- Vodafone today runs its network core in a private cloud
- But a rep said it's exploring other options
- The operator has a public multi-cloud strategy when it comes to IT workloads
Like its U.S. counterpart Verizon, Vodafone Group has hitherto opted to run its network workloads in a private rather than public cloud. But that could change.
“For IT, we believe public cloud is the right choice. However, the network has far greater performance expectations, integration, and regulatory challenges to deal with,” a Vodafone representative told Fierce. “Support for network functions on public cloud is less mature, making it less obvious that this is the right evolution path in networks.”
That’s why Vodafone has until now chosen to run its network core and other key functions on its own private cloud infrastructure.
Vodafone Group CTO Scott Petty said during a July 2024 presentation that 70% of its network core ran in the private cloud, with that figure expected to climb to 90% by 2027. He added it was targeting 90% rather than 100% because there just isn’t a business case for refactoring its 2G platforms for the cloud.
But asked for an update on the status of its core network in the cloud, the Vodafone rep noted it is “testing public cloud, and do not rule out using it in the future for some network functions.”
It’s not clear exactly which network functions it plans to move or to what public cloud given it already has partnerships with several different hyperscalers. But what is certain is that Vodafone continues to believe a multi-cloud strategy is the right path, especially in the age of AI.
“It has very much validated our multi-cloud strategy,” the spokesperson explained. “Currently, it is important to keep all options on the table with AI since it is a rapidly evolving landscape and hasn’t yet reached a level of standardization.”
What’s running where
Vodafone’s broader strategy seems to be one of picking the right cloud for the right job.
For back-office systems such as office IT, trouble-ticketing, Intranet and HR, the operator still uses software-as-a-service solutions. But the rep noted its other back-office systems are part of its planned migration to the public cloud under a 10-year partnership deal with Microsoft Azure.
When it comes to data, Vodafone’s large business and operational (i.e. network and IT) data sets live in Google Cloud. That’s so that the operator can “benefit from the advanced analytics and Generative AI capability” that Google offers, the rep stated.
Enterprise resource planning systems are also mostly in Google Cloud and those that aren’t are planned to move as part of its SAP RISE partnership, the rep added. OSS functions also run in an unspecified public cloud as well.
Vodafone also appears to be tinkering on the AWS platform to improve its customer experience, though the representative did not call out any specific work the pair are doing together.
Back in 2024, Petty said during the presentation that about 60% of its IT capabilities were in the cloud at the time and added it was targeting 100% by 2027.
Why public cloud?
Petty said in the keynote that the public cloud is the right place for its IT workloads because usage in that area is “much more lumpy than it is in networks.” The public cloud, he said, has the flexibility and scalability to handle those fluctuation.
The representative told Fierce there are a few other benefits.
“Our experience has shown time-to-market, MTTR (mean time to repair) and volume of serious incidents to be lower in public cloud compared to on-premises solutions,” the rep said.