Telstra has announced that it has signed an agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) that will see both companies develop differentiated multi-access edge computing solutions. In simple terms, that will bring cloud services closer to Australian customers and their devices while delivering game changing speed and flexibility.
The collaborative agreement will see over 4000 Telstra staff complete training as part of the AWS Cloud Guild, which has been rolled out to other business such as Telstra’s Belong brand, Kmart and many more companies in Australia. As part of this training, employees will learn to apply innovative, cloud-first thinking to accelerate adoption and drive digital transformation.
Telstra said the collaboration will help accelerate digital transformation for enterprise and government customers by facilitating a wide range of transformative capabilities that require resilience and low latency, such as autonomous industrial equipment, smart cars and cities, Internet of Things (IoT), and augmented and virtual reality.
People often wish to compare Amazon AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud, and this move to bring AWS closer to Telstra customers will likely make a big difference.
As part of this new collaborative frame, AWS and Telstra will plan how to integrate AWS edge compute solutions with Telstra’s multi-access network, which could occur by integrating AWS’s edge compute solutions and Telstra’s 5G network, enabling application traffic from 5G devices to reach cloud services running in edge compute locations without leaving the Telstra network.
Commenting on the new strategic partnership, Telstra Enterprise Group Executive David Burns has stated that:
“We want to help Australian businesses benefit from ultra-fast response times and enhanced resilience that comes with embedding AWS edge computing solutions at the edge of Telstra’s multi-access network. For example, by bringing our customers and their mission critical applications closer together via our 5G network collaboration, regardless of work location, Australian businesses can transform the way they operate and serve their customers.” and that “COVID-19 has accelerated our customers’ need for flexibility and reduced costs, which is driving a greater adoption of cloud applications and seeing more workloads move to public clouds.
With every cloud migration, organisations also need a flexible, modern network to support their application performance. We’re excited to join forces with AWS to bring a leading cloud platform together with Telstra’s leading network and telco expertise to deliver a very compelling proposition for our customers,”
Adam Beavis, AWS Managing Director in Australia and New Zealand, has stated that:
“The collaboration between AWS and Telstra will enable highly responsive experiences on new 5G networks. With AWS edge computing solutions, Telstra can build and deploy applications even closer to its customers, and deliver more seamless user experiences in such areas as industrial robotic and drone automation, connected vehicles, ML-assisted healthcare, and immersive entertainment.”
“AWS is committed to strengthening our collaboration with Telstra to transform the way our customers operate, and continue to drive local economic growth by harnessing the power of digital technologies. We look forward to working closer with Telstra to support their internal drive to build new technical skills for staff, and help their customers leverage the latest in cloud technology.”
The new Strategic Collaboration Agreement is a key pillar in Telstra’s strategy to grow its next generation cloud professional and managed services portfolio, delivered by its Telstra Purple group, the largest Australian IT services team.
