On May 6, 2025, a groundbreaking collaboration was announced between Lumen Technologies and IBM, aiming to revolutionize the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions at the edge of networks. This collaboration seeks to integrate IBM’s watsonx, a comprehensive suite of AI products, with Lumen’s state-of-the-art Edge Cloud infrastructure. The primary goal is to bring real-time AI capabilities closer to the data’s origin, thereby addressing challenges related to cost, latency, and security as more businesses look to scale their AI operations and improve customer experiences.
Lumen Technologies, known for its robust infrastructure offering low-latency, high-throughput capabilities, is at the forefront of this emerging AI economy. By deploying IBM watsonx technology in Lumen’s edge data centers and utilizing Lumen’s multi-cloud architecture, a wide array of industries—including financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail—can process immense data volumes almost instantaneously. This setup minimizes latency, enabling companies to develop and deploy AI models nearer to where data is generated. As a result, businesses can make smarter decisions more swiftly while ensuring data control and security, all while accelerating AI-driven innovations.
Ryan Asdourian, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at Lumen, emphasized the urgency for enterprise leaders not just to experiment with AI but to scale it rapidly, cost-effectively, and securely. He noted that combining IBM’s AI innovation with Lumen’s potent network edge transforms vision into action. This collaboration simplifies the process for businesses to access real-time intelligence, promote innovation, and offer quicker, smarter customer experiences.
Unlocking the Power of AI at the Edge
Lumen’s edge network, characterized by latency under 5 milliseconds and direct connectivity to significant cloud providers and enterprise locations, presents a promising environment for real-time AI processing. When coupled with IBM watsonx, the infrastructure holds the potential to significantly reduce costs and risks associated with relying heavily on public clouds.
IBM Consulting will play a pivotal role as the preferred systems integrator, assisting clients in scaling deployments, reducing expenses, and fully harnessing AI capabilities through their extensive technological, domain, and industry expertise. Adam Lawrence, General Manager of Americas Technology at IBM, highlighted the partnership’s commitment to meeting clients wherever their data resides, bringing enterprise-grade AI and hybrid cloud solutions directly to them. This collaboration will help clients accelerate their AI journeys with enhanced speed, flexibility, and security, fostering new use cases at the edge, such as automated customer service, predictive maintenance, and intelligent supply chains.
AI in Action: Real-World Use Cases
The partnership between Lumen and IBM aims to address contemporary business challenges by transforming AI potential into tangible, impactful outcomes at the edge. For businesses, this means gaining faster insights, lowering operational costs, and charting a smarter course toward digital innovation.
Joint clients of Lumen and IBM will have the opportunity to pilot real-world use cases across various industries such as manufacturing, retail, logistics, and financial services. For example, a leading retailer is working with IBM and Lumen to revolutionize its customer service by enhancing customer data and inventory systems with AI-driven digital assistants and visual inspection tools. Once fully implemented, this initiative is expected to deliver seamless, personalized interactions, resulting in a faster, smarter, and more engaging shopping experience for consumers.
Ryan Asdourian expressed optimism about the collaboration’s potential to redefine AI capabilities at the edge. He noted that the solutions being pursued would enable enterprises to bring AI to their data, maintaining control, compliance, and real-time performance, rather than the reverse.
About Lumen Technologies
Lumen Technologies is dedicated to unlocking the world’s digital potential. They drive business growth by connecting people, data, and applications swiftly, securely, and effortlessly. As a trusted network for AI, Lumen leverages its network’s scale to help companies realize the full potential of AI. From metro connectivity to long-haul data transport to their edge cloud, security, managed service, and digital platform capabilities, Lumen meets customer needs today while preparing them for the future.
About IBM
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI solutions, offering consulting expertise to clients in over 175 countries. The company helps clients derive insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs, and gain a competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of government entities and corporations in critical infrastructure sectors such as financial services, telecommunications, and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift for rapid, efficient, and secure digital transformations. IBM’s groundbreaking innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions, and consulting provide clients with open and flexible options. This is all underpinned by IBM’s long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity, and service.
For more information, visit www.ibm.com.
In conclusion, the collaboration between Lumen Technologies and IBM represents a significant advancement in the deployment of AI solutions at the edge. By bringing real-time AI capabilities closer to data sources, businesses can overcome cost, latency, and security challenges while enhancing customer experiences. This partnership promises to drive innovation, transform industries, and redefine the possibilities of AI at the edge. As industries continue to evolve, the integration of AI with edge computing will likely become an essential component of business strategies, enabling organizations to harness the full potential of their data and create a smarter, more connected world.
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