providing superfast connectivity and powerful digital products – however and wherever customers want to use them.”

The new intake of software engineers will complement the existing 9,000 employees already working at the company and will be placed inside the Vodafone Technology division, its new platform that unites all its European tech employees and international shared services division.

Vodafone added it will develop new Internet of Things products, smart network features, digital and IT, and cyber security services across Europe. It also expects that by 2025 over 50% of all employees in Vodafone Technology will work in software engineering.