Edge compute: use cases, business opportunities and growth strategies

Overview

About edge compute and edge cloud

An overview of edge computing and edge cloud to highlight the key questions being asked by the wider ecosystem and telecoms operators who are exploring the opportunity

Service

STL Partners edge insights service

STL Partners has launched an edge insights service. It provides a combination of three tools to support telecoms operators and technology companies in developing their edge computing strategies

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Edge Computing Startup in the Spotlight

Edge Startup in the Spotlight draws attention to (startup) movers and shakers in the edge world.

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How 5G and edge computing will transform AR & VR use cases

AR and VR are still relatively niche technologies that have not yet been adopted at scale. Part of this is due to challenges that can now be overcome by 5G and edge computing. We deep-dive on specific use cases and real-life applications in this article.

Article

60 Edge computing companies to watch in 2021

In this article, we spotlight 60 companies who are making waves in edge computing and are “ones to watch” over the next few years.

Article

Why private LTE needs edge computing

Private LTE, and other private cellular networks including private 5G, are being deployed to meet the needs of enterprises and provide an alternative to the existing connectivity choices. This article explores how and why edge computing is necessary to deliver private cellular networks.

Interactive tool

Edge computing ecosystem tool

An interactive tool that maps out where different companies are positioned across the edge computing ecosystem

Article

Edge use cases for retail, warehousing and logistics

Retail is a leading sector adopting edge use cases, given the need to constantly innovate and improve the shopper experience. The move to on-demand is accelerating the use of edge to automate processes in warehousing and logistics. This article spells out the key use cases across these three industries.

Article

Edge computing & 5G in the automotive industry: from gears to software

Edge computing and 5G is being explored and adopted within the automotive industry to support the increasingly complex software being deployed in cars. Together, 5G and edge computing can deliver low latency, high bandwidth and mobile applications in a secure and reliable fashion. In this article, we explore some of the automotive use cases enabled by these capabilities.

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10 Edge computing use case examples

Edge computing brings processing and storage capabilities closer to where it is needed. Why is this important, and which industries can benefit the most?

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Edge computing partnerships: Telcos and hyperscalers

Hyperscalers such as Amazon, Microsoft and Google are rapidly increasing their presence in the edge computing market. They have launched dedicated 5G network edge solutions and started partnering with telcos to bring their platforms closer to end users. Telcos, however, are yet to develop a clear strategy on how to use these partnerships to move up the value chain and play a role beyond hosting the infrastructure.

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Edge Computing Market Trends

The global edge computing market is expected to grow rapidly at a CAGR of 34% during the period 2019-2025. We explore the main industry drivers, key players, regional differences and use case examples spanning a variety of sectors.

Article

vRAN and edge computing: networking use cases will be key to investment and rollout

vRAN, or virtualised radio access network, could be one of the largest drivers for more distributed compute in the next five years. This has significant implications for how and where edge infrastructure will be deployed. There are several considerations edge application providers must take note of.

Article

CDN: what is edge CDN and virtual CDN (vCDN)?

Content and gaming providers face increasing competition to offer users the best quality of experience in the face of increasing demand for fast and high-quality streaming. The COVID-19 environment has put new strains on the network that means it is much more difficult to ensure delivery of content in a way that optimises user experience. There are two key trends emerging in CDN that could address this challenge: edge CDN and vCDN.

Article

The future of edge computing

How will the edge opportunity play out? Will telecoms operators use it as an opportunity to move higher up the value chain, or will competitors such as the hyperscale cloud providers squeeze them out? In this article, we explore 3 of the potential scenarios we may see develop over the next few years?

Article

Decoupled cloud connectivity pricing models for edge

We discuss how encouraging applications to move workloads to the edge to reduce backhaul costs will inadvertently mean telcos need to re-evaluate their pricing models

Data chart

How advanced are the industry’s edge strategies?

Our data snapshot shows the telecoms industry is yet to embrace edge and most are still trying to understand the market, particularly the telecoms operators.

Article

Edge computing news in 2020

Edge computing is a rapidly growing industry and evolving ecosystem. This article aims to keep you up-to-date with some of the key developments within edge computing. Check back each month for our update on M&As, partnerships, product announcements and other strategic plays.

Article

What can telcos learn from Amazon?

AWS built its customer base by moving from a test bed to a permanent option for IT and computing. Engaging application developers is crucial for growing the edge cloud

Article

How does edge computing architecture impact latency

This article answers that question mapping out the potential “level of edge” and where different operators have announced they are testing or planned to deploy edge nodes.

Article

Why 5G needs edge more than edge needs 5G

4G and edge will drive 5G coverage and applications. This would boost service demand and offer growth for telcos at a time when there is still scepticism for the 5G business case

Article

Mobile Edge Computing: What is Mobile Edge Computing?

Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) – formerly known as mobile edge computing – is a type of edge computing that extends the capabilities of cloud computing by bringing it to the edge of the network.

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What’s in an edge computing platform?

The term “platform” often refers to many different things and becomes even more confusing when linked to a new, not well-defined domain such as edge computing. We seek to clarify what an edge computing platform is and provide examples of the edge platforms being developed today.

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Investment in edge start ups

Our data snapshot shows that venture capitalists and other investors see the value in the edge cloud market, as the number of start-ups continues to grow in this space

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Five edge computing use cases for the manufacturing industry

The manufacturing sector is poised to be an early adopter of edge computing, taking advantage of its benefits to accelerate digital transformation. Latency, data security, flexibility and reducing bandwidth are all key factors for the five edge manufacturing use cases we evaluate in this article.

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5 things edge computing app developers want telecoms operators to know

The telecommunications industry interested in edge computing must listen to the requirements of developers who will run their applications at the edge. These developers want clarity around delivery, orchestration and pricing.

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Smart Mobile Labs Q&A: Edge computing applications to limit the impact of COVID

The economic impact of COVID-19 on all types of businesses and industries globally goes without saying, but it has also put new strains on telecoms networks. Should we accelerate distributed/edge computing? Rüdiger from SML provides his views on this and which edge-enabled applications can support the front-line, as well as business continuity.

Article

Artificial intelligence: a killer app for edge computing?

Artificial intelligence and edge computing are both buzzwords within the industry in their own right. But, they should also be considered together – AI as a key use case for edge computing, and edge computing as a key enabler for AI to deliver on performance and keep costs down. In this article we’ll discuss opportunities and challenges, as well as a couple of key use cases for artificial intelligence at the edge.

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How edge computing will support digital transformation in the oil and gas industry

Improving operational efficiency is paramount in the oil and gas industry: it is capital intensive, price sensitive and (can) operate in extreme environments. Digital transformation has become critically important and is being aided by the rise of IoT, AI and AR/VR. In this article, we share our thoughts on how edge computing can also play a key role.

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What’s blockchain got to do with edge computing?

Edge computing enables a network for blockchain, but what’s blockchain’s role in edge computing? Why blockchain could enable a truly open distributed cloud marketplace.

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Telcos can disrupt AR/VR gaming models with edge computing

Edge computing can revolutionise the AR/VR gaming industry and provide an additional revenue source for telcos. Telcos can offer an edge cloud platform to gaming companies, which will bring the compute capabilities from the AR/VR headset to the edge cloud.

Article

What is an edge server?

Although much of the excitement around edge computing is in the applications and platforms, hardware is still a critical component. Key questions we answer in this article is what an edge server is, how it differs for different use cases and types of edges and what the key trends are.

Article

Edge computing: Changing the balance of energy in networks

Energy consumption levels across networks and data centres are on the rise due to the advancement of the internet and cloud-based services. To combat these challenges, edge computing can be utilised to change the balance of energy across a variety of use cases and applications.

Article

Edge computing investments are just beginning

With all the hype, it’s difficult to determine how important edge is right now. How much is being invested relative to other technologies? How might this change?

Article

15 Edge computing companies to watch in 2020

In this article, we have provided a spotlight on 15 companies (in no particular order) who are making waves in edge computing and are “ones to watch” in the next couple of years

Article

Shadow Q&A: A cloud gaming company’s views on 5G and edge

Are 5G and edge relevant for cloud gaming? We spoke to Shadow – a cloud gaming company – to dispel the myths.

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Digital health at the edge: Three use cases for the healthcare industry

The healthcare industry must transform to meet growing demands on medical infrastructure and expertise. Edge computing will help drive this transformation and the move towards digital health, while also providing a potential role for operators in the ecosystem.

Article

Does IoT need edge yet – and will it need it in the future?

The Internet of Things industry is growing rapidly, with use cases in smart homes, industry 4.0, autonomous cars and more. Meanwhile, operators’ deployments of edge computing infrastructure are also accelerating. How can IoT benefit from edge computing and what are some of the key use cases and requirements for the future?

Article

AWS, Azure & Google at the edge: How much of it is telco edge computing?

With the flurry of recent announcements, it looks like the hyperscalers are making big bets on telco edge. However, how significant is telco edge in their overall strategy? Is telco edge key for edge computing? Are the telcos partners or customers? And what are the differences in approaches between the hyperscalers?

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Edge computing questions and answers: What you need to know about edge computing

We answer some of the most commonly asked questions about edge computing. Included are resources that cover the fundamentals of edge computing.

