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Three insights into how 5G innovations are transforming the enterprise today

  • Conversations at a recent event at Ericsson's D-15 innovation center showcase how partnerships with technology leaders like Zebra Technologies, T-Mobile, and Softbank are advancing digital transformation through innovative 5G solutions.
  • Discussions highlighted how 5G, edge, and cloud technologies are transforming enterprise connectivity, security, and scalability, enabling businesses to stay competitive and responsive to customer needs.

Head of Enterprise Networking and Security

Three insights into how 5G innovations are transforming the enterprise today

Head of Enterprise Networking and Security

Head of Enterprise Networking and Security

The modern enterprise needs simple, integrated, scalable applications backed by robust connectivity and security. There is a fantastic opportunity to create these solutions through the unique intersection of 5G, edge, and cloud technologies.

Together with our partners from across the technology landscape, we are doing just that: breaking barriers with innovative wireless solutions for our enterprise customers.

Recently, we welcomed industry analysts and partners to our D-15 innovation center in Silicon Valley for a day of in-depth presentations, demos, and discussions. We covered a wide range of topics including programmable networks, network Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), and how we are connecting and empowering enterprises across different industries.

I was proud to host an in-depth discussion with Raghu Ram, Senior Director, Product and Portfolio Management, from our partner Zebra Technologies. Throughout the day, we also took the time to interview some of our partners to get a holistic perspective on the opportunities they see that will accelerate digital transformation. This includes a robust ecosystem of partners that will bring these innovations together.

Connectivity at the enterprise edge with Zebra Technologies

5G connectivity allows enterprises to gain a competitive edge in today’s market. By deploying secure and reliable cellular connectivity, they can quickly respond to – and meet – the changing needs of their customers across the supply chain.

Ram gave us a snapshot of how Enterprises rely on connectivity including cellular both public and private 5G to enable what they call the “frontline of their operations.” This stretches from the warehouse to the retail storefront and all the way to your doorstep. Zebra is transforming the modern enterprise with asset visibility, connected frontline worker tools, and intelligent automation across verticals like retail, transportation & logistics, manufacturing and healthcare, all backed by connectivity technologies, such as Ericsson’s portfolio of wireless WAN routers, private cellular and neutral host solutions.

In discussion with Peter Linder, Ericsson and Raghu Ram, Zebra Technologies

At the event, my colleague Martin Zander also addressed the future of enterprise IT and connectivity with 5G from a different angle. Today, 80 percent of enterprises have a hybrid work model, leading to a range of new considerations. For IT departments, security has become a primary concern, while employees worry more about reliable connectivity and a seamless user experience. We are also seeing an increase in the number of 5G-connected devices, including enterprise laptops, which emphasizes the increasing demand for converged networking and security solutions built with both cellular optimizations and zero trust foundations.

“This is not a tech push but a business transformation,” he said at the event. “With 5G we can provide them with a private network using public resources.”

Putting together the big picture by T-Mobile

Mishka Dehghan, Senior Vice President, T-Mobile Business Group, emphasized how programmable networks can revolutionize industries by providing differentiated, intelligent network services, including network slicing. She discussed T-Mobile's recently launched T-Priority, a new solution that helps ensure best-in-class connectivity and supports a wide range of data-intensive applications.

She also sees an opportunity for CIOs and IT departments to develop a unified technology ecosystem that applies consistent security and management policies across all endpoints. This will enhance support for mobile and hybrid workers operating seamlessly from any location as they roam between Wi-Fi and public and private 5G connectivity.

In conversion with Peter Linder, Ericsson and Mishka Dehghan, T-Mobile

5G bridges networks and device security gaps by SoftBank

Mobile connectivity has made a huge impact on broadband, making it available everywhere to 8 billion people globally.  So, what is next? One near-term opportunity is for communication service providers (CSPs) to increase their scope beyond mobile connectivity and provide a complete solution for connecting knowledge workers in the AI age. Innovations such as 5G network slicing allow for more deterministic connectivity of AI-powered edge applications, as well as additional security for critical workloads.

5G is a great foundation on which to build more complete solutions. In this interview, Ryuji Wakikawa, Vice President and Head of the Research Institute of Advanced Technology at SoftBank Corp., talks about how security can be increased by combining device and network security for knowledge workers and keeping all data protected as enterprises move into the AI age.

In conversion with Peter Linder, Ericsson and Ryuji Wakikawa, SoftBank Corp.

Bottom line

Our conversations showcased how advanced network technologies are already transforming enterprises across industries, making security an even more critical factor in decision-making. Businesses are demanding near-real-time insights and seamless device interoperability. Embracing these innovations is going to be key for organizations to stay agile and competitive while meeting the evolving needs of their customers.

Together with our partners, Ericsson is poised to extend the benefits brought by cellular connectivity to a wide range of industries and use cases across the enterprise frontline. Ericsson provides the robust security and connectivity, along with network programmability, that our partners need to create key applications and devices that enterprises need to succeed in today’s market.

Further reading

You can also read more about the event in this article and learn more about our D-15 experience center.

Please also explore our enterprise offerings and insights.

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