I’m a big fan of lists. The top ten movies of the decade, the five things you must see in Croatia, the three best cities to live in. You get the idea. So, what better way to finish up 2022, than to talk about my favorite topic these days? And of course – it just has to be in list format.
Initially, to be cute, I was all set to write a list of 23 trends, and don’t get me wrong – I can totally do that, I mean, c’mon – Edge is THE hot topic for 2023. But then I toned it down (just a notch), in favor of brevity (and not losing my readers half way through).
So here it is – the trends in Edge Computing that are going to shape the landscape in 2023 (and beyond).
Edgy Enterprise
Major Enterprises worldwide are all looking to the Edge – and with good reason. So many large, widespread organizations in Retail, Manufacturing, Healthcare and Finance, rely on a network of thousands (and more), of distributed devices of all kinds. They all need data-driven insights to make informed business decisions. And once they realize how a virtualized Edge solves so many problems – well there’s no going back.
5G Gets Connected
It’s no secret that 5G and Edge go hand in hand. Faster speeds, lower latency, and higher capacity, make 5G the perfect complement for apps that require real-time data processing. With the forecasts for 5G roll-outs blowing up in 2023, we’re definitely going to see a parallel increase in Edge deployments across global operators and service providers.
AI and Edge: The Robots Are Coming
I assure you; an AI did NOT write this post (would you know if it did?), but it seems like it’s everywhere, isn’t it? ChatGPT, Dall-E and pics of ourselves in various historical outfits are fun, but organizations are relying more and more on AI to make REAL business decisions that get them a competitive edge (see what I did there?). This is just the tip of the iceberg – I can’t wait to see the exciting advancements we’re going to make in AI, and the on-the-edge applications that will run them.
The Furure of Edge Computing
As long as we’re talking futuristic stuff and AI, then Computer vision is the next logical step. Are we creating machines that see and understand the world like we do? The applications for computer vision are endless and the potential is huge, bordering on SciFi – autonomous vehicles, medical diagnostics, facial recognition, augmented gaming – you name it. But these apps need incredible real-time processing capabilities of humongous amounts of data, making Edge Computing a no-brainer.
Exploring Edge as a Service
In the beginning there was SaaS and it was good. Then came PaaS, IaaS, NaaS and you get the picture, everything is as-a-service now, and Edge is no exception. So, although still nascent, with compute architecture becoming more distributed, Edge as a Service may be one way that allows those that are still on the fence to access edge computing resources, and give this Edge thing a go.
New Standardization Around Edge Computing
Is 2023 the year that we will finally see some standardization around Edge Computing? And who will take the lead on that? Is it vendor side or operator side? Lots of questions around the need for interoperability and seamless integration of multi-vendor systems in virtualized and highly distributed networks. This is all going to become a major necessity as Edge takes off and I expect many discussions around it in the various forums, conferences and online groups. Anyone want to raise their hand?
IoT Devices and Edge Computing
There are around 8 Bn IOT devices out there, and thanks to 5G and Edge Computing, that number is expected to reach almost 30 Bn by 2030. IOT and Edge are yin and yang, and smart devices and THINGS are everywhere. So many IOT devices mean staggering amounts of data being generated, analyzed and pushed – which means – you got it – Edge Computing is needed to help with all that real-time data analysis and decision making.
Service Providers to the Rescue
Large global Operators are a classic Edge customer, (they just don’t know it yet), with their extensive distributed networks and the growing roll out of 5G. More and more operators are also turning to providing IT services for Enterprises, or in other words, becoming Managed Services providers. Classic MSPs, managing thousands of devices, services and apps for a large variety of enterprise customers want to be able to easily deploy, maintain and manage any type of application for their customers and improve their user experience. Edge Computing? Classic for making this a smooth and hassle-free ride. Expect to see a boom!
Edge Computing or Cloud Computing (or both)
It’s become very trendy to pit Edge against Cloud, or Edge Computing against Cloud Computing. But in the spirit of New Year resolutions, why do they have to be on opposing sides when they can work together so easily and seamlessly? Hybrid Edge/Cloud architectures create a flexible and scalable solution that takes the best of both worlds and makes a win-win situation for Cloud providers looking to expand to the edge and Edge vendors looking to fill the gaps in the Edge Continuum. And seriously, who doesn’t like a win-win?
So there you have it, my favorite topic (Edge Computing in case you missed it), roaring confidently towards 2023. And now, let’s make it happen!
