Bentley has entered a strategic collaboration with Capgemini to advance its digital transformation, centred on Bentley’s Dream Factory in Crewe.

Capgemini will lead Bentley’s digital transformation in the UK, providing digital infrastructure and systems integration across manufacturing technology and back-office operations. The arrangement also includes work on Bentley’s data and artificial intelligence foundations as the carmaker pursues its Beyond100+ strategy.

The project is intended to simplify operations, improve data ownership and accountability, and help staff adopt new digital tools and processes. Bentley’s Dream Factory, its manufacturing base in Crewe, is being developed for more personalised, lower-impact luxury vehicle production.

The collaboration reflects a broader shift among established carmakers as software, connected systems and data analysis play a larger role in production and commercial planning. Across the sector, manufacturers are turning to AI and digital tools to improve efficiency and respond more quickly to changing demand.

Areas of focus

The work spans several parts of Bentley’s business. One area focuses on customer and commercial insight, where improved analytics and AI are expected to support sales, marketing and campaign activity.

Another focuses on IT service operations, moving beyond traditional support models to improve reliability and the employee experience. The collaboration also covers the data architecture needed to support faster decision-making and future product development, alongside cost control and ongoing process improvement.

The project extends beyond the factory floor. By linking manufacturing systems with back-office functions, Bentley is seeking a more integrated operating model across production, administration and commercial teams.

That approach reflects a wider automotive industry trend, as companies try to break down older technology silos that can slow decision-making and add complexity. In practice, this often means replacing or connecting legacy systems so information can move more easily between departments.

Capgemini said Bentley’s programme would draw on its experience in modernising large enterprise and manufacturing environments. The consulting and technology group reported global revenues of EUR €22.5 billion in 2025 and employs more than 420,000 people in more than 50 countries.

Rob Pears outlined Capgemini’s view of the partnership.

“Bentley Motors represents the pinnacle of British quality and manufacturing prowess, and we’re delighted to be supporting them to transform its digital operations. The brand’s legacy and ambitious vision offer exciting opportunities to drive innovation through data and AI, enabled by Capgemini’s deep expertise in integrating and modernising complex enterprise and manufacturing systems at scale,” said Rob Pears, UK Head of Manufacturing, Automotive and Life Sciences at Capgemini.

Bentley described the work as part of a longer-term relationship rather than a single technology deployment. Integration is already under way.

Axel Dewitz, who oversees finance and IT at Bentley, said the company sees the move as part of its broader transition.

“This transition marks an important step in Bentley’s digital journey. With Capgemini, we are building a strategic relationship to support our long-term ambitions. The integration is progressing smoothly and we’re looking to the future with a shared commitment to quality and agility,” said Axel Dewitz, Member of the Board for Finance and IT at Bentley.

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Broadband traffic on Hyperoptic’s network rose by more than 125% during the England v Ghana match, peaking just before kick-off.

Measured against a 7pm pre-match baseline, the jump marked the network’s highest traffic point in June so far.

The figures suggest pressure builds on household internet connections before live sport even begins, as viewers stream coverage, follow social media, message friends and use several devices at once. The sharpest rise came during the pre-match build-up rather than during the match itself.

A consumer survey of 2,000 UK adults with home broadband found that 59% of football viewers had learned about a goal or another key sporting moment before seeing it on their own screen. Sources included phone alerts, social media, group chats, reactions from neighbours and responses from others in the same home.

For some households, the issue goes beyond spoilers. The research found that 11% had missed a key sporting moment because of buffering, lag or connection problems.

Nearly a third, or 29%, said buffering during a goal, penalty or another important moment would be among the most frustrating things that could happen during a major match. During major live sporting events at home, an average of 2.7 internet-connected devices are in use in the household at the same time, according to the survey.

Multiple devices

The findings underline how viewing habits have changed around big sporting occasions. Fans increasingly watch matches while scrolling on a second screen, sending messages, placing food orders or checking live reactions online, adding to pressure on home broadband connections.

Hyperoptic found that 65% of people who watch major live sport at home had taken none of the listed steps to prepare their broadband before a major event. Those steps included checking broadband speed, considering an upgrade or using mobile data as a back-up.

The full-fibre broadband provider, which focuses on urban areas, said its network now passes more than 1.9 million homes and has more than 400,000 customers. It operates across 64 towns and cities in the UK.

That footprint gives it a broad view of how entertainment habits affect internet demand in homes. The latest spike around an England fixture suggests national team matches can create concentrated surges in consumer traffic, especially immediately before kick-off as households settle in to watch.

Practical steps

Hyperoptic advised households to pause large downloads and software updates before a match, as these can consume bandwidth in the background. It also urged users to disconnect devices not needed during the game and keep routers in open positions rather than hiding them behind televisions or in cupboards.

