Intellizence monitors business signals like partnerships, product launches, M&A, funding in companies working in the edge computing space.
We highlight key signals in major technology companies and startups working in the edge computing space.
Edge computing is transforming industries and helping organizations break beyond the boundaries that weren’t possible just a few years ago. Edge is where data is generated that can be a factory floor, retail store, or an office building. It is changing the way data is being stored, processed, and delivered from thousands of connected devices. This enables enterprises to run workloads closer to the user.
What is edge computing?
Edge computing is the processing of data and information close to the edge of the network – where it is actually being generated or consumed instead of in the cloud or a centralized data center.
An example use case is the Internet of Things (IoT) is where thousands of connected devices generate exponential amounts of data. Routing such a huge amount of data through the cloud can lead to latency and increase bandwidth costs.
An edge gateway can process data faster from an edge device, providing faster insights, improved response times, and better bandwidth availability.
Top 5 Companies Working in Edge Computing
Amazon Web Services
Amazon has extended its Amazon Web Services (AWS) capabilities from cloud computing to edge computing – bringing infrastructure closer to the enterprise and to the end-user. It offers a number of services for the commercial, connected home, and industrial IoT market. These include – Amazon FreeRTOS – Microcontroller operating system, AWS IoT Greengrass, AWS IoT Core, AWS IoT Device Defender, AWS IoT Device Management, AWS IoT Analytics, and many others.
AWS IoT services will harness the data generated by the connected devices, and empower them to act intelligently. Amazon is investing in its partner ecosystem, building alliances with telcos, co-location providers, and integrators.
Product Launches
- AWS Snowcone, a small portable rugged edge computing and data transfer device in its latest bid to speed up data processing closer to the source.
- AWS OpsHub is a graphical user interface you can use to manage your AWS Snowball devices. It enables you to rapidly deploy edge computing workloads and simplify data migration to the cloud.
Partnerships
- Vodafone and AWS are collaborating to roll out distributed multi-access edge computing (MEC), embedding AWS Wavelength at the edge of Vodafone’s 5G networks, to bring customers and key applications closer.
- AWS and BlackBerry are teaming up to accelerate innovation with new intelligent vehicle data platforms. BlackBerry IVY will run inside a vehicle’s embedded systems, offering visibility into vehicle data. It will also provide control over who can access it while offering edge computing capabilities to optimize how quickly and efficiently the data is processed.
- Nokia is to collaborate with AWS on making Nokia’s 5G virtual RAN and open RAN technologies work with AWS Outposts. This extends AWS infrastructure to virtually any data center, co-location space, or on-premises facility.
- Amazon Web Services and Verizon are collaborating to bring 5G to edge computing in a service that will bring more machine learning to applications and cut latency.
Google Cloud
Google Cloud is increasing its foothold into edge computing to help companies leverage AI and 5G faster. It offers a range of connected home products for edge computing.
Product Launches
- Edge TPU is Google’s purpose-built ASIC chip that is designed to accelerate Machine Learning (ML) in the cloud, and lightning-fast AI and analytics inference at the edge.
- Google Cloud has introduced a new Global Mobile Edge Cloud (GMEC) strategy that will be a game-changer for wireless connectivity. Google has also introduced Anthos at the Edge that takes advantage of the latest innovations. Google Anthos will work well with multiple other cloud providers, including Amazon’s AWS and Microsoft’s Azure.
Partnerships
- Nokia’s partnership with Google Cloud is to develop new, cloud-based 5G radio solutions. The two companies will marry Nokia’s RAN edge cloud technologies with Google Cloud’s edge computing platform and applications ecosystem.
- Orange and Google Cloud have formed a strategic partnership to boost AI and Edge Computing services. Google Cloud will offer its cutting-edge cloud technologies, world-class analytics, and AI tools, while Orange will contribute its deep expertise in information and communication technology services.
- Google Cloud and Telefónica have entered a partnership to advance 5G mobile edge computing. Telefónica will use Google Cloud services to boost its own digital capabilities in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, machine learning, and application development.
- Google will be working with Intel to jointly develop telco cloud reference architectures for wireless carriers to deploy 5G across multiple clouds and edge locations.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
Edge computing is all about moving applications closer to the network edge and the end-users.
HPE offers Edgeline EL8000 Converged Edge Systems that brings high-power computing to the edge of networks, which previously tended to have limited computing capability. Through its Aruba Networks, HPE has been prioritizing edge networking and is actively helping businesses handle the influx of data at the edge.
