5G, augmented and virtual reality are giving rise to a whole new generation of exciting technologies that will change the way we live forever. It is an opportunity for operators around to move away from legacy systems and capitalize on 5G and edge computing investments which may lead to monetization opportunities as well!
In a recent development, Microsoft announced the next wave of Azure for Operators solutions and services. Microsoft had previously unveiled Azure for Operators in September 2020 and Azure private multi-access edge compute (MEC) in 2021.
Azure Operator Distributed Services
It is designed to meet the security, resiliency, observability, manageability, and performance needs of operators. Using unified cloud management, it will streamline business operations and provide the operators with simplified management, policy, and automation. It will support customer deployments at the edge of the cloud, the edge of the network, or the enterprise edge, enabling flexibility and scalability. Operators can create new services to monetize their network and utilize customer insights for proactive decision-making and growth.
Regarding privacy and security, Microsoft has said that the operators using Azure Operator Distributed Services will continue to hold access to their customer data and Microsoft cannot access or see it. This product will enable operators to deliver new services faster and more flexibly across Azure public cloud and on-premises with common tooling and services, thereby reducing time-to-market with a cloud-native approach.
Azure Operator 5G Core
Microsoft Azure Operator 5G Core is an Azure service with which operators can build, deploy, and manage scalable mobile networks. The advent of 5G will release low-latency, high throughput consumer, industry 4.0, IoT, and massive machine-type communications and operator networks will have to handle unprecedented amounts of data. With Azure Operator 5G Core, operators can seamlessly deploy network workloads on Azure and manage their networks at scale with agility and cost efficiency and keep up with the evolving 5G demands.
Azure Private 5G Core
With this packet core as-a-service offer, operators and system integrators can rapidly deploy enterprise private mobile networks and low latency applications on Azure Arc-connected edge platforms. Azure enables partners to unify the cloud management of multiple, globally distributed private wireless networks with the flexibility to choose and integrate components from technology and solution partners.
Azure public MEC
Azure public MEC enables enterprises and developers to deliver innovative high-performance, low-latency applications at the operator edge, using operators’ public 5G network connectivity.
Operators are constantly striving to be at the forefront of digital transformation, which will only improve their competitiveness by delivering new services and providing financial benefits through growth. Network core systems need modernizing for telecom operators’ networks to operate efficiently throughout this process. that run on-premises, at the edge, or in the cloud, managed and secured by Azure, offer flexibility to transform on the operator’s terms and timelines. Microsoft is applying its technology and developer ecosystem capabilities to offer the next-generation Azure for operators portfolio.
Image source: Microsoft
Also read: How Microsoft is becoming a leading service provider of the healthcare industry
