Telstra will deploy 21,000 Copilot generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) licenses in Australia, while Microsoft in turn will buy capacity on the telco incumbent's Intercity Fibre Network (IFN)- to allow the latter extend its AI infrastructure in the country.
The 21,000 Copilot for Microsoft 365 licenses at Telstra are to help employees adapt and thrive in an AI-fuelled future. It is, Telstra said, the largest such deployment in Australia and of the biggest at any global telco.
Telstra said in February this year it would expand the use of GenAI internally for front-line teams, following successful pilots of the technology with 300 early adopters using it to summarise meetings and generate first drafts of content.
Triallists reported that they saved between one to two hours of time a week, with nine out of ten saying Copilot improved their experience at work.
AI has also been deployed to front line staff in the form of AskTelstra for access to internal knowledge bases, and One Sentence Summary to provide concise customer histories and statuses.
On its part, Microsoft has signed up for the first IFN routes, and engaged Telstra's InfraCo, in a strategic deal to deliver enhanced connectivity solutions within Australia for further customer AI capabilities.
"By extending our AI infrastructure, we can continue supporting our customers and partners as they unlock new opportunities and realise meaningful business value with AI," Microsoft's chief commercial officer Judson Althoff said.
The IFN has more than 1800 kilometres of fibre laid across the country, Telstra said.
Telstra and Microsoft are in the second year of a five-year collaboration deal to drive growth and value for customers and Australia.
Source: https://www.crn.com.au/news/telstra-and-microsoft-strike-ai-oriented-partnership-deal-610572