Dell launches AI for Telecom program to boost AI adoption

Dell Technologies today announced the launch of the Dell AI for Telecom program. This initiative is part of the wider Dell AI Factory framework and aims to simplify and accelerate the deployment of AI solutions for communications service providers (CSPs). The program integrates Dell's AI expertise, infrastructure and services with software and silicon from various partners within the AI ecosystem.

The announcement comes in the wake of a MeriTalk study commissioned by Dell Technologies, which revealed that 48% of telecom executives view AI as the industry's most transformative technology for the next five years. However, 68% of respondents acknowledged that their organisations are struggling to keep pace with rapid technological advances and evolving customer needs.

The newly launched program seeks to address these challenges by developing and deploying on-premises AI solutions. These solutions aim to enhance network performance, improve customer service, and offer greater value at the enterprise edge. Dennis Hoffman, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Telecom Systems Business at Dell Technologies, stated, "Capitalising on the multiple opportunities presented by AI has become the most compelling driver of network cloud transformation. Dell AI for Telecom brings together Dell's AI expertise and infrastructure, with partners across the ecosystem, to help network operators implement AI solutions in and on the network that reduce OPEX, improve performance and create new edge revenue opportunities."

A major aspect of this initiative includes an extended collaboration with NVIDIA. The two companies will work together to co-create and validate AI solutions for CSPs using Dell PowerEdge servers, NVIDIA GPUs, and enterprise-grade AI software. The collaboration aims to enhance customer care, improve network maintenance, automate call centre operations, conduct network troubleshooting, and develop digital twins for networks.

Additionally, the two companies are focused on facilitating AI deployments at the telecom network's edge using the PowerEdge XR8000 server equipped with NVIDIA L4 Tensor Core GPUs. These servers are designed for telecom and edge use cases, providing compact, scalable, and modular solutions that simplify deployment and maintenance. The collaboration also aims to assist CSPs in designing and deploying GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) offerings, allowing them to provide on-demand NVIDIA GPU capacity for enterprise customers, which can unlock new revenue opportunities and offer low latency AI inference and training near data sources.

Dell Technologies is collaborating with several network operators to accelerate AI adoption and innovation. In Indonesia, Lintasarta has introduced GPU Merdeka, a GPUaaS, which utilises Dell PowerEdge XE9680 servers and NVIDIA GPUs to provide AI infrastructure for national businesses. Gidion Suranta Barus, Chief Cloud Officer at Lintasarta, said, "As part of our collaboration with Dell Technologies and NVIDIA, Lintasarta will provide GPU-as-a-Service (Deka GPU) with Dell AI infrastructure and NVIDIA GPUs for national businesses, providing them access to the latest AI capabilities tailored for high-demand computing tasks."

Further afield, Dell is partnering with South Korea's SK Telecom to create an AI chat agent for CSPs. This effort is part of a broader initiative to integrate AI into existing business support systems (BSS) to improve telecom business operations, drive revenue growth, and swiftly address customer issues. Haisung Kwon, Head of MNO AI Platforms at SK Telecom, remarked, "The creation of the Mobile Network Operator (MNO) AI Platform signifies a pivotal step in integrating AI into existing business support systems (BSS). Through our collaboration with Dell Technologies, we aim to accelerate AI adoption and innovation to deliver superior service and value to our customers."

Ronnie Vasishta, Senior Vice President for Telecom at NVIDIA, added, "Telecom networks provide a critical fabric to bring AI applications to consumers and enterprises at scale. With NVIDIA's AI suite, Dell is accelerating the adoption of AI factories, AI-powered operations and AI-RAN in telecom, as well as helping communications service providers apply these technologies to augment their own network operations and enhance customer experiences."

Additionally, Anthony Goonetilleke, Group President of Technology and Head of Strategy at Amdocs, commented, "Our collaboration with Dell Technologies uses the Dell AI Factory and Amdoc's amAIz platform to deliver AI solutions that will transform business operations for communications service providers and accelerate GenAI adoption."

The AI solutions with Amdocs, Iternal, Kinetica, and Synthefy, along with the PowerEdge XR8000 server with NVIDIA L4 Tensor Core GPUs, are available immediately.