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3 reasons why edge will change video streaming

Video streaming is putting huge strains on networks and the content delivery value chain. The current situation is calling for far more flexible solutions. Key questions we answer in this article are how edge impacts video streaming from an environmental, financial and user experience perspective.

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What is digital health worth to telcos? Modelling the Japanese market

There’s a variety of business models available to operators to play in the healthcare market – but what is each one worth? Looking at the Japanese market for two key digital health use cases, delivered over a private 5G/MEC platform, we forecast the potential value for telcos across three different business models.

Article

5G, Cloud and Edge Ecosystems: What we learnt from the experts

Vodafone, Verizon and Tata Communications are all early movers in addressing the edge computing opportunity. This article explores lessons they have learnt and asks some of their senior decision makers how they see edge computing evolving for telecoms operators in 2021 and beyond.

Article

Edge Use Cases for Financial Services

Edge computing solutions could allow both the retail banking and alternative investment sectors to reduce costs and maximise revenue generation, producing significant ROI in a fiercely competitive market.

Article

Edge computing news in 2021

Edge computing is a rapidly growing industry and evolving ecosystem. This article aims to keep you up-to-date with some of the key developments within edge computing.

Article

What and where are edge data centres?

Although it is still early days for significant edge data centre investments, there is increasing interest and demand for the benefits they bring. However, there is much confusion for what constitutes an edge data centre. In this article we will run through the different types of edge data centres, beginning at the nearest point to the end-user.

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FogHorn Q+A: energy efficiency at the edge

FogHorn are a leader in developing edge-native AI solutions for commercial and industrial IoT. We spoke to Jason Plent, Managing Director of EMEA, about their recent work in energy efficiency.

Article

Edge computing and the Industrial IoT

We explore how edge computing support advanced new use cases for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) as part of the transformation to Industry 4.0

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10 edge computing forums driving the industry forward

As the industry tries to accelerate its understanding and experience with edge computing, lessons can be learned from early adopters and others in the value chain. Forums provide a crucial way to share these lessons and promote coordination and interoperability between all parties. This article outlines the key forums shaping the edge community.

Article

What is distributed computing?

Distributed computing is a key concept when referring to edge and cloud computing. The north star is a future where workloads are easily moved across edges and cloud, across the distribute computing continuum.

Article

How can smart grids benefit from edge computing?

As the use of electricity soars in the move to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels, smart grids have become an essential element in enabling a stable energy market. An AI and analytics-based smart grid will require the ability to process data locally and quickly – this is where edge computing fits. This article explores the benefits of the combination of smart grids and edge computing.

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12 innovative edge data centre companies

This article features several pure-play edge data centre start-ups as well as established facility providers who are expanding into edge, looking at these companies’ positioning in the edge data centre market and what they have achieved so far in 2021.

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Edge computing investments in 2021

In 2020, STL Partners hosted a webinar and wrote an article looking at edge computing investments in 2019. This article analyses edge investments since then: which trends have continued and which new ones are starting to emerge.

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Cox Edge Q&A: How a cable company created an edge platform

In this article, we interviewed Ron Lev, General Manager of Cox Edge and Executive Director, New Growth of Cox Communications, and Naren Muthiah, Senior Manager, Business Design of Cox Edge, to talk about Cox’s new venture in the edge space and to understand their perspective on what’s next in the market.

Article

How edge computing will impact hardware

With connectivity increasing rapidly, alongside the need for low latency “real-time” data processing, it is no surprise that many companies are transitioning to the edge. However, with this transition, there is a strong requirement for edge computing hardware to be built for specific conditions for its different use cases with different hardware requirements for each.

Article

9 Pioneers in Network Edge Orchestration​

As edge computing is gaining traction, a new role is evolving for players who can successfully manage the complexity of edge infrastructure. This article examines the various capabilities that a good edge cloud orchestrator must have and shines light on 9 pioneers in the space.

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Edge computing: digital twin catalyst

Data is digital gold dust. Businesses can benefit greatly by channelling the ever-growing wealth of data and harnessing the combined power of edge computing and digital twins. Working in concert, these technologies can be used to plan, build and run operations at scale – maximising efficiency and minimising risk and cost. In this article, we explore digital twins, the bounds of edge-digital twin symbiosis and a real-world case study.

Edge computing: how developers can get started

This report introduces edge computing, outlines what edge platforms are and explains why developers should be interested. Case studies on application developers demonstrate how the media and entertainment industry is benefitting from edge computing.

Navigating the private cellular maze: when, where and how?

Private cellular networks are expected to play a significant role in future on-premise connectivity but where they are best suited is still unclear. We explore the different opportunities and strategies for enterprises looking to take advantage of the capabilities that private cellular offers.

