With MWC Barcelona happening this week at the Fira Gran Via, Ariana Lynn, Principal Analyst at The Fast Mode spoke to Ramesh Kaza, President and Chief Commercial Officer at Shabodi on the company's participation at the event.
Ariana: What are some of the key themes of this year's MWC?
Ramesh: We anticipate network monetization, generative AI, Private 5G, and open-source initiatives will be among the overarching themes at MWC Barcelona 2024. We are looking forward to having discussions about how to:
- Transform MNO and other advanced networks into intelligent digital assets;
- Enable developers to create applications that operate seamlessly across multi-network, multi-operator, and multi-vendor environments;
- Leverage AI to enhance the user experience, increase automation, and optimize radio resources to reduce power consumption and drive greater sustainability;
- Use CAMARA, other open-source standards, and application enablement platforms to accelerate the development of network-aware applications that will drive MNO monetization;
- Provide enterprises, from manufacturing and mining to ports and governments, with intelligent connectivity solutions that streamline business operations and increase ROI on Private 5G investments.
Ariana: What are some of the events that Shabodi has lined up? Any showcases?
Ramesh: Some of the events we have lined up are:
- Open-Source Support – Shabodi announced the first enterprise-reference implementation of the Linux Foundation’s CAMARA APIs. Shabodi’s Enterprise CAMARA API reference implementation will allow an enterprise application to work across public and private 5G networks, leveraging network capabilities like quality on demand (QoD), device location, device security, and more. For more information, visit Shabodi (Canadian Pavilion, Stand #7G61).
- VMware and Shabodi Collaboration – Shabodi collaborated with VMware on a compelling solution to monetize MNO investments through industrial use cases by leveraging API metering through network API exposure. The solution will accelerate use-case monetization and optimize application performance. For more information, visit VMware (Hall3, Stand 3M11).
- Network-Aware Computer Vision with OpenVINO Toolkit – Shabodi, as a part of Intel’s Partnership Alliance program, is making applications built using Intel’s OpenVINO Toolkit network-aware to address high-demand enterprise use cases such as smart video surveillance, drone operation, collaborative robotics, etc. Visit Intel (Hall 3 Stand 3E31) for more information.
Ariana: What's the outlook for telecoms, specifically the mobile industry in the next 12 months?
Ramesh: MNOs, MVNOs, and cable providers are under pressure to reverse the downward trajectory of profit margins. MNOs are seeking to reverse this trend by offering fixed wireless access (FWA) and 5G services to homes. Concurrently, Google, Amazon, and other over-the-top content providers are delivering internet connectivity and other advanced services to consumers, putting greater pressure on all network service providers. To increase network monetization, telcos will need to be more agile to deliver high-demand solutions to enterprise customers. This will require moving to a platform business model that opens up network services via APIs and provides a developer marketplace that will build a strong partner ecosystem.
