Microsoft, Nokia partner on Industry 4.0 communications service

Microsoft and Nokia announced they will package Microsoft’s cloud solutions with Nokia’s expertise in wireless networking to accelerate digital transformation and Industry 4.0 adoption. Specifically, Microsoft’s Azure, Azure IoT, Azure AI and Machine Learning solutions will be offered with Nokia’s LTE/5G-ready private wireless solutions, IP, SD-WAN, and IoT connectivity offerings.

BT is the first global communications service provider to offer the managed service through a customer automated delegated rights service, which enables BT to manage both the customer Azure vWAN and the Agile Connect SD-WAN, based on Nokia’s Nuage SD-WAN 2.0.

“Bringing together Microsoft’s expertise in intelligent cloud solutions and Nokia’s strength in building business and mission-critical networks will unlock new connectivity and automation scenarios,” said Jason Zander, executive vice president, Microsoft Azure. “We’re excited about the opportunities this will create for our joint customers across industries.”

According to Nokia, its Nuage SD-WAN 2.0 solution now enables service providers to offer integration with Microsoft Azure Virtual WAN for branch to cloud connectivity, with the companies planning to offer more options for branch internet connectivity in 2020. In addition, the companies are integrating Nokia’s Worldwide IoT Network Grid (WING) with Azure IoT Central to make the onboarding, deployment, management and servicing of IoT solutions seamless, the companies say.

Microsoft and Nokia are also collaborating to host Nokia’s Analytics, Virtualization and Automation (AVA) cognitive services solutions on Azure. These AI solutions will enable CSPs to move out of private data centers and into the Azure cloud.
www.microsoft.com
www.nokia.com