Telefónica picks Red Hat for global enterprise reference platform
Multinational telco Telefónica has signed a global agreement with enterprise open-source software vendor Red Hat to use its Mobile Application Platform as the reference platform for Telefónica Business Solutions.
The Red Hat Mobile Application Platform was formally launched last year, incorporating technology from the previous acquisition of FeedHenry, but Telefónica has been collaborating with Red Hat on its Group Enterprise Managed Mobility proposition since 2012. This partnership is designed to improve Telefónica’s ability to help its enterprise customers with their digital transformations and specifically enterprise apps.
“Telefonica’s decision to establish the Red Hat Mobile Application Platform as its reference platform for mobile development aligns with our strategy to deploy multitenant, multi-operator solutions based on open standards,” said Juan Manuel Moreno, Telefonica Business Solutions’ Cloud Director. “Our aim is to help expand our ecosystem of application developers, enable them to reuse code and foster greater cooperation between Telefonica’s operators around the world.”
“Mobile is increasingly finding its place as a catalyst for digital transformation in the enterprise as organizations seek to re-imagine and reinvigorate their business processes to more effectively engage their employees and customers,” Cathal McGloin, VP of Mobile Platforms at Red Hat. “Telefonica is continuing to lead the way as a mobile operator in this market and we are excited to be a part of their journey.”
This announcement comes hot on the heels of Apple announcing another major enterprise partnership as the mobile industry seems to have decided growth from consumer demand has been largely exhausted. Telefónica is especially strong in Latin America where the B2B opportunities for operators may be greater than in Europe. Partnering with Red Hat which, sadly, doesn’t seem to go by the name of Sombrero Rojo in Spanish-speaking countries, could be an efficient way of capitalizing on that opportunity.
