SES’s O3b mPower MEO system a boon for Microsoft Azure Orbital

SES is collaborating with Microsoft to enhance the power of its Azure Orbital solutions to meet increasing cloud-enabled capability needs through its O3b mPower medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite system, operating 8,000km above the earth’s surface.

The satellite system, which will be fully operational next year, is expected to provide additional network diversity, service resiliency and gigabit connectivity as more critical workloads move to the cloud.

“Microsoft deploying our ground-breaking O3b mPower system is yet another step in our collaboration to bring high-performance, low-latency Azure cloud services to customers around the globe,” said JP Hemingway, CEO of SES Networks.

“O3b mPower will introduce new levels of cloud-scaled satellite connectivity, intelligent automation and managed services that extend the reach and unleash the capabilities of cloud players like never before.”

SES, co-locating four of its O3b mPower gateways at or near Azure data centres, is the founding MEO satellite connectivity partner for Microsoft Azure Orbital; it is an Azure ExpressRoute for satellite partner, and also the first satellite operator to implement Open Network Automation Platform using Network Functions Virtualization technology on Azure.

In addition to Microsoft Azure being its first cloud provider customer, its other O3b mPower customers include Orange Business Services and cruise operators Carnival and Virgin Voyages.

Microsoft will use the current O3b MEO system before migrating to O3b mPower next year.