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Category: EdgeComputingPro

EdgeComputingPro

  • B2B Influencer Marketing Adds Up To Nurture and Ultimately Conversion

    B2B Influencer Marketing Adds Up To Nurture and Ultimately Conversion

    “We co-create content with (B2B Influencers) in concert with brand messaging,” says TopRank Marketing CEO Lee Odden. “So now instead of people just ignoring the press release we actually have storytelling happening with these different voices. You have this intersection of one or two or three or four influencers talking about this topic and those audiences intersect and cross. Your customer is hearing this credible message not only from the brand but also from people that they trust in different channels. That all adds up to yes. That all adds up to nurture and ultimately conversion.”

    Lee Odden, CEO of TopRank Marketing, discusses how B2B influencer marketing can be a highly effective force in driving leads and conversions for companies. Lee was interviewed by Tim Washer at the 2019 Content Marketing World Conference & Expo:

    Influencer Marketing Is Powerful Because Of Influence Itself

    Influencer marketing is powerful because of influence itself, not about the people. Influence has always been a factor in being persuasive and being effective as a communicator, as a marketer, and really being able to tap into the dynamics of that. The psychology and sociology of that is something that is everlasting, it’s evergreen. While there are trends in terms of tactics that come and go, there’s this consumerization of B2B. B2C influencers are misbehaving and have fake followers, etc. and some of that’s leaking over into B2B. But I think that’ll reconcile a little bit and kind of clean itself out. In the future brands are going to be looking at influence as a really key component of their holistic marketing strategy internally and externally.

    A lot of people when they think of influencer marketing they think of a Kardashian or some people think of something like Baddiewinkle, a 90-year-old woman who wears hip-hop clothes and now has her own makeup line on Sephora versus someone like Tamara McCleary interviewing an executive at Dell about the right IT infrastructure for doing edge computing. That’s really what it’s about in B2B.

    B2B Influencers Actually Have To Have The Main Expertise

    One of the big differences between B2B and B2C influencers is that in B2B you actually have to have the main expertise. You actually have to be knowledgeable and have a depth of that expertise in what it is that you’re influential about. It’s also important to have a network for distribution and a place to publish your content. It’s great to have a personality and that’s less common in B2B, where you have charisma. Well, lack of personality is a form of personality I suppose. 

    The good thing is that we’ve figured out ways to coach folks that have that domain expertise and an active following but they’re not necessarily used to being social. We are coaching them in how to activate themselves and to pull out the best of what they have to share in a way that’s very promotable. Many of them start to open up a little bit after we show them how to do it.

    B2B Influencer Marketing Adds Up To Nurture and Conversion

    In the planning stages (with a client looking to promote something) we’ll look at the topics that are important around the announcement and how it affects customers and how customers will think of that news and how it’ll affect or change their lives. Those topics are then what we want to be influential about. We’ll use those keywords or topics to search our network using influencer marketing software to find who is influential around those topics, who’s publishing content, who self-identifies around that topic, and whose audience is actually activated around that topic. We find those people who have trusted voices with an active community and we invite them to collaborate on content and give their opinion about the announcement. 

    We co-create content with them in concert with brand messaging. So now instead of people just ignoring the press release we actually have storytelling happening with these different voices. You have this intersection of one or two or three or four influencers talking about this topic and those audiences intersect and cross. They intersect across channels too. Your customer is hearing this credible message not only from the brand but also from people that they trust in different channels. That all adds up to yes. That all adds up to nurture and ultimately conversion.

    B2B Influencer Marketing Adds Up To Nurture and Conversion – TopRank Marketing CEO Lee Odden
  • Why Edge Computing is the Most Reliable Option

    Why Edge Computing is the Most Reliable Option

    Edge computing is more reliable because it allows data to be processed and stored closer to the source, reducing the need to transmit large amounts of data to a centralized location.

    This can result in a number of benefits that improve reliability:

    1. Reduced network congestion: By processing data locally, edge computing reduces the amount of data that needs to be transmitted over the network, which can help reduce congestion and improve overall network performance.
    2. Improved fault tolerance: Edge computing allows for distributed processing and storage, which can help ensure that data is still accessible even if one or more devices fail.
    3. Reduced latency: By processing data locally, edge computing can reduce the amount of time it takes for data to be processed, which can improve the responsiveness of applications and services.
    4. Increased availability: Edge computing can provide local processing capabilities even when the network is unavailable, allowing for the continuity of services and reducing the risk of downtime.
    5. Better security: Edge computing can provide a more secure environment for data processing, as it allows for more granular security measures, such as device-level authentication, to be implemented and also reduces the risk of data breaches and hacking attempts as the data is not as easily accessible to potential attackers.

