The Open Standard: Gary Mackenzie On Modernizing The Telco Ecosystem
SUSE, March 25,2026
As 5G transitions from a futuristic promise to a foundational reality, the telecommunications industry is hitting a critical inflection point. The move toward cloud native infrastructure is no longer optional, but the path to getting there is often cluttered with fragmentation and proprietary roadblocks.
In a recent featured interview with TelecomTV, Gary Mackenzie, GM of Telco Business at SUSE, shares his perspective on how the industry can cut through the noise to build truly scalable, open source networks.
A unified front: the role of Project Sylva
One of the most significant challenges facing modern operators is the sheer variety of cloud stacks. Gary discusses how SUSE is leaning into Project Sylva to solve this. By working with major European operators to create a validated, open source software framework, SUSE is helping to ensure that the telco cloud isn't just a collection of siloed parts, but a unified, interoperable ecosystem.