IBM and AT&T bring hybrid cloud service to the 5G era

IBM and AT&T today announced they’re working together to help enterprise clients upgrade to the 5G era with an open and secure hybrid cloud architecture using IBM’s hybrid cloud platform, Cloud Satellite,

Through this partnership, AT&T will extend its 5G network infrastructure and services offerings for IBM Cloud Satellite, making it easier for businesses to connect to open hybrid cloud computing using AT&T Multi-access Edge Computing.

What’s more, built on Red Hat OpenShift, IBM Cloud Satellite will give clients the flexibility to move apps to environments closer to where the data resides. Enterprises will be able to manage distributed IT environments over multiple clouds via a single dashboard.

AT&T’s 5G will also unlock new opportunities for businesses needing regional or on-premises edge computing with added privacy and security. Be it a mobile field workforce or manufacturing facility, billions of edge devices can be managed with high reliability and security levels using IBM's Cloud Satellite dashboard.

In addition to centralized management, faster data transfer speeds, lower latency, better customer experiences and enhanced security through IBM’s sophisticated encryption capabilities are reasons to consider shifting to a hybrid cloud. IBM says it’ll also bring its AI capabilities via IBM Watson to deliver deeper insights through real-time data collected at the edge.

“The advancements in 5G and edge are impacting every industry, bringing the promise of enhanced experiences for consumers and new revenue opportunities for businesses,” said Howard Boville, senior vice president, IBM Hybrid Cloud.

“Together with AT&T, we will be helping clients securely leverage 5G and edge offerings in any environment with IBM’s open and secure hybrid cloud platform. This marks a significant step forward increasing the possibilities of 5G and edge in the enterprise.”

Here’s how the IBM-AT&T partnership could play out for health care, manufacturing, retail, supply chains and banking industries:

• Health care industry could monitor patients remotely via connected medical devices with telehealth
• In manufacturing, 5G-connected automated operations can help reduce costs and control quality on production lines through robotics and near-real-time visual analysis
• In retail, 5G and edge can help stores analyze supply chain data, detect spills or spoilage, or monitor metrics, like crowd density, in ways that would have overwhelmed a network without edge computing
• Supply chains can become more resilient and dynamic with enhanced networking and remote monitoring combined with automated inventory management and AI-enhanced procurement processes
• In banking and finance, organizations can detect fraud and address customer claims n near real-time

“Make no mistake: AT&T is fast,” said Mo Katibeh, chief product and platform officer for AT&T Business. “And we don’t just have the fastest nationwide 5G network. With our edge computing capabilities, we can also offer incredibly responsive networks – needed for mission-critical business applications. Our work with IBM will bring differentiated value that customers will appreciate.”