    By providing these benefits, edge computing can help ensure that applications and services are more reliable and available to users.

    The reliability of edge computing will depend on a number of factors, such as the type of devices and gateways used, the software and infrastructure that support it, and the way it’s implemented and maintained. However, it is widely acknowledged that edge computing can improve the reliability of systems by distributing processing and storage closer to the source, reducing network congestion, improving fault tolerance, and increasing availability.

    It’s worth noting that edge computing is still a relatively new technology and many organizations are still in the process of exploring how best to implement it.

  • General Dynamics, T-Mobile, AWS, Others Form 5G and Edge Coalition

    General Dynamics, T-Mobile, AWS, Others Form 5G and Edge Coalition

    General Dynamics, T-Mobile, AWS, Cisco, Dell Technologies, and Splunk have formed a coalition to accelerate 5G and edge adoption.

    The next generation wireless tech is already revolutionizing multiple industries and making edge computing a viable option for many companies. With high speeds and low latency, 5G is competitive with the fastest broadband available.

    General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) has formed a coalition with like-minded companies in an effort to further the adoption of 5G and edge computing.

    “We share a common vision of how 5G, edge and advanced wireless technologies can transform government operations,” said Ben Gianni, GDIT’s senior vice president and chief technology officer. “Forming this coalition will help us bring our collective strengths together to provide technical differentiation and the most beneficial solutions for our government customers.”

    GDIT will focus on designing and deploying secure 5G solutions with its partners, while each member of the coalition will leverage its specialties. AWS brings its cloud infrastructure to the table, T-Mobile will provide the network bandwidth, Cisco will provide 5G and mobile edge computing solutions, Splunk will handle cybersecurity automation, and Dell will leverage its open infrastructure, edge computing, and AI abilities..

    “As part of this new coalition, we can collaborate with other technology, telecommunications and government leaders to help power an inclusive future,” said Carl DeGroote, vice president of federal sales, Cisco. “We’re excited to apply our 5G core and mobile edge compute expertise to accelerate the adoption of 5G and help advance wireless and edge technologies across government agencies.”

  • ServiceNow CEO Says Cloud Computing Is Century’s ‘Pervasive Computing Theme’

    ServiceNow CEO Says Cloud Computing Is Century’s ‘Pervasive Computing Theme’

    ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott has called cloud computing the “pervasive computing theme of the 21st century.”

    The cloud computing market is experiencing major growth, due in no small part to the pandemic and the rise of hybrid work. All three of the top providers are experiencing major growth, with no signs of it slowing down. According to McDermott, cloud computing’s success is because of its “pervasive” and transformative nature.

    “It simplifies everything. Everything’s on the mobile. Everything’s beautiful and easy to use,” McDermott told Yahoo Finance.

    “It’s one platform that can single thread business across an entire enterprise, all functions of the business. So, it is a great unifier in a sense, because some people have very powerful Chief Information Officers, others have Chief Digital Officers, others have Chief People officers, others have these wonderful data managers,” McDermott added. “But to have one platform, that single thread, all of those powerful relationships to deliver great experiences is super exciting to us.”

    While the economic downturn has many companies hedging their bets and cutting costs, McDermott believes the cloud computing market can continue growing, buoyed by companies’ digital first strategies.

    “Ninety-five percent of CEOs have a digital first strategy. So, they’re leaning in to digital transformation. Because it’s the only way out. On one hand, it’s software as the great deflationary force,” McDermott said. “On another hand, if you can’t transform and recreate your business model, and innovate digitally, you lose the game. So, CEOs are very well aware of this. So, that tailwind is super strong.”

    McDermott’s predictions are good news for the cloud market and underscore the opportunities available to cloud providers.

  • Verizon and AWS Expand Mobile Edge Computing Availability

    Verizon and AWS Expand Mobile Edge Computing Availability

    Verizon and AWS are expanding the availability of their mobile edge computing solution, bringing it to 30% more metro areas.

    Verizon and AWS announced a partnership in late 2019, aimed at bringing AWS’ cloud platform together with Verizon’s 5G network. The two companies planned to leverage their respective platforms to make mobile edge computing available to their customers, an area where 5G is expected to revolutionize the industry.

    The two companies first delivered on their partnership in April 2020, combining AWS Wavelength with Verizon’s 5G Edge in Boston and the Bay Area. In the time since, the companies have continued rolling out their solution around the country.

    Today, Verizon and AWS announced they have now rolled out Verizon 5G Edge with AWS Wavelength to Charlotte, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis. 

