A Vendor’s Point of View

Why It Matters

Embedding DevOps and automation at design time is essential for telcos to achieve scalable, reliable cloud‑native networks, directly impacting service agility and cost efficiency.

Key Takeaways

• Cloud‑native transformation is inevitable; focus shifts from “if” to “how.”
• Telco networks require mission‑critical, real‑time, distributed cloud solutions, not generic IT stacks.
• DevOps and automation must be embedded in design, not added post‑deployment.
• Operator adoption lags due to siloed teams, end‑to‑end visibility, and legacy complexity.
• Boost Mobile, Deutsche Telekom pilots show swaps and AI‑driven operations using DevOps.

Summary

The discussion, led by Wind River’s Nola Marziliano, centers on the telco industry’s inevitable shift toward cloud‑native networks. While the question of whether to cloudify has been settled, operators now grapple with how to manage real‑time, mission‑critical services from the core to the far edge, a requirement that generic enterprise cloud solutions cannot meet. Key insights highlight that cloud‑native adoption is not merely about deploying Kubernetes containers; it demands a design‑first approach that embeds DevOps, automation, and AI‑driven analytics. Operators must ensure deterministic, zero‑touch operations and data protection from day zero, rather than retrofitting these capabilities later. Concrete examples reinforce the argument: Wind River’s OS powered NASA’s Artemis 2 mission, Boost Mobile swapped a vendor in three months thanks to cloud‑native design, and Deutsche Telekom’s German cloud core demonstrates horizontal, decoupled architecture with integrated DevOps. AI‑based predictive operations further illustrate the move from reactive to proactive network management. The implications are clear: telcos must break down silos, embed automation early, and collaborate with vendors to retire legacy constraints. Failure to do so risks fragmented “cloud islands” and unsustainable upgrade cycles, while successful integration promises faster service rollout, cost efficiencies, and a path toward fully autonomous networks.

Original Description

Nicola Marziliano, VP International Telco Sales, WindRiver

This session is sponsored by www.windriver.com