“Azure for Operators” lays out Microsoft’s strategy for telecom This week Microsoft launched Azure for Operators. Operators (CSPs) should take note of this announcement as much for what it portends, as for what it is today. What is Azure for Operators? Azure for Operators, plain and simple, is Microsoft’s blueprint and strategy for delivering its products and services to the global CSP community. Among the key points are that: Microsoft aims to be a partner and supplier to operators, not a competitor to operators. They intend to develop aaS consumption-based revenue models. Microsoft is enhancing Azure into Azure for Operators to support the performance (latency, availability, other) needs that are unique to telecom, and is doing so in part by absorbing the “DNA” (their words) and needs of their recent telecom acquisitions – AffirmedNetworks and Metaswitch. Azure for Operators is a work-in progress that will advance for years; yet it is already a comprehensive vision that lays out how Microsoft intends to do business with telecom; to deliver advanced technology in a ready-to-consume manner (lower risk and faster time to market than DIY, in their opinion) and to do so collaboratively. Appledore believes that Operators being wooed must at minimum […]