5G will be a killer app for cloud native, as recent deals signify

Introduction

The interconnected world is happening, and will be advanced by the combination of 5G connectivity (and subsequent iterations), and upstream capabilities like edge computing and advanced analytics. Nearly every vertical industry in the world is exploring how these platforms will be applied to their environment and advance their digital transformation agendas. The global 5G investment cycle is hitting its stride, including 5GSA (5G stand-alone) core deployments and distributed multi-access edge computing buildouts. However, a radical shift in network service delivery architecture and approach – to cloud native and DevOps – is necessary to fully take advantage of 5G capabilities today and in the future. A couple of recent announcements highlight these trends.

The Take

Recent deals sharpen our belief that the telecom industry promises to be the outstanding buildout market opportunity – a 'killer app' – for cloud native, in its transition to 5G. That's the technology change. But significant challenges remain, principally around the change of mindset required on the part of telcos to move away from the kind of monolithic application infrastructure and operational models that have meant they are less nimble in pursuit of emerging opportunities.

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