Microsoft made its ambitions in the 5G market very clear when it acquired its own core network technologies earlier this year, when it bought Metaswitch and Affirmed Networks. It was clear that these platforms could form the basis of a core-as-a-service offering for Microsoft’s enterprise base, potentially sidelining the operators themselves. But now Microsoft has also placed its new jewels at the heart of a pitch for operator partnerships, entitled Azure for Operators. The aim is to offer Microsoft’s core functions and applications to customers, while working closely with operator partners for the connectivity. However, while this was initially seen as a reassurance to telcos that they would still have a key role in the value chain, Microsoft then announced…