    “Through our continued collaboration with AWS, we’re helping developers and businesses in every industry create truly transformational applications for use cases such as immersive VR gaming, video distribution, and connected and autonomous vehicles,” said Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business. “By expanding our 5G Edge locations across the U.S., we’re enabling developers to quickly and easily build apps and services that take advantage of the low latency, massive bandwidth and strong reliability of 5G and edge computing.”

    “Customers that want to build ultra-low latency applications need access to compute, storage, and advanced cloud services at the edge of the 5G network. They tell us that broad coverage is very important to ensure consistent application experiences, wherever their end-users may be, said George Elissaios, general manager of AWS Wavelength and Director of Product Management, AWS. “With the continued and rapid expansion of AWS Wavelength Zones across the US and around the world, we are delivering on that, while also broadening access to advanced 5G and edge capabilities to every AWS customer, small or large. We’re excited to see the innovation that customers like Easy Ariel and Fermata Energy bring with novel applications that transform consumers’ experiences by leveraging AWS Wavelength on Verizon 5G Edge.”

  • Verizon and Google Cloud Team Up to Deliver 5G Mobile Edge Computing

    Verizon and Google Cloud Team Up to Deliver 5G Mobile Edge Computing

    Verizon and Google Cloud are teaming up to deliver 5G mobile edge computing to customers.

    Edge computing is one of the areas 5G is poised to have a major impact on. Thanks to the speed of 5G, devices will be able to process data more efficiently, in real-time. This will help power a new generation of autonomous vehicles, robotics, factory automation, and more.

    Verizon and Google Cloud are working together to combine Google’s compute and storage services with Verizon’s On Site 5G and 5G Edge services.

    “By working with partners like Google Cloud and Ericsson, we’re building the 5G edge compute ecosystem that will enable enterprises in many industries to benefit from having a completely dedicated private network and edge compute infrastructure on premise,” said Rima Qureshi, Chief Strategy Officer at Verizon. “5G Edge with Google Distributed Cloud Edge will give our customers the ability to connect and manage a broad range of devices at scale and speed while also providing highly secure, near real-time connectivity. This will allow companies to unlock greater value from data and enable innovative applications involving computer vision, augmented and virtual reality, and machine learning.” 

    “Through our planet-scale infrastructure and expertise in data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, Google Cloud is enabling the rapid development and deployment of new services and applications,” said Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud. “By bringing intelligence from data centers to the network edge, Verizon 5G Edge with Google Distributed Cloud Edge will allow customers to build new cross-industry edge solutions, unlock new revenue models, and transform the next generation of customer experiences – from AI-driven in-store operations to live inventory management on the factory floor, the possibilities span multiple industries.”

  • AT&T Enterprise Customers Hit by Data-Stealing Malware

    AT&T Enterprise Customers Hit by Data-Stealing Malware

    AT&T customers are being hit with a malware attack that uses a network edge device to steal data.

    According to Ars Technica, researchers at Qihoo 360 discovered a new botnet that is targeting the EdgeMarc Enterprise Session Border Controller. The device is commonly used by small to medium-sized enterprises on AT&T’s network.

    “However, during this brief observation, we confirmed that the attacked devices were EdgeMarc Enterprise Session Border Controller, belonging to the telecom company AT&T, and that all 5.7k active victims that we saw during the short time window were all geographically located in the US,” wrote Qihoo 360’s Alex Turing and Hui Wang.

    The vulnerability traces back to 2017 when a researcher discovered a way to attack the devices using an on-device account that used “root” and “default” as the username and password. Despite being discovered years ago, Ars says it’s unclear if AT&T ever notified customers of the vulnerability.

    A patch was released 19 months later, in December 2018. Because the patch required manual installation, however, it’s a safe bet many companies never installed the fix.

    Qihoo 360’s researchers have already found more than 100,000 devices using the same TLS certificate as infected devices. This may indicate the vulnerability is far more widespread than just the confirmed victims.

    “We are not sure how many devices corresponding to these IPs could be infected, but we can speculate that as they belong to the same class of devices the possible impact is real,” the researchers added.

  • Verizon and Mastercard Team Up to Apply 5G to the Payments Industry

    Verizon and Mastercard Team Up to Apply 5G to the Payments Industry

    Verizon and Mastercard are partnering to bring the benefits of 5G to the payments industry.

    5G stands poised to revolutionize numerous industries, not the least of which is the financial sector. Like most carriers, Verizon has been moving ahead at full-speed in its efforts to deploy its 5G network.

    The two companies plan to use 5G to help “drive transformational solutions for the global payments and commerce ecosystem.” The next-gen wireless technology will help revolutionize new areas of the commerce industry, including contactless payments and autonomous checkout.

    In particular, the two companies’ efforts will help advance the use of smartphones for making and accepting payments, providing touchless retail experiences, VR/AR shopping and creating new ways to consume digital content.

