Tata Communications tackles enterprise AI complexity

• Tata Communications has launched an AI-ready infrastructure suite combining multi-cloud networking, edge delivery and orchestration
• The company is positioning the platform as a unified digital fabric to manage AI-driven traffic complexity and fragmented enterprise infrastructure
• Executives say early SaaS deployments are underway with beta customers and revenue potential is emerging

India-based Tata Communications has launched a suite of platforms to address the challenges enterprises face as they start deploying AI at scale. 

The company claims that the three solutions – IZO+ Multi Cloud Network, Edge Distribution Platform, and orchestration layer Threadspan – are designed to integrate network, cloud and cybersecurity to make it simpler and easier for enterprises to manage their digital infrastructure. 

 “As AI deployment scales, it will drive a sharp increase in east-west traffic, communications between machines, clouds and systems, which will create a level of network and systems complexity that many organisations have not yet fully anticipated,” explained AS Lakshminarayanan, managing director and CEO at the Mumbai-based international communications technology giant (and who is set to retire in April).  

“One of the biggest constraints is that today’s digital infrastructure has evolved in fragments over time rather than as a unified architecture. Enterprise environments are typically built by stitching together products from multiple OEM [original equipment manufacturer] vendors, resulting in disconnected technology islands rather than a truly coherent foundation,” he added. This fragmentation not only increases complexity but also leads to an increase in costs and security issues.  

Globally, there has been an increase in the adoption of AI by enterprises. A recent Deloitte survey revealed that 25% of enterprise respondents said their companies have moved 40% or more of their AI experiments into production, but that 54% expect to have more than 40% of AI projects in production within the next three to six months. The report highlights the “proof-of-concept trap” as a key challenge faced by enterprises in adopting AI. 

Tata Communications believes that its new AI-ready suite of platforms addresses such issues. While IZO+ “makes multi-cloud networks work as though you are dealing with one cloud,” EDP is designed to address the latency issue while ensuring security. 

On the other hand, Threadspan provides a single-pane view of hybrid and multivendor networks. “Threadspan brings it all together because it not only offers visibility and observability but also allows the enterprises to configure and manage, which makes it probably the first of its kind in the world,” said Lakshminarayanan. 

Together, the company believes the three platforms will help the enterprises set the “AI foundation to connect, protect and control”. 

“All three products have been in the market for around two months and are already in use by beta customers,” stated Bhaskar Gorti, executive VP for cloud and cybersecurity services at Tata Communications. “These are all SaaS [software-as-a-service] offerings, so the ability to deliver and to show business results is very good… we are very excited about the revenue potential of these three products,” added Gorti. 

Globally, Tata Communications faces competition from several players, including Orange Business, Verizon Business and AT&T, among others, in the enterprise connectivity and multi-cloud networking space. 

- Gagandeep Kaur, Contributing Editor, TelecomTV