Microsoft and AT&T announced that the duo has formed a strategic alliance that provides a path for all of AT&T’s mobile network traffic to be managed using Microsoft Azure technologies. Microsoft also announced the acquisition of AT&T’s Network Cloud technology and talent to help operators increase competitive advantage. Bringing network workloads to Azure for Operators will enable AT&T to increase productivity and cost-efficiency.
Azure for Operators
Microsoft will also gain access to AT&T’s intellectual property and technical expertise to grow its telecom offering, Azure for Operators. The tech giant is acquiring AT&T’s Network Cloud platform technology which AT&T’s 5G core network runs on.
According to the announcement, AT&T’s Network Cloud platform engineering team will receive offers to join Microsoft. Azure for Operators will allow operators globally to deliver highly reliable, cost-effective, and secure 5G services.
According to the announcement, AT&T will also continue to operate its network and retain its customer relationships. AT&T will be able to substantially reduce engineering and development costs by using Microsoft’s infrastructure. Jason Zander, executive vice president Azure of Microsoft said,
“With Azure, operators can provide a more flexible and scalable service model, save infrastructure cost, and use AI to automate operations and differentiate customer offerings. Through our collaboration with AT&T, Microsoft will expand its telecom portfolio to support operators with a carrier-grade cloud that provides seamless experiences across Microsoft’s cloud and the operator’s network.”