Viewers should also make sure the main screen is using the strongest available Wi-Fi signal, or a wired connection where possible. If a stream starts to struggle, reducing second-screen activity may help. Hyperoptic also suggested switching off goal notifications to avoid spoilers if there is a delay.

Mark Bartlett, Chief Operating Officer at Hyperoptic, said: “Fans think about the snacks, the drinks, the comfiest spot and the group chat before a big match, but the broadband check is just as important. A frozen picture or delayed stream can mean missing the moment entirely, or finding out what happened from a roar coming from your neighbours, notifications or messages before it appears on your own screen.”

He added: “Tuesday night’s England game gave us another reminder of how broadband demand can build before the match even starts. Traffic on our network surged by more than 125% from the 7pm pre-match baseline and reached its highest point in June so far just before kick-off. That’s why the broadband check matters before the first whistle. Before a big fixture, households should pause large downloads, check what else is connected, keep the router clear and make sure the main screen is using the strongest connection available. These are small steps, but they can really help stop buffering becoming the real matchday spoiler.”

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Google will face an 11-week UK trial over a class action by app developers worth more than £1 billion. The claim is being brought on behalf of thousands of developers represented by Professor Barry Rodger.

The case centres on commissions charged through the Google Play Store on app sales, subscriptions and in-app digital content. It covers UK-domiciled third-party app developers that sold through Google Play from August 2018 and paid commission to Google on those transactions.

The Competition Appeal Tribunal has rejected Google’s attempt to require some larger developers to join the case on an opt-in basis. The proceedings will therefore continue as an opt-out collective action, with eligible developers included unless they choose to remove themselves from the class.

Rodger, a competition law academic at Strathclyde University Law School, is acting as class representative. He alleges that Google abused a dominant position in Android app distribution by using technical and contractual restrictions to limit competition, making Google Play the main route to market for developers seeking Android users in the UK.

The claim also alleges that Google charged excessive and unfair commissions of as much as 30% on app sales and related digital transactions. It seeks compensation for revenue developers say they lost as a result.

Google denies the allegations.

Commission dispute

The trial will focus on the commercial terms under which developers distributed apps and sold digital content on Android devices through Google Play. The claimant argues that in a more competitive market, developers would have paid less to distribute apps and process digital sales, allowing them to retain a greater share of revenue.

That argument goes to the economics of app businesses, particularly smaller companies that rely on mobile platforms to reach customers. For those businesses, app store commissions can affect margins, hiring plans and investment in new products.

The proceedings also add to wider scrutiny of app store operators and their control over app distribution and payments. In recent years, regulators and courts in several jurisdictions have examined whether rules imposed by major platform owners restrict rival app stores or alternative payment methods.

In the UK, the Competition and Markets Authority has designated Google as having strategic market status in relation to its mobile platform, including Android and native app distribution. In the European Union, the European Commission has issued preliminary findings under the Digital Markets Act concerning Google Play, including restrictions on steering users to alternative channels.

Courts in the United States and Australia have also considered Google’s conduct in Android app distribution and in-app payments. Google’s dispute with Epic Games in the US ended in a settlement under which it agreed to lower Play Store commissions for developers in future, though the settlement did not include compensation for earlier charges.

Trial focus

The UK case is likely to test both the structure of Android app distribution and the level of commissions charged through Google Play. It will examine whether developers had practical alternatives for reaching Android users and whether Google’s terms reflected competition or market power.

The Tribunal’s refusal to alter the class structure shortly before trial is also significant to the conduct of the case. Had the application succeeded, some larger developers would have had to identify themselves publicly and take active steps to join the claim or lose the chance to be part of any damages award.

Instead, the class remains in the form originally approved by the Tribunal, preserving the collective action as a broad claim on behalf of UK developers that fall within the class definition.

The case is one of the larger technology competition actions heading to court in the UK and reflects growing use of collective proceedings in disputes involving digital platforms. It also highlights continuing efforts by claimants to recover damages for what they describe as inflated costs imposed by powerful technology intermediaries.

Rodger said the case was aimed in part at smaller businesses with limited scope to avoid the Play Store if they wanted to reach Android customers.

“This is a significant moment for UK app developers. Many small businesses have had little realistic choice but to use Google Play Store to reach Android customers. The cost of doing so, we believe, was excessive and unfair,” said Professor Barry Rodger, class representative.

He added: “A landmark trial against Google is right around the corner.”

Rodger also said: “Any UK app developers who think they are affected should get in touch confidentially at www.googleplaystoredeveloperclaim.com/register. It takes minutes and it costs nothing.”