NTT, ServiceNow to provide private 5G solutions in SaaS model

London-based technology services company NTT data has partnered with cloud-based workplace automation platform ServiceNow to create an Artificial Intelligence-backed workflow management and service automation platform specifically on private 5G networks.  

Private 5G refers to a mobile network similar to public 5G, but differs in the sense that it allows the owner to provide licensing or priority access to their wireless spectrum.

The partnership will help enterprises to utilise solutions from NTT and ServiceNow to streamline and integrate private 5G networks, building on NTTs recently launched platform the P5G, its private 5G as-a-service offering launched in August last year. NTT said that it will help clients shorten their time to market and provide a better service management experience.  

5G as –a-service is similar to network-as-a-service offerings, providing basic SaaS benefits of not having high initial investments into a private 5G network.  

The industry specific pre-built workflows of ServiceNow could naturally compliment NTT’s P5G network capabilities, this could provide faster deployment times for enterprises.  

“Private 5G cannot operate as a silo divorced from other digital workflows. Using proven and familiar management tools, enterprises can accelerate and de-risk their digital transformation while gaining deeper insights about their business,” said Camille Mendler, Chief Analyst, Service Provider Enterprise at Omdia. 

Enterprises traditionally did not bank on network centric technologies such as mobility, IoT and cloud but now the network has become central to all technology deployments, the partnership aims to bridge the gap between existing workflows of companies from specific industries and private 5G workflows.

“ServiceNow will bring new use cases empowered by secure private 5G connectivity in a turn-key, ‘as-a-service’ consumption model,” said Eric Clark, Chief Digital and Strategy Officer at NTT Data Services.