Mangata Networks, a global company offering satellite-enabled connectivity & intelligent edge computing solutions, has signed a partnership with Microsoft aimed at developing an AI-enabled edge cloud product connected via satellite.
This partnership represents a long-term commitment between Mangata Networks and Microsoft, marking the beginning of a sustained collaborative journey aimed at continuously advancing cloud technology through innovative satellite connectivity.
Mangata will provide seamless connectivity and intelligent cloud computing services around the globe, bringing the benefits of Azure innovation anywhere in the world.
The network is powered by a multi-orbit constellation of HEO (highly elliptical orbit) and MEO (medium Earth orbit) satellites and a terrestrial network of edge data centers.
Brian Holz, CEO of Mangata Networks, said: “We are thrilled to develop this transformative product in strategic collaboration with Microsoft, further enriching the Microsoft commercial marketplace ecosystem. Microsoft’s direct sales channels will play a crucial role in scaling our innovative solutions to enterprises globally.
“Our offering is not just a product but an all-encompassing network, infrastructure, platform, and software service. With capacity bundled into the service, we provide a seamless, integrated SLA that simplifies the adoption of our services for customers. This is more than a partnership; it is a long-term alliance set to redefine how enterprises leverage the cloud and intelligent edge compute.”
A core element of the partnership is a deep commitment to innovation, where Mangata Networks will collaborate with Microsoft and execute against an integrated Edge-to-Space-to-Cloud product roadmap.
Leveraging Microsoft’s generative AI and data analytics capabilities, Mangata will, in close collaboration with Microsoft, re-imagine the entire product innovation lifecycle. These efforts will include integrating AI capabilities end-to-end; from customer and partner feedback and requirements definition through to how we roadmap, create, code, test, deploy, run, and support customer solutions. This initiative will result in delivering Azure adaptive cloud solutions, specifically designed to address unique and complex business problems at the edge, enabling and accelerating customer outcomes in a culturally sensitive way.
Mangata’s managed service will extend the geographical reach and functionality of Azure adaptive cloud. These collaborative solutions will deliver an array of innovative features, including AI-enhanced network routing at the edge, remote bandwidth optimisation, workload management, real-time data processing, digital twin support, advanced satellite backhaul management, end-to-end cloud-edge IoT applications, 5G integration standardisation, and multivendor sub-system integration (for example, ORAN and RAN-based equipment).
The Mangata and Microsoft solution using Azure will be made available through the Azure Marketplace, offering end-to-end application-level Service Level Agreements (SLA) with bundled connectivity. This comprehensive approach ensures a seamless experience for users seeking advanced and integrated solutions. Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will position Mangata as an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) on the Azure platform. This move will empower Mangata’s growth trajectory, with Microsoft providing substantial support in terms of technology, resources, engineering, as well as go-to-market backing.
With powerful edge compute and data management capabilities, customers can process data where it is created, reducing latency and time-to-insight by hosting advanced analytics and AI-inferencing at the edge. Valuable data, previously discarded due to lack of available bandwidth, can now be sent to cloud services like Microsoft Fabric, an end-to-end, unified analytics platform that brings together all the data and analytics tools organisations need -where it can be used to train and retrain AI models- to yield deeper operational insights.
For highly regulated organisations and governments, and for geographies with strict data sovereignty rules, applications can process sensitive data at the edge, keeping it within national or regional boundaries and only sending what is allowed to the public cloud.
Mitra Azizirad, president and COO, for growth, innovation and strategy, Microsoft Strategic Missions and Technologies, said: “In collaboration with Mangata, we look forward to delivering an end-to-end Cloud and Edge platform to enterprise and government customers. This platform will enable business and mission critical applications anywhere with committed availability through satellite connectivity. Mangata will leverage Microsoft’s portfolio of Microsoft Azure Space and Azure for Operators to run their satellites’ constellation and edge platform. This collaboration is key for our continued commitment to empower our customers with intelligent, secure, and resilient technology.”
This collaboration is set to address critical challenges on a global scale related to sovereign state requirements, enterprise innovation, maritime and digital ocean transformation, data gravity, and telecommunications access and capacity needs. Mangata’s mission to empower the exchange of knowledge through global connectivity and to revolutionise access to the digital economy aligns with the Airband Initiative, a collaboration between Microsoft and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) focused on closing the global digital divide by bringing internet access to all.
The pilot phase of the pre-integrated solutions in customer trial networks is scheduled to commence in the late 2nd quarter of 2024, ahead of Mangata’s planned constellation launch.
This initiative is poised to revolutionise the way businesses and governments worldwide harness the power of edge cloud connectivity through satellite technology. Together, Microsoft and Mangata will create a new platform for highly reliable, scalable, and robust IoT and SCADA applications at the edge, all connected to and managed by Azure. The collaboration marks a significant step toward a more connected, intelligent, and accessible future. This collaboration is not just a milestone but a starting point for a long-term journey between Mangata Networks and Microsoft, where both entities are committed to a lasting partnership that evolves with technological advancements.
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