San Francisco, Microsoft on Thursday signed a definitive agreement to acquire UK-based Metaswitch Networks, a leading provider of virtualised network software and voice, data and communications solutions for operators, for an undisclosed sum.

The convergence of cloud and communication networks presents a unique opportunity for Microsoft to serve operators globally via continued investment in Azure,

"This announcement builds on our recent acquisition of Affirmed Networks, which closed on April 23. Metaswitch's complementary portfolio of ultra-high-performance, cloud-native communications software will expand our range of offerings available for the telecommunications industry," said Yousef Khalidi, Corporate Vice President, Azure Networking.

As the industry moves to 5G, operators will have opportunities to advance the virtualization of their core networks and move forward on a path to an increasingly cloud-native future.

Microsoft aims to leverage these two organisations -- extending the Azure platform to both deploy and grow these capabilities at scale in a way that is secure, efficient and creates a sustainable ecosystem.

"We will continue to support hybrid and multi-cloud models to create a more diverse telecom ecosystem and spur faster innovation, an expanded set of unique offerings and greater opportunities for differentiation," said Khalidi.

5G will ultimately give operators a path to accelerate service innovation and deliver new transformative experiences that are faster, more resilient and more secure, spurred on by software advances to drive transformation at scale, said the company.