In the past year, Google Cloud focused on bringing one of its newest products to finance customers, winning over customers like KeyBank and HSBC. Now, it's tackling another big industry: telecommunications.
About a year ago, Google Cloud announced Anthos, which lets customers run their applications not only on Google Cloud, but also in private data centers and in other rival clouds like Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services.
Now on Thursday, Google Cloud announced a new strategy specially made to help telecommunications companies. Google Cloud plans to work with telecommunications companies like AT&T to build a set of 5G products and a cloud platform for developing network applications.
Google Cloud is also partnering with the IT companies Amdocs and Netcracker to help move telecommunications companies to its cloud. And finally, Google Cloud announced Anthos for Telecom, which allows telecommunications companies to run their applications on the cloud or in private data centers.
"This is perfect timing for us on Google Cloud and Anthos to collaborate with telecom operators," Eyal Manor, vice president of engineering Google Cloud, told Business Insider.
'They want to modernize'
Manor says that although Google Cloud had been working with telecommunications companies for years, he heard from these customers that they wanted to modernize their technology and use the latest cloud services. It's in line with previous comments from Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian, who has spoken about a stronger focus on products and services specific for certain industries.
"[Telecom companies] want to modernize," Manor said. "They want to provide new differentiated services side by side with the 5G investment wave. They thought Anthos and containers were a good way to work together and bring those new experiences."
Through its partnership with AT&T, customers can use Google Cloud's products, including its data and artificial intelligence features, along with AT&T's network connectivity and 5G technology. That way, telecommunications companies can process and analyze data in real time and provide better customer service, the company says.
"We strive to bring the best of cloud, fully managed to IT and anywhere," Manor said.
Google Cloud is currently testing how its new product can be used for industries like retail, manufacturing, and transportation. For example, Manor says it can make it easier to stream mobile games, connect manufacturing machines over the Internet, and other uses that would benefit from a more efficient network connection.
Anthos for Telecom is not yet generally available, but Manor says Google Cloud is working with its partners to launch it, and it will launch an exact timeline in the future.
"We want to make sure we have the right solution for the customer and customer's customer in the coming months," Manor said.
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