Nokia & Lenovo: How Telcos Can Support AI-led Data Centres
As the telco landscape continues to shift to support disruptive technologies, it is clear that highly reliable and scalable solutions are required to support larger storage and faster data transfers.
Particularly when it comes to data centres around the world, increasing numbers of facilities are now supporting these next-generation technologies, including 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT) and edge computing.
In response to these customer demands, Lenovo and Nokia have partnered to create comprehensive data centre networking and automation solutions that support the massive and highly precise compute, storage and transit needs for AI and machine learning (AI/ML) and other compute-intensive workloads.
The solutions from both companies will be jointly marketed to enterprises, telcos and digital infrastructure and cloud providers.
Such a high-profile collaboration reflects how AI, data centre infrastructure and sustainability can converge as we move towards a more digitally engaged telco era.
The future of AI interconnectivity
The partnership will leverage the Lenovo ThinkSystem AI-ready portfolio of high-performance servers and storage with the Nokia Data Center network solution.
Both companies suggest the combined solutions will help meet the demanding processing and network performance requirements of modern workloads. As AI models are trained, data centres for inferencing will be required, particularly where AI clusters are networked both within and between the data centres at the edge.
These AI-led workloads not only require high-speed interconnectivity, but are also reliable and secure.
- Nokia’s Data Center Fabric offering
- IP routing
- DDoS security portfolios (Distributed Denial-of-Service Attacks)
- The recently announced data centre network automation platform, Event-Driven Automation (EDA)
Such a collaboration offers the telco and data centre industry to discuss how edge computing continues to evolve and how this impacts industries that depend on fast and secure data processing, including healthcare, autonomous vehicles and smart cities.
“Lenovo has a longstanding commitment to deliver the most reliable and sustainable AI infrastructure. Our partnership with Nokia to bundle AI solutions is a natural alignment. Together, we provide a robust platform that meets the needs of telecommunications and enterprise sectors, enabling them to deploy AI clouds and manage their data efficiently.”
“With Nokia’s automated data fabric and Lenovo’s leading automated compute and storage solutions with industry-leading Neptune liquid cooling technology, enterprises can confidently deploy cutting-edge sustainable infrastructure,” says Charles Ferland, Vice President Edge and Communications Service Providers at Lenovo.
“This collaboration not only generates cost savings but also opens new revenue streams for providers through innovative AI and data consumption models.”
Keeping data secure with AI-led innovation
The telco industry is eager to keep transforming, with companies particularly looking to AI solutions to boost their position in the industry. In fact, McKinsey research indicates that telcos becoming more AI-native is a positive thing, enabling companies to unlock greater revenue growth and US$250bn in value by 2040.
With Lenovo and Nokia integrating their portfolios, they are hoping to enable more seamless automation of AI/ML and compute-intensive workloads. Businesses will be able to access improved observability and programmability, which both companies believe is crucial for adapting to dynamic environments.
Both Nokia and Lenovo portfolios have built-in security solutions that detect and thwart security threats in real-time, which is essential to combat the scale and frequency of cyberattacks. In addition, both companies focus on energy-efficient designs that reduce power consumption and operational costs while promoting sustainability, which remains a key data centre concern.
Being environmentally aware is a critical focus for Nokia, with the company making the critical decision to accelerate their net zero target from 2050 to 2040, aiming for 100% electricity from renewable sources by 2025.
“Our partnership with Lenovo exemplifies Nokia’s commitment to innovation and excellence in data centre solutions. By combining Nokia's Data Center Fabric and Event Driven Automation with Lenovo's ThinkSystem AI portfolio, we deliver a high performance, scalable data centre networking solution designed to efficiently manage and automate AI/ML workloads, with a strong emphasis on security and energy efficiency,” explains Vach Kompella, Senior Vice President and General Manager of IP Networks business at Nokia.
“This collaboration not only enhances the performance and reliability of data centre operations, but also underscores our dedication to providing innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers.
“Together, we are setting new standards in the industry and driving forward the future of data centre technology.”
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