Localized 5G to Release Potential ML, AI and VR

Q: What services is Verizon Enterprise Solutions focused on in Mexico?

A: In Mexico, our two focus areas are cybersecurity and digital media. On the cybersecurity side, we focus on consulting, which encompasses three main areas. The first is everything that has to do with compliance and risk management. We help our enterprise clients to look at their security layout and infrastructure. We make sure that they are compliant and managing their risk adequately. The second area is detecting and mitigating security events, breaches and the like, for which there are security tools and programs that help to manage these events. We want to ensure the infrastructure is working correctly so the company is ready to address any issue that may appear. The third area is incidence response. Here we offer primarily a service call with a rapid response. We literally have a kind of SWAT team that we can parachute in to lock down the organization and mitigate the impact of an attack as quickly as possible.

Q: How does Verizon differentiate itself in the cybersecurity landscape?

A: If you look at the security landscape, we are completely vendor-agnostic. We do not have a certain box of tools that we force onto a customer. Being vendor agnostic allows us to partner widely across the OEM landscape. Many of our security leaders actually sit on company boards as advisers. Similarly, we have advisory teams within our organizations that have representatives from our partners. This helps us to share information on the latest developments in the security landscape.

As a large telecom company, Verizon has huge value to offer when it comes to visibility of the security landscape. At the end of the day, Verizon likely has what is the world’s largest IP backbone. We manage a great deal of the internet traffic that is flowing around the globe. We run thousands of large enterprise networks for our customers. That visibility is something that a provider selling a single box of technology cannot offer. Every year, Verizon puts out a Data Breach and Investigation report (DBIR), which is a standard in the industry. We offer it for free, as a reference guide for the whole industry to understand what is going on. This is based on the vast number of breaches that we investigate and the incidents we manage. The visibility we have covers all industries across the globe.

Q: In which sectors are you strongest in Mexico?

A: Mexico is a little bit different than the global picture. Our presence leans heavily toward manufacturing. We work with very large global manufacturers that have plants in Mexico. The retail sector is also a significant part, as well as professional services, for example call centers and the financial sector. Some local conglomerates are our customers. 

Q: Where are you looking to strengthen your presence?

A: Our digital media space is growing dramatically. Verizon recently acquired Blue Jeans, a unified communication and videoconferencing platform. Its unique Dolby Voice Audio really makes a difference in voice quality, which is an important part of the videoconferencing experience. It also shines in its collaborative open space. You can simply overlay it with your existing Microsoft infrastructure. Companies do not have to rip out their existing infrastructure to use it. As for other videoconferencing platforms, Verizon is still the largest WebEx vendor for Cisco and we also offer Zoom. We continue doing that because we understand that, especially in the corporate space, many companies have already made significant investments in other platforms.

Q: What steps has Verizon taken to offer 5G networks to its clients?

A: Verizon recently announced a global partnership with Nokia to expand private 5G networks for industrial use. Mexico is a natural next step for us in that effort. These private 5G networks enable customers to use 5G at a certain location, such as a corporate campus or a manufacturing plant. They do not require public infrastructure. Coupling 5G with onsite edge computing power processing, companies can better leverage the potential of machine learning, artificial intelligence and virtual reality. 

We have several success cases of private 5G networks already in the US. For example, smart sensors along a factory line that are detecting when a piece of machinery is not functioning optimally. You can repair or address the anomaly before it becomes a problem, which can mean millions in savings. Another potential application is for videoconferencing. This can reduce the burden on computer processing and improve the quality of video.

A centralized cloud still makes a lot of sense for storage needs but latencies are a big risk for these types of applications. You need to have computing power that is closer to the user.

Q: How will you help companies cope with the new normality?

A: I think we have a strong offering in the digital media space. The content delivery platform we have created through the acquisition of companies such as EdgeCast, Uplink and others, is having a big impact on the Mexican market. Companies have had to go virtual for all kinds of things. The content producers that were used to having large studios, suddenly had to create virtual or remote studios, using their talents at home. Our infrastructure and network are enabling these customers to create these virtual studios. Localized 5G is going to make that even more powerful. 

Verizon Enterprise Solutions is a division of Verizon Communications that provides services to Verizon’s own branches and government clients around the world

Note to reader: At the time of this interview, Enrique Pérez held the position Managing Director, METS US Southeast and Latam at Verizon Enterprise Solutions