    “Business needs and consumer demands constantly fluctuate. Critical components of long-term success are the ability to remain agile and align with strategic financial and payments partners that have the tools and capabilities to drive industries forward,” said Sampath Sowmyanarayan, CRO, Verizon Business. “Coupling Verizon’s leading global IP network and transformative 5G technology with Mastercard’s deep industry expertise, leading services and solutions, and a strong commitment to innovate, is a partnership that aligns perfectly with what we are striving to achieve at Verizon and one that can create game-changing solutions.”

  • Weather Forecasts May Suffer From 5G

    Weather Forecasts May Suffer From 5G

    Carriers may be racing to deploy 5G, but it seems accurate weather forecasts may be an unintended casualty.

    5G promises to revolutionize a slew of industries, offering speeds that rival or surpasses traditional broadband. Thanks to being wireless, the technology promises to have a profound impact on edge computing, artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles and more.

    Unfortunately, one of the trade-offs may be more accurate weather forecasts, according to Scientific American. The issue revolves around spectrum in the 24 Ghz band, spectrum weather satellites rely on to monitor the natural microwave signals that atmospheric water vapor produces.

    “It is one of those things that are a gift of nature,” said William Mahoney III, associate director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research. “A third of the current forecasting skill comes from this data,” adding the data can “make the difference between a blue sky day and a tornado day.”

    Unfortunately, 5G signals in that spectrum range can drown out the water vapor signals.

    “If you have a large network of cellphone towers transmitting many orders of magnitude more power near the ground, some of that reflects upward and parts of the atmosphere will become very noisy,” Mahoney said.

    The results could be disastrous, severely inhibiting meteorologists ability to accurately forecast the weather, including warning people of severe weather events.

    Similarly, the 16 MHz spectrum is used to connect satellites to automated gauges that measure a variety of factors, including wind speeds and water levels in rivers and streams. Here again, there is concern that noise from wireless technology could interfere with those signals.

    No one is really sure what happens next. The US, and the entire world, is already heavily invested in deploying 5G. It’s unlikely any kind of moratorium will be put in place, leaving scientists and researchers with the tall task of finding a solution.

  • Verizon Makes 5G Push With ‘Biggest Upgrade Campaign Ever’

    Verizon Makes 5G Push With ‘Biggest Upgrade Campaign Ever’

    Verizon is working hard to migrate its customer base to 5G, with its biggest “5G upgrade campaign ever.”

    Like carriers around the world, Verizon is rushing to deploy its 5G network, and working to convince customers to switch over. In addition to the benefits to consumers, in the form of higher speeds and lower latency, 5G has significant benefits to carriers.

    The improved architecture of 5G networks allows carriers to better deal with usage spikes, and the spectrum is better future-proofed to account for growth. The faster speeds also put carriers in the position to better compete with traditional internet service providers, as well as be the go-to solution for edge computing solutions.

    Of course, in order to benefit from 5G, carriers need to convince users to make the switch. Verizon is pulling out all the stops to do just that.

    Starting today, every customer —new and existing, consumers and businesses — can trade in an old phone and get a 5G phone on Verizon. That includes trading in a cracked or broken phone. Verizon will even help cover the cost of switching for new customers.

    The upgrade event promises to be a major event for the carrier, and a good deal for customers.

  • SpaceX Taps Google to Assist With Starlink Internet Access

    SpaceX Taps Google to Assist With Starlink Internet Access

    Google is partnering with SpaceX to provide cloud and internet services, in combination with the latter’s Starlink satellite internet.

    Starlink is a constellation of satellites SpaceX is deploying to provide internet access. Unlike old-school satellite internet, Starlink satellites are in low-Earth orbit, offering speeds and latency that are comparable with Earth-bound broadband. As part of the equation, SpaceX ground stations relay the internet signal from the satellites to the end-user.

    As part of the deal between the two companies, SpaceX’s ground stations will be placed in Google data centers. This will give SpaceX access to Google’s high-capacity private network, a big boost for corporate and enterprise customers. The arrangement will especially benefit companies that rely on edge computing, or those in rural areas that need access to cloud services.

    “Applications and services running in the cloud can be transformative for organizations, whether they’re operating in a highly networked or remote environment,” said Urs Hölzle, Senior Vice President, Infrastructure at Google Cloud. “We are delighted to partner with SpaceX to ensure that organizations with distributed footprints have seamless, secure, and fast access to the critical applications and services they need to keep their teams up and running.”

    “Combining Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency broadband with Google’s infrastructure and capabilities provides global organizations with the secure and fast connection that modern organizations expect,” said SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell. “We are proud to work with Google to deliver this access to businesses, public sector organizations, and many other groups operating around the world.”

