Private Cloud Returns to Centre Stage as AI and Sovereignty Drive IT Strategy

Why It Matters

CIOs must rethink architecture and operating models to secure sensitive data, control costs, and support AI-native services; telcos and enterprises that adopt hybrid private-cloud platforms can retain sovereignty, optimize AI performance, and open new revenue streams.

Summary

Speakers at Mobile World Congress 2026 said private cloud is reclaiming center stage as AI workloads and data-sovereignty concerns push enterprises—especially telcos—away from public-only models toward hybrid, edge, and colocation deployments. Red Hat and systems integrator Kindra described a practical playbook: automated tools to map legacy apps to optimal destinations, a mix of modernization and targeted migration, and an open-source platform capable of running diverse GPU and model stacks. The partners highlighted using AI to manage private infrastructure and a horizontal cloud approach that lets multiple vendors and third-party apps run on the same stack, enabling faster monetization of telco assets. This shift reflects a move from centralized data centers to distributed, AI-ready private clouds that maintain interoperability with public clouds.

Original Description

At MWC26, Red Hat’s Mike Barrett and Kyndryl’s Enrique Rodriguez explore the resurgence of private cloud in enterprise IT strategy, driven by AI workloads and digital sovereignty requirements. They explore how hybrid cloud architectures enable seamless legacy system modernisation, the evolution from aggressive virtualisation migration to modernisation approaches, and how telcos can leverage edge infrastructure to monetise investments while maintaining consistent experiences from core to cell tower.

Featuring:

- Enrique Rodriguez, VP of Cloud in Iberia, Kyndryl

- Mike Barrett, VP and General Manager, Red Hat Hybrid Platforms

Recorded March 2026

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