Europe’s biggest operator and its subsidiary T-Systems are keen to be seen as the portal to Office 365 and Azure services for firms of all sizes.
The new deal is an extension of the existing one between Microsoft and Deutsche Telekom (DT).
Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of DT’s T-Systems division (pictured) said, “We have agreed on the framework for joint strategic growth with our long-term partner Microsoft. We are delighted. This partnership will enable us to enhance services for our customers. We will also be supporting each other with digitalisation and network build-out.”
Cloud migration
The seven-year deal that brings together Microsoft’s cloud and AI capabilities and Deutsche Telekom’s carrier grade networks and services – including its cloud migration framework. The agreement will also see DT adopt Microsoft Azure as part of its ongoing strategy to migrate the majority of its internal IT workloads to the public cloud by 2025.
To show what their partnership can achieve, the two have launched a project to equip schools in Germany with the infrastructure and applications they need to facilitate remote learning.
It includes Microsoft’s suite of collaboration and productivity apps – presumably it will also encourage pupils to use these products in later life.
Closer integration
T-Systems is involved as “closer integration will enable it to offer enterprises a premium Azure experience, enabling it to play an important role in the ecosystem.
“Meanwhile, Microsoft’s cloud business gets the benefit of Deutsche Telekom’s enterprise sales channel – helping it to compete with the likes of Amazon Web Services. It also represents a significant customer win,” the press statement said.