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AI and Edge-enabled Applications and Infrastructure: Supercharging User Experience

In the pantheon of modern technologies, Edge computing will count as the darling of the human race. Here is why: We are naturally impatient; we suffer from a deep-set FOMO, and so do the business we run; we want alerts, insights, updates, reports, and intelligence without delay; we don’t like to miss a thing. Edge devices and edge computing feed our hunger for the now; they are the antidote to delays in acquiring information that can make a difference to life, business, and competitiveness.

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n the pantheon of modern technologies, Edge computing will count as the darling of the human race. Here is why: We are naturally impatient; we suffer from a deep-set FOMO, and so do the business we run; we want alerts, insights, updates, reports, and intelligence without delay; we don’t like to miss a thing. Edge devices and edge computing feed our hunger for the now; they are the antidote to delays in acquiring information that can make a difference to life, business, and competitiveness. But here is why you need to roll up your sleeves and get down to raising your Edge game now: As 5G rolls out across the world, offering new network functionality, Edge computing is rapidly transforming decision responsiveness. Already, 40 percent of the global population is covered by 5G, with 1.6 billion subscribers. By 2029, that figure is expected to grow to more than 5.3 billion . The market for Edge computing, say analysts, will swell from an estimated $15.59 billion in 2024 to $32.19 billion by 2029 . As 5G becomes ubiquitous, so will Edge systems become more prevalent.
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The Magic at the Edge

Edge systems are transformational. They allow, for example, Netflix to analyze the behavior and preferences of subscribers and offer real-time recommendations, ensuring more of their content is consumed. Edge systems make it possible to have smart refrigerators in homes. These refrigerators adjust temperatures and prevent food from spoiling, provide alerts when foods are reaching expiration to reduce waste, and deliver alerts when supplies such as milk or butter are low. Soon, Edge computing will combine with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and see refrigerators providing insights into nutrition and dishing out meal-planning options based on a visual analysis of the inventory.

A few examples of Edge applications across industries show us why technology is no longer a fascinating discussion but a real need.

In the Retail industry, Edge applications and infrastructure analyze customer preferences and leverage algorithms to make buying and stocking suggestions. Cognitive computing is combined with Edge devices in the automobile industry to give us autonomous vehicles capable of split-second decisions. In the long run, the technology will lower accident rates, automatically enforce traffic rules and regulations, and reduce the taxpayer money used to maintain the large traffic police forces and legal machinery for monitoring and managing traffic violations. In the Medical industry, the technology, in the form of wearables, predicts coughs, colds, flu, and other—more dangerous—conditions even before the symptoms manifest themselves. Surveillance cameras and drones used in the Oil and Gas industry can analyze images and send instant alerts for breaches and hazardous events, preventing human and material loss. None of this would be possible without Edge-enabled infrastructure, technology, and applications.

In the Manufacturing and Energy industries, Edge computing ensures early interventions that prevent equipment failure, saving millions of dollars that can otherwise be lost in production downtime, maintenance, and operating costs. In the US, where power systems are considered to be 99.97 percent reliable, power outages still cost, at the very least, $150 billion each year or $500 for every man, woman, and child, says a report prepared for the US Government Department of Energy.

Assured Technological Maturity

In terms of maturity, the technology isn’t new. It has been around for more than two decades. Around 1998, Akamai, now a cloud, security, and content delivery organization, set its team to solve the bottlenecks and congestion triggered by the server-computer model that became popular thanks to the World Wide Web. Thousands of computers connecting to a server for data created stress, resulting in application and infrastructure crashes. By 2002, Akamai shifted the focus of data and computation from centralized servers to the Internet’s edge, giving us Edge Architecture. The decentralization reduced network congestion and the stress on the computing power of servers. In the process, systems and organizations that use Edge Architecture solve the challenge of latency and cost by avoiding cloud transfers.

But the Edge is entering a new era with the availability of smart IoT devices, 5G, and an increasingly affordable layer of AI. Analysts predict that by 2025, around 75 percent of enterprise-generated data will be created and processed outside a traditional centralized data center or cloud . This means the burden for data creation, management, processing, analytics, and insights distribution will shift to Edge infrastructure.

The Growing Edge: Lessons from Agriculture

In the agriculture industry, primarily dominated by innovation around mechanized equipment, Edge systems have begun to make a radical difference in improving food security. The agriculture industry has already started to rely heavily on smart Edge-based technology and could, in the coming years, become the flag-bearer of the Edge revolution. The environment in the agriculture industry is not naturally conducive to technology, falling just short of being hostile: Sites are remote, exposure to the elements and unpredictable events create excessive stress on infrastructure, users are not technologically savvy, and investments in technology are made with supreme caution. And yet, because the benefits far outweigh the pain, smart farming is gaining traction. Edge infrastructure and applications today allow farmers to leverage data for precision farming. They can track climate change, assess soil conditions and predict pest attacks, monitor livestock health, streamline distribution and logistics, and forecast in real-time crop yield and market trends. Overall, this allows them to gain finer control over operations, optimize equipment usage, prevent loss, and lower the cost of operations.

The challenges the agriculture industry faces are remarkably ubiquitous. Connectivity will be of concern to any business located in a remote area; data security and data loss at the Edge must be dealt with across industries; and compatibility with different technologies and devices will always result in minor hiccups in implementation. However, the agriculture industry has some vital insights that we can benefit from—extreme weather conditions impact the reliability of systems, and there is wisdom in balancing technology with traditional methods.

Conclusion:

But the bottom line is clear: If a technology can work in the agricultural sector, it can work practically anywhere. Businesses that want to explore the possibilities presented by Edge technology should turn to experienced and trusted partners who have successfully implemented Edge systems for various environments and business conditions. The knowledge and expertise they bring are the underlying factors for success.

 

 

  1. Ericsson Mobility Report, November 2023: ericsson-mobility-report-november-2023.pdf
  2. Edge Computing Market Size & Share Analysis – Growth Trends & Forecasts (2024 – 2029): https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/edge-computing-market
  3. The Smart Grid: An Introduction: DOE_SG_Book_Single_Pages
  4. Globally Distributed Content Delivery: DMPPSW02.pdf
  5. What Edge Computing Means for Infrastructure and Operations Leaders: www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/what-edge-computing-means-for-infrastructure-and-operations-leaders
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n the pantheon of modern technologies, Edge computing will count as the darling of the human race. Here is why: We are naturally impatient; we suffer from a deep-set FOMO, and so do the business we run; we want alerts, insights, updates, reports, and intelligence without delay; we don’t like to miss a thing. Edge devices and edge computing feed our hunger for the now; they are the antidote to delays in acquiring information that can make a difference to life, business, and competitiveness. But here is why you need to roll up your sleeves and get down to raising your Edge game now: As 5G rolls out across the world, offering new network functionality, Edge computing is rapidly transforming decision responsiveness. Already, 40 percent of the global population is covered by 5G, with 1.6 billion subscribers. By 2029, that figure is expected to grow to more than 5.3 billion . The market for Edge computing, say analysts, will swell from an estimated $15.59 billion in 2024 to $32.19 billion by 2029 . As 5G becomes ubiquitous, so will Edge systems become more prevalent.
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Related Industries

  • Manufacturing

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  • Cloud, Infra & Digital Security