IBM Helping Indian Firms, Telcos Get Ready For 5G Deployment

IBM is helping Indian companies to become 5G ready once the ultra-high-speed wireless broadband networks start
functioning in the country.

The US software company is in talks with Indian enterprises, including telcos, to help them define their 5G strategy and build their capabilities to address that demand.

“Our big focus in calendar 2019 is 5G for enterprise and we are looking at it from the infrastructure standpoint,” Archana Vemulapalli, general manager at IBM Network Services, told. “We are really going to push with our clients the whole revenue and importance to adopt the new technology quickly.”

Once 5G starts, data flow would increase and matters would get more complex for enterprises, which is why their infrastructures need to be ready, Vemulapalli said, adding that by addressing these challenges, an enterprise can become a “data-smart organization.”

IBM is also working with local companies to develop services around 5G.

Vemulapalli said sectors including healthcare, automotive, heavy industries and companies working in the Internet of Things (IoT) domain are looking to transform their networks.

“The IoT adoption will kick in at a different level with 5G and that is going to be a key vertical for IBM,” she said.

Telecom is the largest revenue contributor for IBM in India at USD 800 million-USD 1 billion, followed by banking, financial services and insurance and the government vertical. IBM is the sole vendor for IT outsourcing with Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea and is holding advanced talks to finalize a multi-year deal by March-end which some estimates suggest, could be worth over USD 1 billion

Indian telcos, she said, need to catch up quickly to capture the 5G opportunity, adding that data consumption patterns in the country show that growth potential is significant.―Gadgets Now