Enterprise innovation insights from MWC25: AI and automation – News

As businesses race forward with artificial intelligence adoption, automation and edge computing, leaders face a growing challenge: innovating at speed without compromising ethics, security or sustainability. Enterprise innovation is no longer just about adopting the latest technology — it’s about strategically integrating AI and automation to drive meaningful change while maintaining security, compliance and long-term viability.

At the heart of these discussions are questions about responsible AI deployment, scalable infrastructure and the evolving role of networks in supporting enterprise innovation. While much of the industry’s attention remains on compute power, industry analysts note that connectivity is just as critical to AI’s next phase.

“I do feel like there’s a renewed sense of energy from the telcos,” Zeus Kerravala, founder and principal analyst at ZK Research, told theCUBE. “I think they all recognize now that AI does present a big opportunity for them as well. I think the network plays a really important role. I don’t think Wall Street understands that yet, frankly.”

During the MWC25 event, theCUBE’s Research analysts, Dave Vellante, Savannah Peterson and Bob Laliberte, spoke with leading industry executives during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, News Media’s livestreaming studio. Their conversations explored the latest advancements in AI, edge infrastructure, automation strategies and the evolving enterprise innovation landscape. (* Disclosure below.)

Here are three key insights you may have missed from theCUBE’s coverage:

1. AI-powered automation drives enterprise innovation.

AI-powered automation is rapidly transforming enterprise innovation, enabling organizations to streamline operations and enhance decision-making. However, these advancements also introduce new challenges around security and ethical implementation. But as AI adoption accelerates, so do security, governance and ethical implementation concerns.

Cisco’s Jeetu Patel talks with theCUBE about the need for strong data security measures, ethical AI implementation and sustainable technology solutions.

Cisco Systems Inc. emphasizes the critical role of data security as enterprises integrate AI-driven technologies into their workflows. While AI can predict market trends and enhance decision-making, it also introduces risks, including job displacement and cybersecurity threats, according to Jeetu Patel, executive vice president and chief product officer at Cisco.

“As you have many, many models, you’re going to need to make sure that the safety and security can’t be relied just solely on the model providers,” Patel told theCUBE, during MWC25. “You need to have a common substrate of safety and security across every model, and that’s what we provide.”

Juniper Networks Inc. highlights AI-native networking as a game-changer, automating complex tasks, optimizing performance and reducing operational disruptions. These tools enable enterprises to manage networks proactively, freeing personnel to focus on strategic objectives, according to Neil McRae, chief network strategist at Juniper Networks.

“One of the biggest benefits I hear from customers is, ‘We’re able to pinpoint the issue within seconds,’” McRae told theCUBE. “Historically, that could take hours. You might have to coordinate with multiple providers or multiple service agents, and you’ve got multiple stakeholders. They just want to know what is it and when’s it going to be fixed. Using Marvis and Paragon, our AI tools zero in on that [and] takes so much off their plate.”

IBM Corp. takes a strategic approach, emphasizing integrating AI directly into business processes rather than treating it as an add-on. This ecosystem-driven model enables organizations to deploy AI flexibly across various platforms without overhauling legacy systems, according to Mohamad Ali, senior vice president and head of IBM Consulting at IBM.

“We happen to be lucky in that we have a whole technology business, a whole product business within IBM, and we can use some of those things and get a fast start,” Ali said during the event. “We can mix and match to get the most efficient solution, embedding AI directly into products rather than simply adding it as an extra layer.”

Here’s theCUBE’s complete video interview with Neil McRae:

2. Real-world AI use cases demonstrate tangible impact.

In professional sports, Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D., known as Sevilla FC, is redefining player scouting with AI. Through its partnership with IBM, the club leverages generative AI to analyze vast datasets, uncovering player traits beyond conventional statistics, according to Elias Zamora-Sillero, chief data officer at Sevilla FC. This approach enables smarter, data-driven recruitment decisions.

e&’s Harrison Lung talks with theCUBE about how AI is transforming the telecom and FinTech industries.

“We have developed technologies that allow us to evaluate if the value of a player is more than the actual skills or less than the actual skills — overpriced or down-priced,” Zamora-Sillero told theCUBE. “Skills like leadership are not so easy to measure, and our AI tools help reveal these hidden dimensions.”

AI is also reshaping telecommunications. For example, e&, a UAE state-owned telecommunications company, collaborates with IBM to enable AI-powered solutions that enhance customer interactions, strengthen cybersecurity and improve operational efficiency, according to Harrison Lung, group chief strategy officer at e&.

“I would call 2025 the year of AI from a monetization and impact perspective,” Lung said, during the event. “Just in the last year, we grew 10% in revenue year-on-year. Since starting this AI journey, both revenue and net profit growth are at 15 to 20%.”

Despite these gains, AI in telecommunications presents regulatory challenges, most notably across international markets. e& and IBM have proactively addressed these concerns with an AI platform designed to ensure compliance, transparency and ethical implementation, according to Lung.

“We announced with IBM an overall end-to-end AI governance platform and framework,” Lung said. “This pioneering approach ensures compliance, transparency and governance, enabling us to responsibly manage diverse AI initiatives across multiple markets.”

Here’s theCUBE’s complete video interview with Elias Zamora-Sillero:

3. Next-generation infrastructure accelerates digital transformation.

Broadcom Inc. is responding to the surging demand for AI-powered edge infrastructure, a critical driver of enterprise innovation. The company is significantly enhancing its connectivity solutions to support this shift, according to Vijay Nagarajan, vice president of strategy and marketing for the Semiconductor Solutions Group at Broadcom.

Broadcom’s Vijay Nagarajan talks with theCUBE about Broadcom’s evolving AI infrastructure strategy, from high-speed connectivity to edge intelligence.

“[Serializer/Deserializer technology] needs to make sure that your signal gets across from one end of the link to the other despite all the noise that you would see in the electrical circuits,” Nagarajan told theCUBE, during the event. “Every piece of connectivity silicon that we do requires the SerDes, and the quality of the SerDes makes those products much more impactful and valuable.”

Private 5G is another key driver of transformation. This technology offers enterprises greater control over security, efficiency and operations, according to David de Lancellotti, vice president of enterprise campus edge business, Cloud and Network Services, at Nokia Corp., and Paul Savill, global practice leader of networking and edge compute at Kyndryl Inc.

“We even consider ourselves a far edge player,” de Lancellotti said , during the event. “What we’re really looking at is what we can do beyond connectivity. We know the hyperscalers are going to own the edge space, and then, the far edge space is where we’re going to sit with our equipment. When we’re looking at the far edge and we have our equipment there, we’re not just looking at connectivity. What we’re really looking at … is what can we do beyond connectivity?”

Telcos are evolving into “techcos,” leveraging 5G and AI to unlock new business opportunities. By integrating cloud capabilities from providers such as Amazon Web Services Inc., they can drive enterprise innovation through real-time analytics and transformed service offerings, according to Chris Niederman, managing director, AWS industries and solutions at AWS, and Pierce Hofman, head of worldwide partner solutions at AWS.

“Our job is to help them catch up, innovate, continue and learn,” Niederman told theCUBE, during the event. “The opportunity is still there to accelerate, and our job is to help those partners differentiate and accelerate.”

Here’s the complete interview with Chris Niederman and Pierce Hofman:

To watch more of theCUBE’s coverage of MWC25, here’s our complete event video playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for MWC25. The sponsors of theCUBE’s event coverage do not have editorial control over content on theCUBE or News.)

Photo: News/DALL-E