Microsoft launched a new cloud platform this week exclusively for telecom operators, media reports said. The platform will pave the way for operators to develop 5G networks faster at cheaper price and sell customised service to business clients.
This move by Microsoft will boost its portfolio and challenge counterparts such as Nokia and Ericsson, which are also on the 5G service race.
Yousef Khalidi, corporate vice president for Azure Networking, told the media, “it could cut costs by 30 percent to 40 percent in some cases. The telco DNA was obtained through those acquisitions and we went from a small number of engineers in this space to literally hundreds of engineers,” said Khalidi. “On the other hand, the foundational pieces, including edge compute, we have had in a pipeline for many years.”
The US government has been pushing big local companies to get more involved in the development of 5G technology after it banned China’s Huawei from its telecom network. The 5G technology paves the way for technologies such as autonomous driving, remote surgery, automated, manufacturing and many more.
The new cloud platform is powered by Azure and it expects to cut down infrastructure costs, and provide more flexibility towards services and use AI for operations automation.
Companies such as Verizon and AT&T to network equipment firms such as Samsung and Mavenir have already collaborated with Microsoft to roll out the platform to clients.
The developed and developing economies of the world see 5G technology as the next big thing in the technology space.