The extension of common cloud platforms from center to edge will be a key theme of Mobile World Congress this year. This may not seem like a mainstream issue for a mobile show, but it is a crucial one for operators. Edge computing and network slicing will be essential enablers of the 5G business model, and particularly the goal of extending 5G services beyond mobile broadband and into many enterprise sectors with specialized needs – needs which will change as they start to look towards mass-scale Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Advanced operators are planning to deploy cloud platforms, or work with those of partners, in order to support their own virtualized networks and new operational processes, and to deliver…