Microsoft is run AT&T’s entire network after acquiring the carriers Network Cloud technology.
The partnership will first see Microsoft take over the running of AT&T’s core 5G network and will eventually extend to AT&T’s full mobile network traffic.
Jason Zander, Executive Vice President of Azure at 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”
The deal is a flagship win for Microsoft’s telco offering, Azure for Operators, which is built on Microsoft’s cloud credentials and technology that came with the acquisitions of Affirmed Networks and Metaswitch.
Microsoft said that the intellectual property that comes with the acquisition of the AT&T unit will help it develop and scale the offering.
Andre Fuetsch, Chief Technology Officer at AT&T, said: “AT&T has one of the world’s most powerful global backbone networks serving hundreds of millions of subscribers.
“Our Network Cloud team has proved that running a network in the cloud drives speed, security, cost improvements and innovation. Microsoft’s decision to acquire these assets is a testament to AT&T’s leadership in network virtualization, culture of innovation, and realization of a telco-grade cloud stack.
“The next step is making this capability accessible to operators around the world and ensuring it has the resources behind it to continue to evolve and improve. And do it securely. Microsoft’s cloud expertise and global reach make them the perfect fit for this next phase.”
Terms of the deal were not disclosed but Microsoft is set to offer jobs to several hundred AT&T engineers, according to Reuters.
