Kyndryl inks networking contract with Nokia to automate factories

Kyndryl Hldgs, IBM’s former infrastructure services business, has inked a contract with Nokia to help factories automate by introducing artificial intelligence and cloud computing over wireless networks.

By consolidating the wireless equipment and services of Nokia with the consulting, managed, and design services of Kyndryl, the firms intend to enhance the product manufacturing and distribution of enterprises with the help of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and IoT.

The companies also intend to further develop services for IP networking, edge cloud, fixed access, optics, network operations software, and network core for industrial environments.

After spinning off from IBM in November, Kyndryl started developing its business of wireless network and has already inked contracts with cloud providers like Microsoft and Google’s Alphabet.

The company’s separation from IBM was crucial as it was challenging to announce huge collaborations with firms that would be considered as competitors to IBM, according to the Global Practice Leader of Kyndryl Paul Savill.

Certainly, private 5G networks provide businesses with high-speed connections as they do not share bandwidth. This makes it perfect for implementing technologies like robotics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.

Private wireless networks remain a crucial area of focus for Nokia, its competitors, and every IT vendor in the enterprise sector. The RAN (radio access network) vendor increased from 260 private wireless customers in 2020 to nearly 420 customers by the end of 2021, showcasing a year-on-year increase of 61.5%.

The Digital Automation Cloud application platform of the Finnish company plays a crucial role in the consolidated offering. The platform addresses operational technology as well as private wireless connectivity needs in industrial sectors like ports, logistics, manufacturing, mining, utilities, among others.

Nokia, which has its collaborations and is striving to provide 5G gear, has over 400 customers and it sought to jointly target the 4,000 business customers of Kyndryl. The company has been working with many automakers like Volkswagen along with several container ports, automating mines, and wind farms.

Source credit:

https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/ibm-spinoff-kyndryl-signs-beachhead-networking-deal-with-nokia-2022-02-17/