Microsoft acquires startup Affirmed Networks

Earlier today, Microsoft announced that it will be acquiring a startup called Affirmed Networks for an undisclosed amount. The company offers complete virtualized, cloud-native mobile network solutions. Based on Microsoft’s announcement, they intend to integrate the startup’s technology into Microsoft Azure so that the telecom industry will be able to deploy and maintain 5G networks over the cloud instead of using hardware and software. 

One of Affirmed Networks’ services is a virtualized cloud-native network. This service, called Evolved Packet Core (vEPC) enables communication service providers scale the demands of mobile services. They also have a cloud-native 5G platform with a range of orchestration and automation capabilities. As described by Microsoft, the solutions offered by Affirmed Networks allows operators to “simplify network operations, reduce costs, and rapidly create, and launch new revenue-generating services.” The company has been able to assist more than 100 customers throughout the world by helping them move to its model at “70% of the cost of traditional networks.”

With regards to their customers in services like AT&T, Vodafone, and Softbank, Microsoft promises that “there is no change for Affirmed Networks’ customers. The continuity of their business operations is paramount.”  

As more and more service providers race to 5G, the potential for applications seem to be virtually endless. And as carriers rush to upgrade their infrastructure, they can manage their 5G network workloads in the cloud. 

This is where Microsoft wants to step in. They hope to boost the telecom industry’s shift to the cloud with the help of Affirmed Networks’ tech. 

This acquisition will allow us to evolve our work with the telecommunications industry, building on our secure and trusted cloud platform for operators. With Affirmed Networks, we will be able to offer new and innovative solutions tailored to the unique needs of operators, including managing their network workloads in the cloud. Previous generations of wireless networks have been based on purpose-built hardware. We believe that with innovation in software and by making use of broadly available cloud computing platforms like Microsoft Azure, operators can deploy and maintain 5G networks and services more efficiently, more cost effectively, more rapidly, and more securely.