    Customers will begin benefiting from the partnership in the second half of 2021.

  • Honda and Verizon Working Together to Use 5G to Improve Road Safety

    Honda and Verizon Working Together to Use 5G to Improve Road Safety

    Verizon and Honda are working together, in cooperation with the University of Michigan’s Mcity, to improve road safety with the help of 5G.

    Honda has been on the forefront of autonomous vehicle research, recently releasing the world’s first Level 3 autonomous car. The company is working with Verizon to see if 5G and mobile edge computing (MEC) can improve road safety, while reducing the need for onboard AI processing.

    The goal is to use 5G and MEC to help vehicles better communicate with other vehicles, road infrastructure and pedestrians to better avoid collisions. For example, if a pedestrian is crossing the road, but obscured from view by a building or parked vehicle, smart intersection cameras could alert oncoming drivers of the danger.

    “Honda’s research collaboration with Verizon is an important step in our multi-year effort to develop connected vehicle safety technology to realize our vision for a collision-free society,” said Ehsan Moradi Pari, Ph.D, research group lead at Honda’s Advanced Technology Research Division. “While the research is preliminary and not intended as a product feature at this time, 5G-enabled vehicle communication and MEC have the potential to advance safety for everyone sharing the road.”

    “The ability to move computing power to the edge of our 5G network is an essential building block for autonomous and connected vehicles, helping cars to communicate with each other in near real-time and with sensors and cameras installed in streets and traffic lights,” said Sanyogita Shamsunder, vice president of Technology Development and 5G Labs at Verizon. “When you consider that roughly 42,000 people were killed in car accidents last year and 94% of accidents are caused by human error, our new technologies including 5G and MEC can help drivers ‘see’ things before the human eye can register and react helping to prevent collisions and save lives.”

    The collaboration is further evidence of the far-reaching impact 5G, AI and edge computing will have on a wide range of industries.

  • Verizon and Dreamscape Partner on 5G Virtual Reality

    Verizon and Dreamscape Partner on 5G Virtual Reality

    Verizon and Dreamscape have announced a partnership to deliver 5G-based virtual reality (VR) innovations.

    Dreamscape is one of the leading VR companies, and helped pioneer multi-person, real-time VR. VR is one of the industries that stands to benefit the most from 5G, as the wireless technology can deliver the speeds and low-latency necessary to create immersive, fluid experiences.

    Verizon and Dreamscape’s partnership will initially focus on using 5G and mobile edge computing (MEC) to create immersive-learning and training experiences.

    “Verizon’s partnership with Dreamscape shows how innovative tech built on our 5G network can revolutionize industries,” said Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business. “Using 5G and Edge computing, we are creating immensely powerful and complex VR experiences using lower-cost, tetherless VR hardware, and advancing VR education and training simulations beyond what was previously thought possible. This opens the door to new experiences and makes VR training more accessible for students, trainees, and professionals.”

    “Dreamscape is founded on the premise that we can think beyond physical limitations to create new ways for our world to learn, play, and work. With Verizon as our partner, we’re able to push the limits of VR. Together, we’ll set the standard for VR innovation and application in every field,” said Walter Parkes, CEO of Dreamscape.

  • Nokia Partners With Big Three Cloud Providers for 5G Cloud Solutions

    Nokia Partners With Big Three Cloud Providers for 5G Cloud Solutions

    Nokia has announced partnerships with AWS, Microsoft and Google Cloud to develop 5G cloud solutions.

    The Finnish company made the separate announcements on Monday, partnering with each company to tackle different areas for 5G improvements.

    In the case of both AWS and Google Cloud, Nokia will be working on cloud-based 5G radio solutions. The partnerships will see Nokia work with both companies on Radio Access Network (RAN), Open RAN, Cloud RAN (vRAN) and edge technologies. Open RAN is designed to allow carriers to use interoperable hardware and software from multiple vendors, rather than being locked into vendor-specific solutions. Similarly, Cloud Ran allows carriers to manage their RAN functions using cloud computing principles and resources.

    “This collaboration with Nokia will extend the reach of our industry-leading cloud technology to support our Telco and enterprise customers,” said Dave Brown, Vice President, Amazon EC2, AWS. “We look forward to working closely on this collaboration and offer multiple deployment choices for customers to build 5G Cloud RAN and Open RAN solutions. Our customers will benefit from different options to run 5G RAN using AWS Outposts with either Intel or ARM-based CPU choices, or third-party bare metal servers while using Amazon EKS and EKS Anywhere. This will solve for the challenge of CI/CD, automation, and network orchestration by using a common framework of tools across Core and RAN.”

