Microsoft is pushing to meet the demand for AI capabilities by significantly expanding its network capacity for its data centers. To do so, the tech giant has partnered with Lumen Technologies, a provider of telecom services.
With the partnership, Microsoft aims to improve the network infrastructure for connecting to the Azure data centers required for AI. The network infrastructure services should ensure that Microsoft can provide a complete, reliable and scalable (cloud-based) platform from its data centers for all workloads, from normal and mission-critical workloads to demanding AI workloads.
Private Connectivity Fabric
Microsoft will specifically use Lumen’s Private Connectivity Fabric for this purpose. This dedicated network provides dedicated access to the existing fiber connections in the Lumen network. In addition, the fabric helps deploy new fiber connections for existing and new routes and leverages Lumen’s new digital services.
The “AI-ready” network infrastructure should ultimately strengthen network capacity between Microsoft’s data centers, especially when delivering the right network capacity, performance, stability, and speed that users need to meet increasing data demands.
Lumen moves to Azure
For its part, Lumen is moving to Microsoft’s public Azure cloud environment and will also use its AI technology. In doing so, Lumen aims to reduce its overall technology costs, phase out legacy systems and existing silos, improve its products and roll out new solutions to its customers, among other things.
This means Lumen will migrate and modernize its workloads to Azure, using Microsoft Entra solutions to guard against and prevent identity attacks, among other things. Furthermore, the two parties plan to develop and deploy new solutions for the telecom industry jointly.
Tip: Microsoft says it will deploy hydrogen fuel cells for datacenters