Metro Digital, Google Cloud and Wipro collaborate to accelerate digitalisation of wholesale and retail industries

• Cloud Competence Hub established to drive cloud adoption
• Cloud adoption will foster and accelerate innovation for METRO’s business in 25 countries
• Wipro Limited will significantly support and accelerate migration to cloud and associated service management
• Google Cloud will provide certified trainings and further learning opportunities to METRO employees

METRO Digital today announced that it will collaborate with Google Cloud and Wipro Limited to provide training and support services for its newly established Cloud Competence Hub, to boost cloud adoption and drive innovation across the wholesale and retail industries. The 3 companies will share best-practices around cloud adoption and provide industry partners, e.g. global suppliers with access to training on key technologies and processes to enable a smooth transition to the cloud. METRO’s Cloud Competence Hub will be located in a number of cities across Germany and Romania. The first sites will be launched on the METRO Campus in Düsseldorf and Cluj in March 2021. The objective of the Cloud Competence Hub is to bring together innovative partners from across the wholesale and retail sector, to exchange ideas and work together to develop new approaches to transform the industry.

The collaboration is underpinned by 3 key pillars: cloud adoption, learning opportunities for METRO employees and the development of innovative wholesale and retail solutions. The 3 companies will come together to leverage the METRO store infrastructure to pilot new technologies for additional fulfillment models and checkout processes. Ideas will be brought to life through a series of hackathons covering a range of topics, aimed at employees of all 3 companies and other interested industry-related companies.

“Cloud computing is an essential part of our IT strategy. In a company like METRO, that operates in 25 countries with a decentralised structure, the use of cloud technologies enables diverse and flexible development 2 – 3 opportunities. To further accelerate the adoption of these technologies, we will establish the Cloud Competence Hub in collaboration with Google Cloud and Wipro Limited. Through training and certification of our employees, we are strengthening our technology expertise, which will allow us to move a variety of applications from our different business units to the cloud and develop innovative new ideas and concepts on this basis,” says Felix Lindemann, COO of METRO Digital.

A large part of the systems will be migrated to Google’s cloud in the coming years. In addition to improvements in terms of scalability and stability of the IT landscape, there will be a focus on bringing new developments to METRO across 25 countries faster than before. These transformative projects are much more than just technology rollouts; METRO will also benefit from Google-led training with various digital learning opportunities.

“Collaborating with METRO Digital on this innovative project is a showcase of how we can support companies from across the retail and wholesale industries with their transitions to the cloud,” said Daniel Holz, VP Sales, EMEA North, Google Cloud. “Google Cloud’s knowledge and expertise will help these companies foster a culture of innovation and provide them with the best-practices and processes they need to become a cloud-first business.”

In December 2020, METRO launched a multi-year strategic partnership with Wipro Limited to make the Group’s IT more efficient and fully focused on innovation and customer needs. The Cloud Competence Hub takes the partnership to a new level. “We are excited to expand our partnership with METRO Digital to jointly establish the Cloud Competence Hub to scale cloud adoption for METRO and other clients in the region,” said Barath Narayanan, COO Europe, Wipro Limited. “Wipro’s industry experience and investments in cloud services will enable us to manage and accelerate migration to cloud. We see this as an opportunity to scale and industrialise cloud adoption in Germany and the rest of Europe,” he added.

”The launch of this Cloud Competence Hub will help accelerate digitalisation and innovation across the wholesale and retail sector in Düsseldorf. This new collaboration with Google Cloud and Wipro Limited will help drive industry expertise around infrastructure and cloud competence. We look forward to the launch in March 2021,” said Dr. Stephan Keller, Mayor of the City of Düsseldorf.

METRO plans to leverage its strong network of learning organisations, such as École hôtelière de Lausanne and CODE University in Berlin to connect 3 – 3 industry and academic knowledge with its partners to drive change and innovation initiatives and to foster collaboration and knowledge-exchange across the industry.

About Wipro Limited

Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) is a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company. We harness the power of cognitive computing, hyper-automation, robotics, cloud, analytics and emerging technologies to help our clients adapt to the digital world and make them successful. A company recognized globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, strong commitment to sustainability and good corporate citizenship, we have over 190,000 dedicated employees serving clients across six continents. Together, we discover ideas and connect the dots to build a better and a bold new future.

About Google Cloud

Google Cloud provides organizations with leading infrastructure, platform capabilities and industry solutions. We deliver enterprise-grade cloud solutions that leverage Google’s cutting-edge technology to help companies operate more efficiently and adapt to changing needs, giving customers a foundation for the future. Customers in more than 150 countries turn to Google Cloud as their trusted partner to solve their most critical business problems.