Microsoft at Mobile World Congress 2023 - Important observations

Microsoft made 12 major product announcements at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023 and demonstrated more than 20 developments on various topics, including multi-access edge compute (MEC), network API efforts, and AI and analytics. The feedback collected from hundreds of customer meetings and partner engagements revealed that operators are interested in monetizing programmable networks and cloud-native technology, want to see a strong total cost ownership case, and seek real deployments at scale.

https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/important-observations-from-microsoft-at-mobile-world-congress-2023/

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-for-operators-blog/azure-programmable-connectivity-powers-network-aware/ba-p/3751024

Empowering operators and enterprises with the next wave of Azure for Operators services shaping the future of cloud | Azure Blog and Updates | Microsoft Azure

1. Operators are deeply interested in the monetization opportunities created by programmable networks and modern connected applications.
2. Operators have a demand to see a strong total cost ownership (TCO) case when adopting cloud-native technology.
3. There is ongoing, keen interest in lessons learned from real deployments at scale versus proof-of-concept deployments.
4. Operators want to understand the impact that developments in AI can have on their ability to run networks that are more resilient, sustainable, and efficient.
5. Operators are looking for an ecosystem that includes meaningful partnerships—both technical and commercial—in order to ensure holistic success.
6. Operators are accelerating their plans for virtual RAN deployments.

Microsoft believes that operators are uniquely positioned to create value by exposing the network’s intelligence and functionality through network APIs and MEC solutions. Operators also require a robust ecosystem of application solutions and a flexible business model to support the investment in these capabilities. Finally, operators are looking to upgrade their network architecture to support new services and undergo the upgrade to a 5G standalone core while reducing the total cost of ownership.

• Microsoft at Mobile World Congress 2023
• Lessons learned from supporting a production deployment
• Updating network architecture while reducing the total cost of ownership
• Creating value with network APIs and mobile edge computing