微软与Lumen科技正扩大合作，联合向在Azure上运行AI的公司销售网络。Lumen计划将其完整的云网络产品线引入Azure。未提供数字或日期。
Microsoft and Lumen Technologies are expanding their partnership to jointly sell networking to companies running AI on Azure. Lumen plans to bring its full cloud networking range to Azure. No figures or dates were given.
微软与Lumen科技周一表示，将联合向将AI工作迁移至Azure的大型公司销售网络。
Microsoft and Lumen Technologies will jointly sell networking to large companies moving their AI work onto Azure, the two firms said on Monday.
他们的卖点是，AI需要来自公共云、私有数据中心和办公场所等多个地点的数据。这些地点之间的网络往往不够完善，因此两家公司希望客户同时规划网络和迁移至Azure。
Their pitch is that AI needs data from many places, such as public clouds, private data centres and offices. The networks linking them are often patchy, so the firms want customers to plan the network and the move to Azure at the same time.
Lumen是一家美国光纤网络运营商，计划将其完整的云网络工具引入Azure。其销售团队将与微软合作，处理网络、云迁移和AI交叉的交易。AI也提升了对光纤网络的需求，网络设备制造商Ciena称其几乎难以满足。
Lumen, a US fibre network operator, plans to bring its full range of cloud networking tools to Azure. Its sales teams will work with Microsoft’s on deals where networking, cloud moves and AI overlap. AI has also lifted demand for fibre networks, which network-equipment maker Ciena says it can barely meet.
微软公司企业副总裁Katy Brown表示：“AI正在重塑应用程序的运行位置以及组织使用和移动数据的方式。”
“AI is reshaping where applications run and how organizations use and move data,” said Katy Brown, a corporate vice president at Microsoft.
目前，客户已可通过微软的企业软件在线商店购买Lumen的一款产品Alkira。Lumen于今年早些时候以4.75亿美元收购了Alkira，该产品可让企业从单一平台管理云与办公场所之间的链接。
For now, customers can already buy one Lumen product, Alkira, through Microsoft’s online store for business software. Lumen bought Alkira, which lets firms manage links between clouds and offices from one place, for $475M earlier this year.
两家公司还计划探索其网络如何与微软用于控制AI代理的工具协同工作。未提供数字或时间表。
The firms also plan to explore how their networks could work with Microsoft’s tools for controlling AI agents. They gave no figures or timeline.
该交易基于2024年的合作，即Lumen为微软的数据中心之间提供光纤链接。Azure在七月份的年度销售额突破了1000亿美元。
The deal builds on a 2024 tie-up in which Lumen supplies fibre links between Microsoft’s data centres. Azure passed $100B in yearly sales in July.