Google Cloud announced a new strategy to work with telecom operators. The company said it wants to help operators monetise 5G for business services, drive efficiency in their own core telecom systems by using the Google Cloud, and build customer engagement with 'big data' services from Google.
Monetising 5G means building its own Global Mobile Edge Cloud. Google Cloud said it plans to deliver a portfolio and marketplace of 5G solutions built jointly with telecom operators, delivered over an open cloud platform and a global distributed edge network.
The company announced an initial collaboration with AT&T to help businesses take advantage of Google Cloud’s services using AT&T network connectivity at the edge, including 5G. They're testing a portfolio of 5G edge computing solutions for industries like retail, manufacturing, transportation and will also look to offer third-party applications over the platform.
To help telcos evolve their networks, Google announced Anthos for Telecom, which will bring its Anthos cloud application platform to the network edge. This will allow telecommunications companies to run their network applications on the open-source Kubernetes container architecture.
In addition, Google Cloud is partnering with telecommunications companies to set up a global distributed edge network, based on the telcos' local networks. Similar to the deal with AT&T, partnerships were announced with operators such as Telecom Italia and Deutsche Telekom.
Big data solutions
Google is also working with telecom operators to help them improve services based on customer data and AI-driven technologies. The company offers its BigQuery platform to develop data analytics based on machine learning, so telecommunications companies can store, process, and analyze data in real time, and build personalization models on top of this data. Customers for this already include Vodafone and Wind Tre.
Google Cloud also has a Contact Center AI solution to help telecoms improve customer service. Contact Center AI gives companies 24/7 access to immediate conversational self-service, with hand-offs to human agents for more complex issues. It also empowers human agents with continuous support during their calls by identifying intent and providing real-time, step-by-step assistance.
AI can also change the retail and marketing experience, Google said. Its AI and retail software are being used by communications companies to transform the retail experience for customers, including omni-channel marketing, sales and service, personalization and recommendations, and virtual-agent presence in stores.
Network virtualisation
Google also sees a role for its cloud services in telco network virtualisation. For this it has partnered with Amdocs and Netcracker to ease the transition for existing applications such as OSS, BSS and network functions to Google Cloud as well as integrate with new services such as data analytics and 5G edge services to enterprise customers.
Amdocs announced that Altice USA has gone live already with Amdocs data and intelligence systems on the Google Cloud.