    Meanwhile, Nokia is partnering with Microsoft to integrate its Cloud RAN technology into Microsoft Azure. Nokia will include its 5G RAN with Azure 4G/5G to better support enterprise customers.

    “Microsoft believes in the importance of an open and interoperable ecosystem of solutions on the Azure carrier grade platform,” said Yousef Khalidi, Corporate Vice President, Azure for Operators at Microsoft Corp. “Our collaboration with Nokia across multiple potential use cases, based on specific customer demand, will provide operators with choices on how the best adopt cloud technology in concert with their 5G updates to drive new revenue streams, reduce cost and future proof their network investment.”

  • IBM Announces IBM Cloud Satellite, General Availability of its Hybrid Cloud Service

    IBM Announces IBM Cloud Satellite, General Availability of its Hybrid Cloud Service

    IBM has announced that its hybrid cloud service is now generally available to all clients, a major step in the company’s transformation.

    IBM announced in October that it would split into two companies. Its legacy business would be spun out as a separate company, while the core business focused on hybrid cloud. Since the announcement, IBM has been on a buying spree, snapping up smaller companies and startups that can help it achieve its goal.

    The company’s hybrid cloud service is now widely available, via its IBM Cloud Satellite service. The service is also integrated with Lumen Technologies’ edge platform to bring IBM’s cloud offerings to edge computing clients.

    “With the Lumen platform’s broad reach, we are giving our enterprise customers access to IBM Cloud Satellite to help them drive innovation more rapidly at the edge,” said Paul Savill, SVP Enterprise Product Management and Services at Lumen. “Our enterprise customers can now extend IBM Cloud services across Lumen’s robust global network, enabling them to deploy data-heavy edge applications that demand high security and ultra-low latency. By bringing secure and open hybrid cloud capabilities to the edge, our customers can propel their businesses forward and take advantage of the emerging applications of the 4th Industrial Revolution.”

    IBM is working with more than 65 ecosystem partners — including Cisco, Dell and Intel — to ensure customers can run their hybrid cloud workloads in any environment, thanks to IBM Cloud Satellite. Service partners will also offer migration and deployment services to help customers make the transition. IBM Cloud Satellite customers will have access to Red Hat OpenShift-certified software via the Red Hat Marketplace.

    “IBM is working with clients to leverage advanced technologies like edge computing and AI, enabling them to digitally transform with hybrid cloud while keeping data security at the forefront,” said Howard Boville, Head of IBM Hybrid Cloud Platform. “With IBM Cloud Satellite, clients can securely gain the benefits of cloud services anywhere, from the core of the data center to the farthest reaches of the network.”

  • Oracle Unveils Roving Edge Devices to Bring Hybrid Cloud to the Edge

    Oracle Unveils Roving Edge Devices to Bring Hybrid Cloud to the Edge

    Oracle has unveiled its Roving Edge Devices (REDs) to help customers bring the power of the cloud to the edge.

    Edge computing is becoming more cortical to organizations across a variety of industries, providing the ability to process data at or near the point of collection. Edge computing is especially important in industries where latency is critical, such as autonomous driving, medical applications and more.

    Oracle’s REDs are ruggedized, portable, scalable server nodes designed to help organizations run cloud applications in the most demanding environments and locations.

    “Customers want choice when it comes to running workloads in the cloud. Each customer has different requirements based on data sovereignty, scale, or wanting the full experience of a public cloud on-premises with all of Oracle’s cloud services. Oracle Roving Edge Infrastructure is the latest example, delivering core infrastructure services to remote locations,” said Clay Magouyrk, executive vice president, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. “Oracle’s hybrid cloud portfolio essentially delivers a cloud region wherever and however a customer needs it.”

    “With Oracle Roving Edge Infrastructure, Oracle yet again broadens its hybrid cloud portfolio by giving customers a taste of its public cloud wherever they may need it,” said Sriram Subramanian, Research Director, IDC. “Oracle designed its cloud infrastructure portfolio to make it as easy as possible for customers to move workloads to the cloud. Oracle Roving Edge, along with other offerings of the Oracle Cloud portfolio, gives customers multiple deployment and control options to run their most important workloads.”

    Oracle has been working to improve its position among the major US cloud providers. AWS currently sits in the top spot, followed by Microsoft and Google. Innovative solutions like REDs could help the company make up ground.

  • Microsoft and HPE Partner to Deliver AI and Edge Computing to Space

    Microsoft and HPE Partner to Deliver AI and Edge Computing to Space

    Microsoft and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) have partnered to bring AI and edge computing to the International Space Station (ISS).

