Broadcom signs 10-year private cloud deal with NTT DOCOMO
Wed, 21st Oct 2026 (Today)
Broadcom has signed a 10-year agreement with NTT DOCOMO to develop the Japanese telecom group's private cloud. It is Broadcom Japan's first 10-year VMware software agreement, covering licences, technical assistance and maintenance support.
The deal extends a relationship that began in 2019, when VMware, now owned by Broadcom, started working with DOCOMO on the buildout and operation of its private cloud.
Under the agreement, DOCOMO will continue to use VMware Cloud Foundation as the core infrastructure supporting its digital services. The arrangement also covers other VMware products and related support services as the two companies align their long-term technology roadmaps.
The work will focus on three areas: continuous service availability, security and resilience, and faster service delivery. The aim is to strengthen the operator's infrastructure as artificial intelligence use expands and cyber threats grow more complex.
To support service continuity, DOCOMO plans to use unified management across servers, storage and networking to make upgrades and maintenance easier without interrupting services. This should also help the operator expand capacity more flexibly and manage traffic spikes through automated resource placement and scaling.
On security, the agreement includes timely patching and predictive anomaly detection across the private cloud environment. Broadcom said continuous system visibility, combined with AI operations initiatives, should help DOCOMO identify problems earlier and respond more quickly.
The service delivery element centres on VMware vSphere Kubernetes Service, which DOCOMO will use to run virtual machines and containers on the same platform. The companies said this common environment, together with development and operations automation, is intended to shorten the cycle for provisioning, testing and releasing new services.
Broadcom also said it will work with DOCOMO on a next-generation platform combining virtual machines, containers and AI. That effort is intended to support further automation in operations and changes in network and service requirements, including those linked to future technologies such as 6G and IOWN.
The agreement comes as telecom and enterprise groups review the resilience of their infrastructure against a backdrop of heavier digital service use, wider AI deployment and a growing volume of cyberattacks. Long-term private cloud contracts have become more significant as companies seek greater control over service reliability, security policies and software lifecycles.
For Broadcom, the contract also marks a notable customer commitment to VMware software in Japan following VMware's integration into the wider group. The arrangement combines DOCOMO's experience in operating large-scale infrastructure with Broadcom's engineering and support resources.
Hiroshi Ishimaru, General Manager, Service Design Department, NTT DOCOMO, said: "At DOCOMO, we are enhancing our service infrastructure to ensure the stability and security that allow customers to use our digital services with peace of mind, while enabling it to respond flexibly and quickly to changes in technology and the market."
"VMware products have long been used across a range of our systems, and through this long-term comprehensive agreement, we will further strengthen our technical collaboration with Broadcom. Going forward, while maintaining the reliable delivery of our existing services, we aim to build a service infrastructure that delivers new value to customers more quickly and reliably, with an eye toward future technological advances such as the expanding use of AI," Ishimaru said.
Paul Turner, Chief Product Officer, VMware Cloud Foundation Division, Broadcom, said: "We are honored to continue partnering with DOCOMO, a company that supports Japan's social infrastructure and digital lifestyles, on a long-term initiative for the next decade."
"Over the past seven years, we have built a strong technical collaboration, and this agreement takes that relationship further, reflecting our shared commitment to continuously enhancing DOCOMO's service infrastructure over the long term. With VMware Cloud Foundation at the core, Broadcom will provide a private cloud platform that runs virtual machines, containers and AI workloads on a common foundation. Our engineering teams will work closely with DOCOMO's so it can continue to deliver secure, reliable digital services quickly," Turner said.