- Lumen's Private Connectivity Fabric℠ expands Microsoft's
network capacity and capability to support rising demand on
datacenters.
- Microsoft Azure to further accelerate Lumen's
enterprise-wide digital transformation and drive AI initiatives
across the organization and save tens of millions of
dollars.
DENVER and REDMOND,
Wash., July 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/
-- Today, Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) and Microsoft
Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) announced a new strategic partnership that
will use the Microsoft Cloud to further drive Lumen's digital
transformation. In addition, Microsoft has chosen Lumen to expand
its network capacity and capability to meet the growing demand on
its datacenters due to AI.
A network for the AI era
Datacenters have become critical infrastructure that power the
compute capabilities for the millions of people and organizations
who rely on and trust the Microsoft Cloud. Microsoft is playing the
leading role in ushering in the era of AI, offering tools and
platforms like Azure OpenAI Service, Microsoft Copilot and others
to help people be more creative, more productive and to help solve
some of humanity's biggest challenges. As Microsoft continues to
evolve and scale its ecosystem, it is turning to Lumen as a
strategic supplier for its network infrastructure needs and is
investing with Lumen to support its next generation of applications
for Microsoft platform customers worldwide.
Lumen's Private Connectivity Fabric℠ is a custom network that
includes dedicated access to existing fiber in the Lumen network,
the installation of new fiber on existing and new routes, and the
use of Lumen's new digital services. This AI-ready infrastructure
will strengthen the connectivity capabilities between Microsoft's
datacenters by providing the network capacity, performance,
stability and speed that customers need as data demands
increase.
"AI is reshaping our daily lives and fundamentally changing how
businesses operate," said Erin
Chapple, corporate vice president of Azure Core Product and
Design, Microsoft. "We are focused both on the impact and
opportunity for customers relative to AI today, and a generation
ahead when it comes to our network infrastructure. Lumen has the
network infrastructure and the digital capabilities needed to help
support Azure's mission in creating a reliable and scalable
platform that supports the breadth of customer workloads—from
general purpose and mission-critical, to cloud-native,
high-performance computing, and AI, plus what's on the horizon. Our
work with Lumen is emblematic of our investments in our own cloud
infrastructure, which delivers for today and for the long term to
empower every person and every organization on the planet to
achieve more."
"We are preparing for a future where AI is the driving force of
innovation and growth, and where a powerful network infrastructure
is essential for companies to thrive," said Kate Johnson, president and CEO, Lumen
Technologies. "Microsoft has an ambitious vision for AI and this
level of innovation requires a network that can make it reality.
Lumen's expansive network meets this challenge, with unique routes,
unmatched coverage, and a digital platform built to give companies
the flexibility, access and security they need to create an
AI-enabled world."
Accelerating growth through innovation and
partnership
Lumen has launched an enterprise-wide transformation to simplify
and optimize its operations. By embracing Microsoft's cloud and AI
technology, Lumen can reduce its overall technology costs, remove
legacy systems and silos, improve its offerings, and create new
solutions for its global customer base. Lumen will migrate and
modernize its workloads to Microsoft Azure, use Microsoft Entra
solutions to safeguard access and prevent identity attacks and
partner with Microsoft to create and deliver new telecom
industry-specific solutions. This element alone is expected to
improve Lumen's cash flow by more than $20
million over the next 12 months while also improving the
company's customer experience.
"Azure's advanced global infrastructure helps customers and
partners quickly adapt to changing economic conditions, accelerate
technology innovation, and transform their business with AI," said
Chapple. "We are committed to partnering with Lumen to help deliver
on their transformation goals, reimagine cloud connectivity and AI
synergies, drive business growth, and help customers achieve
more."
This collaboration expands upon the longstanding relationship
between Lumen Technologies and Microsoft. The companies have worked
together for several years, with Lumen leveraging Copilot to
automate routine tasks and reduce employee workloads and enhance
Microsoft Teams.
About Lumen Technologies
Lumen connects the world. We are igniting business growth by
connecting people, data, and applications – quickly, securely, and
effortlessly. Everything we do at Lumen takes advantage of our
network strength. From metro connectivity to long-haul data
transport to our edge cloud, security, and managed service
capabilities, we meet our customers' needs today and as they build
for tomorrow. For news and insights visit news.lumen.com,
LinkedIn: /lumentechnologies, Twitter: @lumentechco,
Facebook: /lumentechnologies,
Instagram: @lumentechnologies and
YouTube: /lumentechnologies.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT"
@microsoft) creates platforms and tools powered by AI to deliver
innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers.
The technology company is committed to making AI available broadly
and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every person
and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
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SOURCE Lumen Technologies