Automotive component developer and manufacturer Marelli's Italian unit has signed a four-year IT modernization agreement with Wipro.
The agreement will see Wipro migrating Marelli's IT systems to the cloud, and out of the company's Milan-based data center.
According to a report from NDTV Profit, the deal is worth $100 million, citing "people in the know."
Marelli will use the FullStride Cloud platform, meaning that not only will its Milan data center infrastructure migrate to the cloud, but also its regional server facilities, centralizing their operations. This is part of a larger infrastructure modernization program.
In addition, Wipro will deploy AI-powered virtual assistants for Marelli's employee support services which will handle routine requests and questions.
Graziella Neuvéglise, regional head and managing director for Southern Europe at Wipro said: "We are excited to begin a new chapter in our strategic partnership with our trusted partner, Marelli. Our wide-ranging expertise alongside our deep understanding of their needs means we will deliver a modernization program specifically tailored to their needs."
Vittorio Rossetti, chief digital officer of Marelli, added: “We have a long-standing partnership with Wipro. Over the years we have worked with them, the Wipro team has developed an in-depth understanding of our business, which combined with their technical expertise, will help us further develop and grow our IT infrastructure.”
It is not stated if the Milan data center is Marelli owned and operated, or if the company leases space in a colocation facility. DCD has reached out for more information.
Milan has a notable data center market, with DataCenterMap listing 50 facilities in the region. Operators include Data4, Equinix, Stack Infrastructure, Keppel, FastWeb, Vantage Data Centers, AtlasEdge, and Compass Datacenters among others.
Microsoft's Italian cloud region is located in Milan. The company first announced plans for an Italian Azure region in Milan back in May 2020, with it launching in 2023. It recently announced plans to invest a further €4.3 billion ($4.75bn) expanding its cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in the country.
It was the last of the US cloud hyperscalers to launch in Italy. AWS launched its Milan cloud region in 2020.
Oracle launched its first Italian region in Milan in late 2021, and earlier this year the company announced plans for a second Italian cloud region in Turin in partnership with Telecom Italia (TIM).
Google’s first cloud region opened in Milan in 2022; a second Italian GCP region has since launched in Turin.
