General News
Salesforce and Google Expand Partnership, Introduce Gemini to Agentforce
Salesforce and Google today announced a major expansion of their strategic partnership, delivering choice in the models and capabilities businesses use to build and deploy AI-powered agents.
The AI landscape is evolving so quickly that businesses are struggling to keep pace with innovations like autonomous agents. This expanded partnership provides crucial flexibility, empowering customers to develop tailored AI solutions that meet their specific needs, rather than being locked into a single model provider.
Google Cloud is at the forefront of enterprise AI, with millions of developers using its cutting edge Gemini models and AI optimised infrastructure
This expanded partnership lets Salesforce customers build Agentforce agents with Gemini and deploy Salesforce on Google Cloud. It builds on their existing collaboration, which enables seamless data sharing between Google BigQuery and Salesforce via zero copy technology. This gives businesses the AI, data, and trust they need to integrate autonomous agents into their operations.
“Through our expanded partnership with Google Cloud and deep integrations at the platform, application, and infrastructure layer, we’re giving customers choice in the applications and models they want to use,” said Srini Tallapragada, Salesforce President & Chief Engineering and Customer Success Officer.
“Salesforce offers a complete enterprise-grade agentic AI platform that makes it easy to deploy new capabilities easily and realise business value fast. Google Cloud is a pioneer in enterprise agentic AI, offering some of the most powerful, capable models, agents, and AI development tools on the planet. Together we are creating the best place for businesses to scale with digital labour.”
“Salesforce’s selection of Google Cloud as a major infrastructure provider means enterprise customers can now deploy some of their most critical applications on our highly secure,
AI-optimised infrastructure — with minimal friction,” said Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud.
“Our mutual customers have asked us to be able to work more seamlessly across Salesforce and Google Cloud, and this expanded partnership will help them accelerate their AI transformations with agentic AI, state-of-the-art AI models, data analytics, and more.”
“At Wayfair, we’re deeply committed to using data and AI to create exceptional customer experiences,” said Fiona Tan, CTO of Wayfair. “The Salesforce and Google Cloud partnership, particularly the availability of Salesforce on Google Cloud infrastructure and the integration of Agentforce and Gemini, offers powerful new capabilities to personalise interactions and empower our teams to better serve our customers.”
Why it matters:
Agentic AI isn’t just emerging, it’s already here and represents a $2 trillion market opportunity, according to a study from Salesforce. In fact, 84% of CIOs believe AI will be as significant to businesses as the internet. To fully realise this potential, businesses need an agentic strategy with openness, trust, and choice at the centre.
This includes:
● Data: Highly secure and unified access to all your data, no matter where it resides, with a zero-copy architecture and enriched metadata for deeper insights. This breaks down data silos across platforms so customers don’t have to sacrifice choice for an integrated experience, unlike solutions that hoard data access or require users to cobble together disparate solutions.
● AI: Unparalleled choice and flexibility with leading AI models, including predictive, generative, and multi-modal options. This allows businesses to tailor solutions to their specific needs and avoid being locked on a single provider’s AI capabilities.
● Trust: A multi-layered approach to protect your data and infrastructure with encryption, data residency options, and a choice of infrastructure providers. Additionally, robust guardrails, bias detection, explainability, and toxicity controls are built-in to ensure responsible AI development and deployment.
● Actions: Seamless integration of automation, analytics, and applications across platforms to streamline workflows and drive efficiency across the organization. This allows businesses to maximize the impact of AI agents by connecting them to their existing tools and systems, unlike solutions with limited integrations or closed Ecosystems.
Data: Real-Time Responses in Agentforce with Google Search
Agentforce will be able to leverage Grounding with Google Search through Vertex AI, building on the secure data foundation established through the zero copy partnership between Salesforce Data Cloud and Google BigQuery. This integration empowers Agentforce agents with the ability to reference up-to-the-minute data, news, current events, and credible citations, substantially enhancing their contextual awareness and ability to deliver accurate, evidence-backed responses.
