5G has been called the “enterprise G” and with good reason. The increased bandwidth, high reliability, low latency and cost efficiencies that 5G provides are critical for the next generation of business use cases such as automated guided vehicles, IoT sensors, warehouse and factory robots and augmented reality experiences. Many of these use cases also require real-time data collection and processing, resulting in a heightened emphasis on multi-access edge computing (MEC). Edge solutions bring business applications closer to where the data is processed to deliver real-time responsiveness while conserving network bandwidth, adding security and reducing costs. There has been a ton of industry discussion about what these technologies can deliver. Today, AT&T, Dell Technologies and VMware are announcing they have teamed to deliver a carrier-grade edge solution for enterprises that delivers valuable business outcomes.
The AT&T MEC with Dell APEX solution delivers application-ready edge infrastructure on-premises, as needed. With the click of a button, enterprises can order more Dell edge processing to be delivered and implemented in weeks, not months. This “edge-as-a-Service” model enables innovation by allowing enterprises to try out new 5G edge services without making heavy capital investments.
Think of 5G edge as a convergence of two transformational technologies: 5G connectivity and edge computing infrastructure. On closer inspection, there are several additional innovations at work that have helped to create the 5G edge opportunity, including the expansion of available licensed spectrum (including mmWave), hybrid cloud computing and software-defined networking. Taken together, these transformative technologies help allow enterprises to do things they could only dream of before. The best use cases for 5G edge technology are right in front of us, and it’s important that enterprises act today to make their edge strategy a reality.