Microsoft to acquire Affirmed Networks, the industry leader in the virtualization of mobile networks

Microsoft today announced that is has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Affirmed Networks, the industry leader in the virtualization of mobile networks. 100+ telecom operators in over 80 countries around the world have deployed Affirmed’s NFV solutions to deliver 5G services, including mobile broadband, IoT, carrier-grade Wi-Fi roaming, connected cars, and more. Affirmed solutions enable operators achieve as much as a 90% reduction in operational costs through virtualization. With the acquisition of Affirmed Networks, Microsoft can offer new solutions tailored to the unique needs of telecom operators, including managing their network workloads in the cloud.

Until now, most of the wireless networks have been based on purpose-built hardware. With the fully virtualized cloud-native solutions from Affirmed Networks and globally available cloud computing platform Microsoft Azure, telecom operators can deploy and maintain 5G networks and services in a most efficient manner.

“We look forward to building on the great work by Affirmed Networks with its leadership in virtualized mobile networks. Bringing this technology and team of experts into Microsoft allows us to extend our cloud offering to operators everywhere as they increasingly look to run their networks in a hybrid environment. We’re excited about our future together where carriers will be able to better leverage Microsoft’s cloud to improve overall profitability and create new revenue streams,” wrote Yousef Khalidi, Corporate Vice President, Azure Networking.

“Our customers have been our best champions, betting on us, and thereby showing a remarkable commitment to innovation and disruption. Working together, we have created a model for mobile networks of the future that is open, cloud-native and capable of being web-scale, all at 70% of the cost of traditional networks. We have been their partner of choice as they prepare for fifth generation (5G) networks and infrastructure. Now, the combined technologies of Microsoft and Affirmed will further accelerate this momentous shift,” wrote Anand Krishnamurthy, President & CEO, Affirmed Networks.

Source: Microsoft, Affirmed