For example, in supply chain management and logistics, an Agentforce agent could track shipments and monitor inventory levels in Salesforce Commerce Cloud, and proactively identify potential disruptions using real-time data from Google Search, including weather conditions, port congestion, and geopolitical events. Availability is expected in the coming months.
AI: Unlocking the Power of Choice and Flexibility with Gemini and Agentforce
Businesses need the freedom to choose the best models for their needs rather than be locked into one vendor. In 2025, Google’s Gemini models will also be available for prompt building and reasoning directly within Agentforce.
With Gemini and Agentforce, businesses will benefit from:
● Agents with multi-modal capabilities: Gemini’s native multimodality lets agents “see” and interpret the world, enabling AI to recognize images (like error codes) and detect emotions in voice. Integrating this into Agentforce creates smarter agents that respond to audio, video, and text.
● Expanded contextual understanding and reasoning: Gemini’s 2 million-token context window lets agents retain and reference massive amounts of information, like entire codebases, years of customer interactions, or product documentation.
● Increased speed and efficiency: Google’s Tensor processing Units (TPUs), combined with advanced techniques like those used in Google’s NotebookLM, enable Gemini to process and understand information with exceptional speed and efficiency, delivering real-time responses even for complex queries. This translates to faster response times and reduced operational costs.
For example, an insurance customer can submit a claim with photos of the damage and an audio voicemail from a witness. Agentforce, using Gemini, can then help the insurance provider deliver better customer experiences by processing all these inputs, assessing the claim’s validity, and even using text-to-speech to contact the customer with a resolution, streamlining the traditionally lengthy claims process. Availability is expected this year.
Trust: Salesforce Platform deployed on Google Cloud
Customers will be able to leverage Salesforce’s unified platform (Agentforce, Data Cloud, Customer 360) on Google Cloud’s highly secure, AI-optimized infrastructure, benefiting from
features like dynamic grounding, zero data retention, and toxicity detection provided by the Einstein Trust Layer.
Once Salesforce products are available on Google Cloud, customers will also have the ability to procure Salesforce offerings through the Google Cloud Marketplace, opening up new
possibilities for global businesses to optimize their investments across Salesforce and Google Cloud and benefitting thousands of existing joint customers.
Action: Enhanced Employee Productivity and Customer Service with AI-Powered
Integrations
Millions use Salesforce and Google Cloud daily. This partnership prioritizes choice and flexibility, enabling seamless cross-platform work. New and deeper connections between platforms like Salesforce Service Cloud and Google Cloud’s Customer Engagement Suite, as well as Slack and Google Workspace, will empower AI agents and service representatives with unified data access, streamlined workflows, and advanced AI capabilities, regardless of platform.
Salesforce and Google Cloud are deeply integrating their customer service platforms – Salesforce Service Cloud and Google Cloud’s Customer Engagement Suite – to create a
seamless and intelligent support experience.
Expected later this year, this unified approach empowers AI agents in Service Cloud with:
● Real-time Voice Translation and Sentiment Analysis: Google Cloud AI in Service Cloud will enable real-time voice translation breaking down language barriers. New agent assist features within the Service Cloud desktop will analyse tone of voice and audio cues for deeper customer sentiment understanding.
● Agent-to-Agent Intelligent Handoffs: Across all channels, virtual agents built on Google Conversational Agents will be able to seamlessly connect with Agentforce in Service Cloud for more efficient management of multi-step, customer interactions. Salesforce and Google Cloud are also exploring deeper integrations between Slack and Google Workspace, boosting productivity and creating a more cohesive digital workspace for teams and organisations. The companies are currently exploring use cases such as:
● The ability for users to leverage enterprise search in Slack to access and act on files in Google Drive.
● The ability to more easily share information between Gmail and Slack, enhancing communication and knowledge sharing.
