Dell reaching out to comms channel to get to the edge

Partners that tuned into Dell World in May will have heard plenty of talk from the vendor’s senior executives about the importance of the edge and how much growth will come from that side of the market.

Dell has taken steps to make sure that it’s not just the data channel that has that message on board, with a move to get telco partners up to speed with the edge opportunity.

The firm is promoting a partner ecosystem approach to make sure that telecom operators have the access to the support they will need to modernise networks and to tap into edge and 5G-driven revenue growth.

Dell is aiming to promote high levels of interaction by taking an an open approach to the ecosystem by inviting infrastructure and comms service providers into it, with the support of an innovation lab.

In his keynote at Dell World, Michael Dell, CEO of the tech giant, quoted figures about the expected growth in edge computing spending over the next few years, indicating that significant investments were going to be made in that area.

Dennis Hoffman, senior vice-president and general manager of telecom systems business at Dell Technologies, said: “Telecom companies need ways to mitigate the risks and complexities associated with evolving their network infrastructure.

“An open, cloud-native approach is the answer to quickly capture this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and move beyond the hype of 5G to the reality of a resilient next-generation network that creates more opportunities for operators, industries of all kinds and communities around the world,” he added.

Dell is reaching out to comms service providers and is being bullish about the benefits of choosing to work with the firm, underlining the muscle it will be bringing to the ecosystem approach, pointing out the existing size of its partner base, which includes coverage of more than 170 countries.

Daryl Schoolar, practice lead at market watchers Omdia, agreed that this was the moment when the comms channel could talk to customers about their future plans.

“Network operators are making critical investments in updating their networks for 5G and re-evaluating their legacy systems,” he said.

“As communication networks disaggregate, an open ecosystem of hardware and software vendors is forming to support this transformation. Communications service providers [CSPs] need strategic partners to help organise the ecosystem, provide validated solutions and take responsibility for deployment and operating outcomes.

“With its experience in digital transformation, IT infrastructure and services, and it global network of partners, we are seeing Dell make significant investments in being this missing link supporting CSPs as they build modern mobile communications networks,” he added.