Accenture joins AT&T’s Microservices Supplier Program
Accenture announced it has joined AT&T’s Microservices Supplier Program in a multi-year project focused on transforming older business applications into microservices. According to the companies, small and big businesses will be able to use these software applications to order AT&T products and services, such as fiber and security solutions.
AT&T introduced its Microservices Supplier Program last October alongside IBM. The aim of the initiative was to develop and launch microservices that could improve business backend processes. AT&T reports it deployed over 300 microservices last year, exceeding company goals by 22%. The carrier expects to launch hundreds of more microservices by the end of this year.
Microservices are a way of building software applications, which has taken the telecom industry by storm. The process involves dividing a large-scale monolithic code into a suite of modules, each of which supports a particular business capability. According to a report published by Market Research Future, the microservices market is expected to accrue $33 billion by 2023.
“Our collaboration with Accenture allows us to quickly deliver the products and services our customers need to stay competitive in today’s technology-based economy,” said Pam Parisian, the president of Technology Development for AT&T, in a statement. “Soon, they will be able to access a whole new level of scalability and functionality as we shift legacy business functions into flexible, software-centric capabilities.”
Accenture is the second company to join the Microservices Supplier Program. AT&T noted the collaboration with Accenture will help accelerate the development of microservices using scaled agile and DevOps processes, in addition to pushing out application upgrades. The goal of the collaboration between the companies, and DevOps in general, is to deliver quicker time to market applications with lower costs and better quality.
“By decomposing legacy systems into suites of small, modular and independent services, we can co-develop new products more rapidly than ever before,” said Steve Tibbetts, a managing director at Accenture. “Together with AT&T, we are able to deliver an enhanced experience for their customers.”