The result is a more connected and productive work environment, where businesses can choose the best tools for their needs from employee productivity to customer service while
benefiting from a seamless and intelligent workflow across platforms.
Expanding Partnership Capabilities and Integrations
This partnership goes beyond core product integrations to deliver a more connected and intelligent data foundation for businesses. This is just the beginning; Salesforce and Google
Cloud are committed to ongoing innovation and deeper collaboration to empower businesses with even more powerful solutions. Expected availability throughout 2025.
● Deeper integrations across Data Cloud, BigQuery, and Cortex Framework will make it easier than ever for customers to securely ground their AI agents in all of their enterprise data.
● New native Tableau, Looker, and BigQuery integration will allow customers to manage and visualise business data across all platforms in one single UI with standardized business logic and data definitions.
General News
Afe Babalola University Partners with New Horizons to Integrate 4IR Skills into Academic Curriculum
The institution has been lauded for its rapid ascent in academic rankings and its dedication to producing socially relevant graduates since its establishments in 2009 by legal luminary Aare Afe Babalola. It has consistently demonstrated excellence in education and research, and has been recognized as Nigeria’s best university for three consecutive years.
Deputy Director, ICT, Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Ado Ekiti, Muyiwa Oladimeji (left); Vice Chancellor,
Prof. Smaranda Olarinde; Managing Director, New Horizons Nigeria, Tim Akano and the University Bursar,
Pastor Dupe Babatola, during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between New Horizons and the varsity for the integration of 4IR skill sets into ABUAD’s academic curriculum in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
Afe Babalola University has entered into a strategic partnership with New Horizons Nigeria to integrate Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) skill sets into its academic curriculum. This collaboration aims to empower ABUAD students with globally relevant competencies in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, 3D Technology, and the Metaverse, Web 3.0, Full Stack, Cyber Security among others. By embedding these cutting-edge technologies into its programs, ABUAD reinforces its commitment to producing graduates who are not only job-ready but also poised to be innovators and wealth creators in the global tech ecosystem.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, Vice Chancellor of ABUAD, and Mr. Tim Akano, CEO of New Horizons Nigeria. The University Bursar Pastor Dupe Babatola, and Mr. Muyiwa Oladimeji, the Deputy Director of ICT were also present at this meeting.
According to Prof. Olarinde, she stated that the partnership aligns with ABUAD’s vision of fostering innovation and excellence and by integrating 4IR skills into the academic curriculum, students are being prepared to meet the demands of the modern workforce and to drive technological advancement.
Also, Mr. Akano asserted that “New Horizons is proud to collaborate with ABUAD, an institution that shares its commitment to technological empowerment. Together, we will provide students with the tools and certifications necessary to excel in today’s digital world. It could be recalled that in the first three global industrial revolutions, Africa was not present at the parties of Agric revolution of the 17th century, Industrial revolution of the 18th century, and Information Communication revolution of the 20th century, Africa got late to the party. This explains the large-scale hunger, poverty, and diseases that Africa is battling with today. We are in a new era, the age of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). AGI will determine the trajectory of every profession, going forward. Regardless of whatever course or profession one chooses, there is a component of AGI in it that will decide who is a modern lawyer or obsolete lawyer, who is a modern Doctor or Obsolete Doctor, who is a modern Engineer or obsolete engineer, and who is a modern art student or obsolete art student. Any university today that produce graduates without relevant 4IR skills and certifications attached during their undergrad years is producing obsolete graduates. The four major global challenges confronting humanity are not permanent problems but rather TECHNICAL/Technological problems. A case in point was smallpox, which had killed over 400 million people worldwide. However, when Edward Jenner invented a vaccine, using technology, smallpox got killed itself. Therefore, all the key problems in the world today: hunger, poverty, disease, Climate Crisis, Youth Unemployment are all technological problems that need technological solutions. This is why ABUAD’s partnership with New Horizons is necessary, critical and urgent with a view to ensuring that going forward, the ABUAD graduates have what it takes to compete with the Chinese, Americans and Japanese when it comes to 4.0IR innovations”.
