Some of the world’s largest telecom operators – including AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile, Telefónica, Verizon and Vodafone – have recently announced plans to combine and sell network Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) on a global scale to spur innovation in digital services.
Network APIs are the way to easily access, use and pay for network capabilities. The venture will drive implementation and access to common APIs from multiple telecom service providers to a broader ecosystem of developer platforms.
The advanced capabilities of modern mobile networks have been largely inaccessible to developers, and integrating the different capabilities of hundreds of telecom operators is a challenging and impractical task.
This newly formed company will combine network APIs globally, with a vision that new applications will work anywhere and on any network – making it quicker and easier for developers to innovate. It will provide network APIs to a broad ecosystem of developer platforms, including hyperscalers, Communications Platform as a Service Providers and Independent Software Vendors.
“At AT&T, we’ve been creating API tools to empower developers for well over a decade,” celebrates Jeremy Legg, Chief Technology Officer at AT&T. “Now, with a broad-based, interoperable API platform, we’re giving innovators a new global toolbox where the world’s best app developers can create exciting user experiences at scale. This high-performance mobile ecosystem will usher in a new era of greater possibility for customers and mobile users around the world.”
Easily accessible advanced network capabilities will open up the next frontier in app development and empower developers to create new use cases across a range of sectors, including enabling anti-fraud verification for financial transactions and giving streaming providers the ability to dynamically adjust video quality.
Both Vonage and Google Cloud have plans to partner with this new enterprise, providing access to their developer ecosystem and strategic partners. The shareholders in this venture will bring important assets, including platform and network expertise, global telecom operator relationships and knowledge of the developer community.
Built on a deep understanding of developer and enterprise needs and in keeping with the industry-body GSMA Open Gateway principles, the new venture’s platform and partner ecosystem will remain open and non-discriminatory to maximise value creation across the industry.
“This collaboration will drive the GSMA Open Gateway initiative and provide customers with a consistent set of Camara APIs,” says José María Álvarez-Pallete, Chairman & CEO of Telefónica. “Our belief is that this industry movement, which will be open to all networks, can set the stage for unprecedented innovation and value creation for the sector, by unlocking the potential of network capabilities.”
“The new company accelerates our leading work with MagentaBusiness APIs to expose our network capabilities for customers and developers,” adds Tim Höttges, CEO of Deutsche Telekom. We believe that this company will open up new monetization opportunities for the industry. We encourage and look forward to more telecom operators joining us to expand and develop this ecosystem.”
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Source: Deutsche Telekom