    HPE has been working with NASA to create a commercial, off-the-shelf supercomputer for use on the ISS. The Spaceborne Computer-2 (SBC-2) is specifically built on the HPE Edgeline Converged Edge system, designed for the harshest edge environments — which space certainly qualifies as.

    Microsoft and HPE are working to connect the SBC-2 to Azure, to enable cloud computing, along with AI and machine learning development in the ultimate edge environment.

    “HPE and Microsoft are collaborating to further accelerate space exploration by delivering state-of-the art technologies to tackle a range of data processing needs while in orbit. By bringing together HPE’s Spaceborne Computer-2, which is based on the HPE Edgeline Converged Edge system for advanced edge computing and AI capabilities, with Microsoft Azure to connect to the cloud, we are enabling space explorers to seamlessly transmit large data sets to and from Earth and benefit from an edge-to-cloud experience. We look forward to collaborating with Microsoft on their Azure Space efforts, which share our vision to accelerate discovery and help make breakthroughs to support life and sustainability in future, extended human missions to space.” —Dr. Mark Fernandez, Solutions Architect of Converged Edge Systems at HPE and Principal Investigator for Spaceborne Computer-2

    Microsoft first announced its Azure Space program in October, as a concerted effort to bring cloud computing to space.

    “Today’s announcement advances Azure Space in bringing Azure AI and machine learning to new space missions and emphasizes the true power of hyperscale computing in support of edge scenarios—connecting anyone, anywhere to the cloud,” writesTom Keane Corporate Vice President, Azure Global, Microsoft Azure. “Our collaboration with HPE is just the first step in an incredible journey and will provide researchers and students access to these insights and technologies, inspiring the next generation of those who wish to invent with purpose, on and off the planet.”

  • COVID Has Really Impacted Aerospace… and the Air Force

    COVID Has Really Impacted Aerospace… and the Air Force

    “COVID has really impacted the aerospace industry in this nation and nations around the world disproportionately to other industries… and the Air Force has not been exempt from these impacts,” says former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Dr. Will Roper:

    COVID Has Really Impacted Aerospace… and the Air Force

    COVID has really impacted the aerospace industry in this nation and nations around the world disproportionately to other industries. The Air Force has not been exempt from these impacts. We have had to go into a wartime posture and engage with exceptional authorities and funding to keep the aerospace industry, which allows us to go to war, whole.

    But aside from the crisis response that we’ve all been in it’s forced us to do some serious reflection about how we engage with production and supply chains going forward. How does the Air Force need to change the way it views its future self so that we’re not just more ready for a crisis when it occurs but we’re actually designing better systems, doing better engineering, and using technology more effectively? Systems that we need to go to war are going to be hidden behind doors where their vulnerabilities are never going to be exposed because of secrecy.

    Secrecy Hinders Our Ability To Digitally Go To War

    We’re moving into an era where we’re leveraging commercial technology more frequently. Because of that, we can no longer hope that secrecy, keeping our systems classified, will be the sole means for us to be secure. We need to find a new paradigm where openness is also part of our security posture. Now we’re not going to be able to copy commercial industry one for one. Our systems in many cases don’t have a commercial analog. We can’t quickly replace them.

    We’re not in a competition where spirals occur in years. Many of our aerospace breakthroughs, especially those in technologies like stealth, take time to do. Secrecy is going to continue to be part of the equation. But secrecy can’t be the catch-all approach to how we ensure systems are able to digitally go to war and be ready to fight in a cyber environment against an adversary as capable as we are.

    Containerization Solves The Secrecy Problem

    The software development capabilities that technologies like Kubernetes or containerization and Istio bring in to the Air Force. It’s amazing that companies like Google that have now transitioned this to an open-source driven initiative have solved a lot of what we would have to solve as a military. How do you write code in a development environment, in that tech stack that may also represent the physical aspects of your system, but it certainly represents the software components?

    How do you go from your development environment out to the edge securely and know your code will run the same way. Containerization solves that problem for us. The military is behind and adopting it. It’s not old but this technology is moving through industry as fast as Linux did. If we don’t get off the dime we will be left behind. Keep pushing the Air Force and Space Force on this. Do not let us get comfortable.

    COVID Has Really Impacted Aerospace… and the Air Force
  • Verizon and Unity Partner On 5G, MEC and Digital Experiences

    Verizon and Unity Partner On 5G, MEC and Digital Experiences

    Verizon has announced it is partnering with Unity to help drive 5G-powered digital experiences and mobile edge computing (MEC).

    5G is the next generation of wireless technology that promises revolutionary speeds, opening up a whole new world of digital possibilities. Augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), gaming, autonomous driving and much more all benefit from the speeds 5G can provide. Edge computing and MEC is another area where 5G can make a big difference, allowing data to be processed faster at or near the point of collection.

