5 Ways to Get Your Edge On

Gaurav Mohan, VP, SAARC & Middle East, NETSCOUT

Edge computing is ‘tipped’ to continue its upward growth and investments within this sector are forecasted to reach $1.46 billion USD value by 2023 within the MENA region. This rate of increase is expected to continue, with a compound annual growth rate of 33% until 2030. This growth points to the increased demand for edge use cases, which account for 20 percent of spending across multivendor offerings in support of industrywide digital transformation initiatives.

The future success of 5G networks and services depends largely on the edge – but what and where is the edge? The significance of the edge might change depending on the situation and viewpoint. Here are five essential strategies to get an advantage:

1. Knowing the Edge

The network edge is defined as a place in the network where the device or local area network (LAN) connects to the internet. It is named this way because it serves as the point of entry for devices connecting to the network and the internet. The edge will serve as transaction corridors, enabling various technology stakeholders to maintain network infrastructures and performance while using hybrid network offerings to provide latency and reliability for business and mission-critical use cases.

2. Locating the Edge

The edge is available at four physical locations: network, device, on-premises, and regional.

• The Network refers to a region outside the mobile network’s center. Numerous places, including regional data centers, central offices, access points, base stations, and the radio access network (RAN), can be connected to it. Additionally, on-premises sites with uCPE (universal customer premises equipment) devices may be included.
• The Device refers to workloads that are executed directly on physical hardware that is coupled with an edge computing platform, such as Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, smart speakers, wearables, and cameras.
• On-site resources, such as an IoT gateway or an on-site data center, are supported by on-premises resources. When clients require that their data stay on their premises due to sensitive or private information, these computer resources are crucial.
• Regional indicates modest carrier-neutral data centers or internet exchanges that provide co-location services and are close to tier-two or tier-three cities.

3. Computing the Edge

Many applications with business- or mission-critical workloads are hosted on the edge. To improve end-user experience, the edge primarily offers the computational processing of data that is required to minimize inefficiencies, boost bandwidth and throughput, and ensure latency requirements and dependability. The network can now offer results for use cases with the necessary quality of service thanks to edge computing. The term “mobile edge computing” or “multi-access edge computing” (MEC) is used by communications service providers (CSPs) to describe this edge computing. The capabilities of cloud computing are extended to the network edge via MEC, a crucial 5G network enabler.

4. Evolving the Edge

Traditional cloud infrastructures are unable to handle the performance and quality of experience required at the edge and will need to become more flexible and distributed. The name of this new design is edge cloud. Many CSPs have joined up with hyper-scalers to create edge cloud architectures that easily serve enterprise vertical business use cases to boost support for a cloud-native ecosystem and speed up edge cloud deployment.

5. Speaking the Edge

Language is the essence of access. Learning a foreign language gives you influence over those who speak that language. Similarly, every industry has terminology, jargon or ‘code speak’ that may quickly convey comprehension of a topic or issue. Gaining the ability to ‘speak the edge’ will provide enterprises and cross-functional teams with a competitive edge, boost problem-solving effectiveness, and ultimately enhance the user experience.

Complexity at the Edge

The edge is a hotspot for complexity since it will host multiple transaction corridors while conducting business/mission-critical managed workloads. To provide the best quality of service (QoS), latency and reliability must be ensured for every task. There are extra difficulties for CSPs to overcome to succeed at the edge:

• Digital transformation: The network ecosystem is still being complicated by new difficulties brought on by 5G, emerging technologies, and digital transformation, such as Open RAN, AI/ML, and the demand for automation.
• Business initiatives: To maintain the quality of service, the performance of the current network must be maintained, and new network efforts must continue to deliver performance and innovation and expand chances for the adoption of new income streams.
• Vendor tools: Success depends on having the correct tools. Real-time reporting with insights for innovation is made possible by scalable cloud-based technologies that use AI, ML, and automation.
• Enterprise domain knowledge: To establish domain knowledge supporting business-critical applications and use cases for particular domains, such as private 5G, MEC, and IoT, CSPs must work with external partners (cloud providers, content providers, and system integrators).

The most recent application cases for edge adventures include cloud gaming, video, and autonomous guided vehicles (AGV). 5G services and technology has significantly contributed to the global economy – generating $4.4 trillion in 2020, and is forecasted to reach around $5 trillion by 2025. Within the Middle East region, there were 24 million 5G mobile subscriptions in the region; and is expected to reach 270 million by 2028.

In conclusion, the expertise accumulated over the years in the industry and a versatile cloud-based platform offer a robust solution for CSPs looking to expand their network capabilities and thrive in edge computing. The concept of Visibility Without Borders aligns seamlessly with diverse cloud environments, networks, services, and technologies, instilling CSPs with the confidence to drive innovation.

This solution offers comprehensive performance visibility across networks and accommodates open cloud-based and hybrid network configurations. The Smart Data insights are universally applicable, 3GPP-compliant, and versatile enough to support various network generations, whether physical, hybrid, or cloud-based.