Edge computing has been mulled over by many companies in the last six months, but now VMware has revealed its latest solutions exploring the technology at Mobile World Congress (MWC).
VMware aims to bring solutions to vendors to make processes even easier than they already have, especially when exporting The Internet of Things (IoT) and smart cities.
Using edge computing allows organisations to offer faster response times, reduce costs and optimise the bandwidth. From a security perspective, edge computing still offers businesses the same level of data privacy in addition to compiling to data regulations. Gartner findings revealed that 75% of enterprise-generated data will be created outside the traditional data centre or cloud, which is an increase from less than 10% today.
At MWC, VMware has announced it will use hyper-converged solutions for edge computing. This will provide a more efficient and secure infrastructure for IoT, which is much easier to manage, scale and update than customers’ current infrastructures. From utilising this new infrastructure, customers can drive cost savings and improve their ROI.
“Building an edge computing solution today is a time-intensive exercise most enterprises can’t afford. Today, VMware unveils hyper-converged edge computing solutions that are cost-effective and will enable customers to build and scale secure, use case-specific IoT solutions that work for them from the edge all the way to the cloud, relying on proven, tested software they already use and trust,” said Ray O’Farrell, executive vice president & chief technology officer, VMware.
Mimi Spier, VP of IoT at VMware, discussed the need to personalise the IoT edge computing service rather than just focusing on the benefits it provides as a whole. She said: “Customers don’t want to have to send it back to the cloud, so now we are going to build an end-to-end solution with our partners to deliver small computes at the edge that then sync back to IoT platforms in the cloud. We are focusing on more than the latency, we are looking at what the requirements of those infrastructures will be.”
In addition to the new IoT edge solution, VMware has also revealed it will be partnering with Axis Communications and Dell EMC for smart surveillance solutions. The partnership will utilise Axis Communications’ surveillance capabilities, which include IP cameras and 4G LTE routers that can be deployed to protect property, stored and employees.
Within the partnership VMware will use its Pulse IoT center, giving customers a new and improved way to manage, monitor and secure routers and cameras from Axis Communications.
“With the convergence of IT and security top of mind for the industry, we’re excited to collaborate with VMware on an IoT solution for the surveillance industry,” said Scott Dunn, senior director, Business Development Solutions & Services, Axis Communications, Inc. “This collaboration will give us an outstanding opportunity to deliver a better experience for our mutual customers by providing a leading edge IoT platform and management solution.”
Boosting its IoT Strategy even further, VMware has announced that alongside Dell EMC the pair will be partnering with Wipro Limited to extend Manufacturers and Asset Management Services. The trio aim to bring more IoT benefits to manufacturers as well as customers, such as improved efficiency and productivity of machinery and other shop floor assets.
“Our partnership with VMware and Dell Technologies complements our end to end IoT solutions and enables us to realize business outcomes for our customers,” said Jayraj Nair, Vice President and Global Head of IoT, Wipro Limited. “Asset management, smart manufacturing, logistics and supply chain solutions enabled by IoT technologies are ushering in new levels of operational efficiency for our global clients.”
The IoT solution developed by the three partners will integrate multiple IoT platforms, either hosted on-premise or in the cloud and connecting these environments will allow customers to benefit from deeper analytics and machine learning. Like VMware’s IoT edge computing solution, Wipro’s platform and analytics capabilities also operate in real-time for effective data processing as well as predicting failure analytics for devices on the manufacturing floor.
In the competitive market of IoT, Vmware has put customers at the heart of the solution, aiming to deliver the best capabilities to best fit the needs of individual businesses alongside both Dell EMC and Wipro. “Together with ecosystem partners Axis, Wipro Limited and Dell EMC, we’re excited to deliver the first of many tailored solutions to meet the unique IoT needs of our enterprise customers,” said O’Farrell.
