IBM also announced the expansion of its automation portfolio at MWC 2021
Helped along by its purchase of software company Red Hat, IBM has snagged cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) deals with Verizon and Telefonica. Using technology it obtained from the acquisition, IBM will offer the operators cloud services and assist them in selling products tailored to customers.
Specifically, Verizon will use the Red Hat technology to automate and orchestrate its 5G network and deploy an open hybrid cloud platform. The pair have already been working together to further 5G enterprise use cases, with the operator employing Red Hat OpenShift to develop applications like open-source tools and edge computing services.
Telefonica will use IBM’s AI and blockchain technology to develop a hybrid cloud platform with a particular focus on enterprise customers. Telefonica and IBM will also create a new blockchain platform for optimize supply chains and traceability. IBM’s Watson-based Virtual Assistant will run on Telefonica’s Cloud Garden platform, which is the operator’s container as-a-service platform.
“We see this as an existential moment for telco operators with 5G: Architecturally, they’re looking to gain more control on their platforms and rethink their network as a digital world rather than a structured physical model,” said Steve Canepa, IBM’s GM for communications business.
At this year’s MWC, IBM announced the expansion of its automation portfolio with a new offering for communications service providers (CSPs) aimed at helping them deploy and manage new 5G networks faster and with more ease. The new offering, called Cloud Pak for Network Automation, runs on Red Hat OpenShift and includes network lifecycle modeling, orchestration, automated service design and testing, real-time network visibility and closed loop operations.
Further, once IBM finalized its acquisition of Turbonomic, the new offering will be integrated with Turbonomic’s network performance management and assurance software, enabling more insights for CSPs.
