Verizon Business has unveiled Verizon AI Connect, an integrated suite of solutions and products designed to enable businesses to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) workloads at scale. According to the American telco, the launch comes as demand for computational power and real-time AI decision-making surges, with McKinsey projecting that 60-70 percent of AI workloads will shift to real-time inferencing by 2030.
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Verizon AI Connect
To meet current and future demand from hyperscalers, cloud providers and global enterprises, Verizon announced on Friday that it is building to power the AI ecosystem with reimagined existing infrastructure, including its 5G network, fiber, edge compute environments and space, power, and cooling infrastructure. These assets form the backbone of Verizon AI Connect, designed to deliver low-latency connectivity and reliable compute resources.
"We are seeing significant demand for reliable network infrastructure that can support existing AI workloads," said Kyle Malady, CEO of Verizon Business. "As the technology evolves, our industry leadership, best-in-class edge-to-cloud connectivity, programmable network and assets will enable us to meet these needs and accelerate innovation."
Early Adopters of AI Connect
Verizon said Google Cloud and Meta are already leveraging its additional capacity to support their AI workloads and are early adopters of Verizon solutions.
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Strategic Partnerships Strengthen Ecosystem
In addition, Verizon announced it is expanding its AI ecosystem through key partnerships and collaborations. These include:
- Nvidia: Working to integrate GPU-based edge platforms into 5G private networks.
- Vultr: Partnering with Vultr to provide GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) and cloud computing solutions.
- Google Cloud: Collaborating on AI-driven network maintenance and performance optimisation.
"Verizon and Google Cloud have also collaborated on advanced AI solutions for network maintenance and anomaly detection, showcasing the power of AI to optimise network performance and predict potential issues," Verizon said.
- Meta: Expanding an existing partnership to focus on advanced network infrastructure for AI.
Verizon and Meta have an existing partnership across numerous products, technologies, and business units. Now, Verizon AI Connect will expand this partnership into network infrastructure, which the American telco described as a differentiator for both companies in helping to build the AI ecosystem.
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AI in Telecom Networks
"Verizon provides a robust network infrastructure that can support demanding AI workloads," said Bikash Koley, VP of Google Global Networking and Infrastructure. "With Verizon's advanced network capabilities, we can accelerate the development and deployment of AI solutions. Verizon will benefit from these solutions by leveraging Google Cloud’s AI and data platform to transform its customer, employee and network experience."
"As we continue to deliver critical infrastructure for our apps and technologies, we're strengthening our network with AI and the future in mind. This means partnering with Verizon to build and operate networks that support our existing services, while accelerating more intelligent and predictive capabilities that will serve the people that use our products," said Gaya Nagarajan, VP of Network Infrastructure at Meta.
"Telecom networks are uniquely positioned to provide a distributed AI infrastructure that meets enterprise needs," said Ronnie Vasishta, Senior Vice President of Telecom at Nvidia. "Nvidia AI and accelerated computing, integrated with Verizon's network, allows enterprises to easily adopt AI-powered services at scale."
"GPUs play a crucial role in powering AI workloads, and rapidly growing demand for real-time inference is driving the need for AI infrastructure at the edge," said J J Kardwell, CEO of Vultr. "With demand for data centers and GPU processing power outpacing supply, Verizon's connectivity infrastructure is uniquely positioned to support our growth. Through Verizon AI Connect, we can extend our global cloud footprint and bring cutting-edge AI solutions to Verizon Business' global customers."
