Productivity stories

Google Cloud says banks need governance-led platforms to unlock agentic AI at scale, with tens of agents set to reshape compliance, fraud and risk.

Merck deepens Google Cloud tie-up with USD $1 billion AI rollout across research, manufacturing and commercial operations.

BT unveils UK sovereign cloud and AI services for public and private users, as research says digital sovereignty could add GBP £18 billion to the economy.

VoCoVo rolls out AI Gateway to let retailers' existing headsets deliver spoken answers and stock insights straight to shop-floor staff.

More than half of large UK construction firms face frequent or occasional delays in final accounts and retention releases, survey finds.

British Business Bank increases backing for Northern Gritstone as new investors join GBP £20 million fundraising round for university spinouts.

Celonis and ProcessLab debut banking tools for mortgage approvals and service teams as lenders seek faster decisions, lower costs and better customer journeys.

EcoVadis expands workplace AI rollout with Google Cloud, using Gemini Enterprise to automate internal tasks and train staff to build custom agents.

GE Appliances uses Gemini Enterprise to put AI into factories, logistics and supplier work, cutting backorders 25% and speeding shift summaries.

FIS revamps cross-asset platform with AI dashboards and SaaS tools to help buy-side firms manage trading, portfolio and risk in one system.

KnowBe4 teams with Flywire to streamline international billing, accepting 140 currencies as it cuts manual reconciliation and boosts cash flow.

Braze adds AI agents, creative workflow tools and European data hosting as marketers race to automate personalisation and campaign production.

MacPaw Earth Day survey finds 71.7% of Mac users would clear cloud files more often if they knew the environmental cost.

Flagstone taps Adclear AI to speed marketing compliance checks, slicing approvals from two days to eight hours as revenue grows.

Deloitte and Payslip say tighter EU pay rules are driving multinationals towards centralised payroll systems, with 1.3 million payslips now automated annually.

UK project-based firms are turning AI from pilot schemes into day-to-day tools, with nearly half reporting productivity or cost gains, Deltek says.

Former EY and Accenture executive Frank O'Dea leads London-based Klarus, which uses senior specialists and outcome-based fees to turn AI pilots into measurable returns.

Tata Steel deploys more than 300 AI agents with Google Cloud to speed up maintenance, customer service and back-office work worldwide.

Manhattan unveils embedded AI agents and fulfilment simulation tools to help retailers speed service, sharpen checkout and compare order strategies.

Geotab says fleet operators can cut fuel bills with telematics, driver rewards and data-led coaching as costs keep climbing.