MADRID — Telefónica unveiled a groundbreaking partnership with Microsoft at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024, announcing the integration of Azure AI Studio into Telefónica Kernel 2.0. Chema Alonso, Chief Digital Officer of Telefónica, revealed the collaboration during his keynote address, alongside Jason Zander, EVP Strategic Missions and Technologies at Microsoft, according to a press release published on EuropaWire.

Telefónica Kernel, a cornerstone of the company’s digital ecosystem, has been enhanced with the incorporation of Azure AI Studio, empowering Telefónica to leverage generative AI within Kernel workflows. Alonso emphasized Kernel’s role as a unified platform for developing new products and services, highlighting its emphasis on identity management, data privacy, and appification.

Recognizing the transformative potential of generative AI, Telefónica is committed to integrating this technology into Kernel to enhance key workflows. By collaborating with Microsoft, Telefónica aims to provide its data scientists with seamless access to generative AI capabilities while ensuring privacy compliance.

In his address, Alonso underscored Telefónica’s commitment to customer privacy, emphasizing Kernel 2.0’s Privacy-by-Design approach. The integration of generative AI into Kernel workflows prioritizes customer privacy, ensuring that data remains protected at all times.

Commenting on the partnership, Jason Zander of Microsoft highlighted the growth opportunities presented by AI for operators. He praised Telefónica’s initiative to centralize AI capabilities within Kernel, enabling comprehensive business transformation and scalable AI deployment.

In addition to the partnership with Microsoft, Telefónica’s involvement in the Azure Programmable Connectivity (APC) service further demonstrates its commitment to innovation. APC simplifies developer access to operator network APIs, facilitating the development of cloud-native mobile applications.

Alonso also showcased Telefónica’s progress with the Open Gateway initiative, highlighting success stories from Brazil and Spain. Partnerships with leading institutions such as Bank Itaú and Vinted demonstrate the tangible impact of Open Gateway APIs in enhancing security and efficiency for businesses and consumers alike.