This strategic partnership with New Horizons Nigeria signifies a pivotal step in ABUAD’s mission to remain at the forefront of educational innovation, and to ensure that its students are well-equipped to navigate and lead in the evolving technological landscape.
New Horizons Nigeria is Africa’s largest ICT training organization with over 200 training centres in various universities, high schools, and retail locations across Nigeria, empowering over 100,000 students yearly. New Horizons Nigeria is a franchise of New Horizons International, the world’s largest ICT training institute with Head Office in California and offices in 90 countries worldwide. The institution pioneered the integration of International ICT certification into the Nigeria academic curricular twenty years ago and some of the students that passed through New Horizons training in their respective universities are managing global corporations today in Silicon valley and working with global IT giants like Microsoft, MasterCard, Oracle, Google and Amazon among others.
United Bank for Africa (UBA) celebrated its 75th anniversary during its 65th Annual General Meeting, highlighting decades of resilience, innovation, and commitment to service.
Mr. Tony Elumelu, Group Chairman, reflected on the bank’s journey, emphasizing its ability to adapt and transform over three-quarters of a century.
He announced UBA’s impressive financial performance for 2024, including a gross revenue of ₦3.2 trillion and profit after tax of ₦767 billion.
The bank’s total deposits grew by 42% to ₦24.6 trillion, while its loan book expanded by 35% to ₦7.5 trillion.
Mr. Elumelu also addressed UBA’s efforts to meet the Central Bank of Nigeria’s directive to increase the minimum capital requirement for international commercial banks.
Following a successful rights issue, UBA’s capital now stands at ₦355.2 billion, with plans to raise the remaining ₦144.8 billion later this year.
GMD/CEO, Mr. Oliver Alawuba, reiterated UBA’s commitment to enhancing customer experience through digital banking.
He highlighted the bank’s focus on leveraging artificial intelligence and advanced technology to serve its 45 million customers across 24 countries more effectively.
UBA’s dedication to environmental stewardship and social progress was evident in its 2024 initiatives, including planting 4,550 seedlings to offset carbon emissions and distributing over 13,000 books through the Read Africa Initiative.
The bank’s efforts were recognized with multiple awards, including “Bank of the Year” in five African countries.
As UBA continues its journey, Mr. Elumelu and Mr. Alawuba expressed gratitude to shareholders, customers, staff, and regulators for their unwavering support.
The bank remains committed to innovation, financial inclusion, and driving economic growth across Africa and the globe.
Sextortion scams have become so widespread that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is sending agents to Nigeria to help track down the perpetrators.
The agency’s “Operation Artemis” has led to the arrest of 22 Nigerians, half of whom are “directly linked” to sextortion incidents in which victims died by suicide.
Sextortion scams often begin on social media, where perpetrators pose as attractive young women to lure victims—typically unsuspecting teenage boys—into sending nude photos or explicit videos.
Once the images are obtained, the scammers turn to blackmail, threatening to leak the content unless the victim pays up.
In some cases, the sextortion results in teenage victims taking their own lives over fear of the nudes leaking.
In Thursday’s announcement, the FBI noted it’s been “observing a significant increase over the last three years in financially motivated sextortion schemes targeting young males ages 14-17, resulting in more than 20 minor victims dying by suicide.”
The agency is also facing a 30% year-over-year increase in sextortion-related tips.
“According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center or IC3, there were over 54,000 [extortion-related] victims in 2024, up from 34,000 in 2023,” it said.
“Over the last two years there have been nearly $65 million dollars in financial losses due to this crime.”
In response, the FBI says 55 agency field offices came together to identify “nearly 3,000 victims of financially motivated sextortion,” which led investigators to track down the culprits in Nigeria.
The US has since extradited at least three suspects from Nigeria.
“These subjects will now be held accountable in the American justice system, with more subjects still awaiting extraditions in Nigeria,” the FBI added.
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