Cloud capabilities are leading companies to expand data centers out of the edge networks

Business is shifting towards digitisation at rapidly. Companies are willing to fulfil customers' needs with disruptive technologies. As the use of AI in financial bases increase, people expect more and more from it. The current emerging expectation is towards finding solutions quickly.

The future of intelligent buildings, hospital systems, farms and cities have advanced digital technologies that make them see ahead. The growing industrial systems that espouse AI applications have a compelling vision of connected manufacturing systems that can analyze sense and respond to physical conditions. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is moved beyond the hype into a computation that is cheap, powerful and small networks that are more specialized and faster to be powered by semiconductors.

As AI is at the road to converge, a big shift in technology to make everything faster is underway. Cloud capabilities are driving companies to expand data centers out of the edge of networks where more uses are seen. Businesses across diverse sectors see huge amounts of data that are more complex and dynamic to be adopted by companies. As the demands from consumers increase, sensing and responding to real-time data inputs become necessary. Ultimately, by leveraging data quickly and effectively will drive operational efficiencies and competitive advantages. Business organisations are turning their face towards edge computing and intelligence edge to soother the needs.

What is Intelligent Edge?

The Intelligent Edge is a combination of computing power, AI technology, data analytics and advanced connectivity which quickly acts on data closer to where it is captured. Intelligent edge refers to the analysis of data and development of solutions at the site where the data is generated. By doing this, it reduces cost, latency and security risks making the associated business more efficient. Beyond networks, machines and devices are able to reckon with inputs, such as drones with machine vision for avoiding obstacles, which could be considered a form of intelligence at the edge. The definition of edge computing is delivered through the growing focus on the next generation of computing platforms, hyperscale service providers, connectivity service providers and IT companies. There are three major categories of intelligent edge.

• Operational Technology Edges
• Internet of Things (IoT) Edges
• Information Technology Edges

Ultimately, the intelligent edge is not a replacement for enterprise and hyperscale cloud data centers, but a way to distribute tasks across the networks based on timeliness, connectivity and security. By leveraging the capabilities of intelligent edge, business can unravel a set of new possibilities.

• Efficient use of bandwidth and greater network visibility
• Flexibility towards poor and lost connectivity
• Aiding low-latency uses and faster response times
• Greater automation and autonomy
• Immense control over data triage, normalization, residency and privacy

Implication of Intelligent Edge in Business

Developing an Integrated Solution through Collaboration

 Implementing intelligent edge requires collaboration and orchestration across cloud, data centers, networks, edge appliances and the service architectures that run above these all. The current implementation of intelligent is mostly customised over standard times. An efficient architecture bridges between connectivity provider and IT tech companies, cloud platform providers and an industrial partner. The connectivity provider offers networks and edges real estate, the cloud platform offers big data capabilities and a developer community to create new services, and the industry partner drives the underlying need for business solutions and the local infrastructure to support it. In a nutshell, partners can develop fully integrated solutions at an end-to-end control over execution and quality of service.

Understanding Intelligent Edge with a Systemic View

The role of leaders plays a critical role in adopting an intelligent edge. Business leaders need to understand where they should provide an edge with the power to compute and store resources. The intelligent edge's specific implementation will likely depend on the application and whether endpoints are, for example, fixed or mobile, indoor or outdoor, or require high bandwidth such as streaming video or low-power batched processing such as monthly monitoring of water meters. The intelligent edge is designed to support the best outcome while there are generic aspects of implementation. As 5G technology is advancing, it is safe to move computing, storage and intelligence to the edge as a viable alternative.

Turning Small Hints to Big Solutions

Small hits lead to big solutions. Henceforth, leaders must look for simple use cases in intelligent edge that could direct them to solve big issues. The first step towards intelligent edge is to build computation and connectivity that is needed to support multiple use cases across varying scales. A modular approach to development can shorten the path to measurable success for individual use cases that can then sum into larger workflows.