How has the rise of cloud technologies impacted the telco space?
The cloud has brought a different dynamic to not just the telco industry, but also across the wider regional and global communities. The cloud fosters innovation and enables more access and connectivity between different people, organisations and communities.Â
Over the past couple of years, we’ve learned that not everybody needs to be in an office anymore. Therefore, business leaders had to make sure that the remote workforce is still able to deliver everything that they were doing when they were working onsite. So, providing them with the tools and platforms that will ensure the connectivity they need is crucial. And the cloud can help take away some of the limitations that organisations working with a remote model face.
What are the persistent challenges in the telecom industry that robust cloud services can help address?
There is a massive shift in the network requirements for processing, connectivity and application access. Increasingly, workloads are moving closer to the edge and the users. However, these are not challenges but are just evolving requirements in the industry.
This evolution calls on industry players to transform networking infrastructure. This change will take some time and cloud providers can help fill some of the gaps in the market throughout this process.
How important is the role of cloud technologies to the success of 5G?
5G is not just about one technology. It is an enabler for innovation.
It has the power to enable organisations to be more agile. It can connect devices, organisations and cities. 5G allows companies to launch new services and innovations that can bring industries together in a way that we haven’t seen or done before.Â
The cloud has a similar power to do the same. It’s a vital element of the technology ecosystem as it can accelerate and foster innovation across platforms.
In terms of enabling 5G, as previously mentioned, the cloud is instrumental in bridging any gaps in current networking infrastructures.Â
How do hypercalers fit into the 5G space? How should they collaborate with telcos?
Hyperscalers can help telecom service providers to move beyond traditional connectivity service models and explore opportunities in adjacent industries. This will help them expand enterprise opportunities to bring new use cases to life.
We work very closely with hyperscalers as we do with our customers directly. We want to make sure that customers are getting exactly what they need from hyperscalers as they do from other technology vendors that we work with. This helps ensure that these organisations can provide the right services that meet the needs and expectations of their customers.
However, in my opinion, there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ when it comes to how hyperscalers can work together. It is being redefined on a daily basis and varies from one market to another. It is a constantly evolving ecosystem.
Video: Red Hat on how enterprise open source is powering innovations
What is open source’s role and how can it accelerate the development of 5G?
Open source has always been an accelerator for innovation. It can help developers extend 5G’s use cases and applications and boost 5G adoption across various sectors.
One of the key values of open source software development is that it fosters transparency and collaboration, making sure that the best ideas win which is very important to this industry and is also at the core of Red Hat’s ethos.Â
In addition, open source cultivates a community for people from across a wide spectrum of the technology industry. It helps provide a lot of drive, vision and roadmap in the way that technology is being built and developed to support the wider IT ecosystem.Â
It’s about being open and collaborative. It allows the developer community to fill the gaps in the market and enables customers to take part in the development of new features and specific functionalities of a solution. This is what makes the open source industry exciting and that’s why we’re proud to be part of this environment.Â