    Verizon has been investing heavily in its 5G network. Until recently, it had primarily focused on the fastest variety of 5G, the high-band mmWave, which Verizon calls Ultra Wideband. The company has also spent big at the FCC auction for coveted mid-band spectrum, often considered the sweet spot for 5G, offering a good combination of speed and coverage.

    Unity, on the other hand, is the maker of the popular Unity game engine, as well as the creator of the popular Fortnite game. Unity’s engine is also one of the leading VR platforms. This portfolio makes Unity a natural choice for Verizon to partner with to provide 5G content.

    “We are entering an era of technology-led disruption where 5G and MEC will not only transform the full enterprise lifecycle, it will change the way consumers experience gaming and entertainment,” said Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business. “Every business is accelerating the shift to digital for their employees, supply chain or end-customer experience. So whether you’re an enterprise reimaging how you do business using predictive real time insights, computer vision, machine learning and artificial intelligence, or a mobile gamer who simply wants to download the hottest new game in seconds and enjoy data intensive, multiplayer games conventionally reserved for consoles, the future is happening right now.”

    “We know the world is demanding high-speed, AAA content, whether it’s an educational augmented reality application or a robot running a simulation of a digital twin,” said Ryan Peterson, VP, Solutions, at Unity. “5G is the key piece for us to facilitate these real-time 3D experiences broadly and to better meet the demands of the real-time economy.”

    This partnership further illustrates the emphasis wireless companies are placing on providing content that aligns with their core business. In October, T-Mobile announced TVision, its foray into streaming TV. Similarly, AT&T has its own streaming service. In an industry known for its churn — where customers switch from one company to another — providing high-quality digital experiences may play a big role in increasing brand loyalty.

     

    Image Credit: Unity & Verizon

  • Verizon and Deloitte Team Up to Expand 5G Edge Computing

    Verizon and Deloitte Team Up to Expand 5G Edge Computing

    Verizon and Deloitte are teaming up to advance 5G and mobile edge computing (MEC).

    5G is a major upgrade to wireless tech, bringing speeds that are poised to revolutionize industries. One area where 5G stands to make a significant contribution is in the realm of edge computing. Edge computing involves processing data at or near the point of collection, rather than sending it to a faraway data processing center. As a result, edge computing is the ideal solution for low-latency applications.

    Verizon and Deloitte are working on a number of MEC capabilities, including a smart factory solution that will use MEC-enabled computer vision and sensor-based detection to improve the manufacturing process. The solution will predict quality defects, alerting management before costly mistakes are made.

    Similarly, the two companies are working on an edge compute environment that will improve plant efficiency by reducing waste, cutting down manual quality inspection and more.

    “By bringing together Verizon’s 5G and MEC prowess with Deloitte’s deep industry expertise and track record in system integration with large enterprises on smart factories, we plan to deliver cutting-edge solutions that will close the gap between digital business operations and legacy manufacturing environments and unlock the value of the end-to-end digital enterprise,” said Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business. “This collaboration is part of Verizon’s broader strategy to align with enterprises, startups, universities and government to explore how 5G and MEC can disrupt and transform nearly every industry.”

    “In our recently published Deloitte Advanced Wireless Adoption study, over 85% of US executives surveyed indicated that advanced wireless is a force multiplier that will unlock the full potential of edge computing, AI, Cloud, IoT, and data analytics. Our collaboration with Verizon combines Deloitte’s business transformation expertise with advanced wireless and MEC technology to deliver game changing solutions,” said Ajit Prabhu, US Ecosystems & Alliances Strategy Officer and 5G/Edge Computing Commercialization leader, Deloitte Consulting LLP.

  • 5G Deployment Could Be Bad For The Environment

    5G Deployment Could Be Bad For The Environment

    A report by France’s High Council on Climate has warned that 5G deployment could lead to a major spike in CO2 emissions.

    Carriers around the world are racing to deploy the next generation of wireless networks. 5G is seen as a revolutionary upgrade, not only for consumers, but also for the enterprise. The speeds 5G provides will help lead to advances in edge computing, AI, autonomous vehicles and private networks.

    Unfortunately, the advances 5G brings may come at a cost to the environment. According to the High Council on Climate’s report, 5G deployment could lead to as much as 3 to 7 billion extra tons of CO2 in the atmosphere, according to France 24.

    “We request a moratorium and our request is even more relevant today, now that the high council has said that we need to assess the technology’s environmental impact before deploying it,” said Éric Piolle a lawmaker with Europe Écologie-Les Verts, the French Green party.

    It remains to be seen if France will put a hold on 5G deployment, although it seems unlikely at this point.