Partnerships
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Microsoft are collaborating to accelerate space exploration with first-ever in-space commercial edge computing and artificial intelligence capabilities. Microsoft will connect its cloud computing Azure Space platform to the Spaceborne Computer-2, an HPE product. They will deliver edge computing and artificial intelligence capabilities to the International Space Station (ISS).
- Schneider Electric, StorMagic, and HPE have joined forces to create ‘Edge in a Box’, a new micro data center solution that provides IT systems for edge computing environments.
- SK Telecom has partnered with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) to export its 5G mobile edge computing (MEC) technology.
Merger & Acquisition
- HPE has acquired Silver Peak to accelerate its edge-to-cloud strategy.
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IBM Corporation
IBM offers a diverse portfolio of products and services based on various technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), cybersecurity, and cloud computing, etc. It offers solutions to help telecom companies modernize their networks and deliver new services at the edge. IBM earlier extended its cloud efforts to edge computing with the launch of its “Cloud Satellite” service. This allows IBM’s enterprise customers to run the company’s cloud service from any edge location, including inside their own buildings.
Product Launch
- IBM and Red Hat have launched new edge computing solutions for the 5G offerings and partner ecosystem. The solution combines IBM’s experience and expertise in multi-cloud environments with Red Hat’s industry-leading open source technology.
Partnerships
- ClearBlade, an industrial IoT platform, and edge computing software company is collaborating with IBM to deliver Edge IoT asset monitoring for near-real-time asset management.
- IBM and AT&T are partnering to combine AT&T’s next-generation wireless network with IBM’s Cloud Satellite hybrid platform. The move aims to help enterprises leverage 5G for applications running in the cloud, in-house, or increasingly, at the network edge.
- Verizon Business and IBM are collaborating to design and deploy 5G and edge computing solutions. They will combine Verizon’s 5G and multi-access edge compute (MEC) capabilities and IBM’s expertise in AI, hybrid multi-cloud, and edge computing.
- IBM, NVIDIA are collaborating at the network’s edge. The IBM Edge Application Manager on the NVIDIA EGX platform provides world-class software management on the most powerful offering for accelerated computing and AI.
- Samsung Electronics and IBM are collaborating to develop edge computing, 5G, and hybrid cloud solutions. This will help businesses across industries modernize their operations and realize the promises of Industry 4.0.
Microsoft
Microsoft Azure cloud and edge technology take your IoT solutions to the next level, delivering cloud services to edge devices, making hybrid cloud and edge IoT solutions a reality.
Microsoft Azure offers a number of products and services to support edge computing. These include – Azure IoT Central (IoT app platform), Azure IoT Hub (communication service that connects edge devices to the Azure cloud), Azure IoT Edge (AI services deployed on edge devices), Azure Sphere (IoT security), Azure Stack Edge (on-premises processing for AI workloads).
Partnerships
- Verizon and Microsoft Azure are partnering to create enterprise-ready mobile edge computing (MEC) platforms using Verizon’s on-site 5G Edge network integrated with Azure edge services.
- Nokia is partnering with Microsoft Azure to develop 4G and 5G private wireless solutions for enterprises. The collaboration will combine Nokia’s Cloud RAN (vRAN) technologies with Microsoft Azure cloud-based services and developer ecosystem to drive end-user functionality via new business cases.
- General Motors is teaming up with Microsoft to accelerate its rollout of electric and self-driving cars. Microsoft’s Azure cloud and edge computing platform would be used to “commercialize its unique autonomous vehicle solutions at scale.
- Samsung Electronics is collaborating with Microsoft to advance the virtualization of 5G solutions. This will include the deployment of Samsung’s virtualized RAN, virtualized Core, and Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) technologies on Microsoft Azure.
- Singtel is offering its 5G edge computing infrastructure on Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform. Enterprises can run applications such as drones, autonomous guided vehicles, robots, and virtual/augmented reality, in closer proximity to users. Azure customers will be able to access Singtel’s Multi-access Edge Compute (MEC) services, coupled with the telco’s 5G network, with a latency of “less than 10 milliseconds”.
Merger & Acquisition
- Microsoft’s latest acquisition of Affirmed Networks will strengthen its Edge Computing push and deliver new opportunities for a global 5G ecosystem.