Microsoft has recently announced a partnership with the telecommunications industry, worldwide, to unlock the power of 5G and deliver cloud and edge technology closer than ever before. The partnership comes as a result of increased demand for always-on connectivity and secure collaboration, especially in the wake of more people working from home due to Covid-19.
Operators can harness the power of Microsoft Azure, on their edge or in the cloud, to transition into a more scalable and flexible version, cut down infrastructure costs, utilize AI and machine learning (ML) to automate operations, and differentiate service. In addition, the hybrid, hyper-scale infrastructure provides operators the responsiveness needed to innovate and experiment with new 5G providers on a programmable network.
“We’re building a carrier-grade cloud and bringing more Microsoft technology to the operator’s edge. This, in combination with our developer ecosystem, will help operators to future proof their networks, drive down costs, and create new services and business models”, the tech giant said in a statement.”
The network infrastructure must ensure users can optimize costs and gain efficiencies, while allowing personalized and reliable services. Microsoft recognizes the many challenges operators will face in rolling out 5G. “To address the requirements of rolling out 5G, operators will face high capital expenditure (CapEx) investments, an increased need for scale, automation, and secure management of the massive volume of data it will generate,” said Jason Zander, Executive Vice President, Microsoft Azure.
Most importantly, Microsoft plans to support operators as they grow their infrastructure and operations, utilizing technologies like software-defined networks, networking purpose virtualization and service-based architectures.
Currently, Microsoft has one of the largest networks connected with operators in over 170 points of presence and more than 20,000 peering connections worldwide, with direct connectivity for over 15 miles in 85% of the world’s GDP. “More than 200 operators have already chosen to integrate with the Azure network through our ExpressRoute service, enabling enterprises and partners to link their corporate networks privately and securely to Azure services”, Microsoft said.
As Microsoft builds out Azure for Operators, they recognize the importance of ensuring users have the control and visibility needed to manage their unique industry requirements.
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