Combining private 5G and edge computing: The revenue opportunity

As edge and 5G investments accelerate, operators search for the business case for these new technologies. In this report, we highlight the enterprise opportunity for operators in combining private 5G and edge, to deliver innovative and holistic solutions to enterprise customers.

Telco edge computing: What’s the operator strategy?

Edge computing is a strategic opportunity for telcos. We examine the driving needs and applications for telco edge computing, describe the market and the options for telcos, discuss their partnerships with hyperscalers and recommend key actions.

What edge developers want from telcos now

The use of edge computing is accelerating rapidly in applications such as live streaming, drone management, and AR/VR. Developers, the key catalyst of growth, need infrastructure fast and certainty on pricing. Through seven case studies we outline why developers want from edge computing, and how telcos can support them.

Microsoft, Affirmed and Metaswitch: What does it mean for telecoms?

Our in-depth analysis of Microsoft’s play in the telecoms market, why it acquired Affirmed Networks and Metaswitch, and what telcos should do about it.

Telco edge computing: Turning vision into practice

The emerging opportunity for edge compute There is ongoing interest in the telecoms industry about edge computing. The key rationale behind this is that telcos – through their distributed network assets – are in a unique position to push workloads closer to users and, by that, enable new experiences and use cases, and enhance existing ones. After years of centralising …

Building telco edge infrastructure: MEC, Private LTE & VRAN

Edge infrastructure deployment is happening – but how big will it really be, and where will it happen? We quantify the five-year outlook for edge deployments across four key domains.

Telco edge computing: How to partner with hyperscalers

Both telcos and hyperscalers want to capture the value at the edge, but they need to work together to deliver of edge computing solutions and generate demand among customers. How can operators collaborate with hyperscalers while strengthening their role beyond connectivity?

Edge computing: Five viable telco business models

With Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC), telcos can move workloads and applications closer to customers, potentially enhancing experiences and enabling a plethora of new use cases. But with competition looming from other players, telcos need to start commercialising MEC. We have identified and modelled five viable telco business models.

SK Telecom: The road to the world’s first 5G MEC platform

SK Telecom is a leading operator, having already launched 5G in April 2019. It is now one of the first service providers to begin the journey to make edge computing real and develop its own MEC platform – for both distributed MEC and on-site MEC. We explore how in this case study.

Cloud gaming: What’s the telco play?

This report explores how the cloud gaming market is likely to evolve and what this means for telcos. Beyond providing better connectivity through 5G and edge computing, there are several ways in which telcos can add value to the cloud gaming ecosystem.

Growing B2B revenues from edge: Five new telco services

Edge computing offers an opportunity for operators to grow their B2B businesses. This report outlines five types of B2B edge services that telcos can offer, and the key considerations to ensure success.

Why telcos need to capture the edge opportunity now

This report addresses the gap between operators’ excitement around edge and the ability to monetise these offerings to date. We outline the key strategies operators can pursue to accelerate their go-to-market and build edge revenues in the short term.

Webinar

5G, Cloud and Edge Ecosystems

Join our discussion with Vodafone, Verizon and Tata Communications as we explore how telcos should navigate the 5G and edge computing opportunity.

Webinar

Building the telco edge: With or without hyperscalers?

STL Partners surveyed over 150 global telecom operators to get their insights on how telcos are building edge computing infrastructure and working with hyperscalers.

Webinar

Telco strategies in edge computing and private networks​

STL Partners, together with Red Hat, surveyed over 150 global CSPs to get their insights on how CSPs are working with partners (e.g. hyperscalers) to take private LTE/5G and edge computing solutions to market.

Webinar

Edge computing investments: who’s doing what and why?

With all the hype, it’s difficult to determine how important edge is right now. This webinar explored how much is currently being invested in edge, where these investments are happening across the value chain, and the risk and rewards to consider.

Webinar

Building applications in a 5G era: Introducing AWS Wavelength

This webinar explored how AWS (Wavelength) is working with developers to enable new solutions in augmented reality & virtual reality, industry 4.0, digital health, amongst others.

Webinar

Growing B2B revenues from edge: which services and how to take to market?

Edge computing offers an opportunity for telcos to grow their B2B business. However, operators are grappling with defining the potential new products and services that edge opens up to them.

Webinar

​Edge computing in retail: How to capture the opportunity today

The retail sector is already facing unique challenges. These have only been amplified by the unprecedented environment presented by COVID-19, which means retailers need to maximise their opportunity as countries come out of lockdown, enter the ‘new normal’ and gear up for the post-summer period. Edge is poised to be a key enabler in this, by unlocking new applications and capabilities that will enhance the customer experience across online and offline channels.

Webinar

Edge computing from the front line: developer case studies

Much of the discussion around edge computing has focused on use cases which are still hypothetical. This webinar presented case studies “from the front lines” of developers & enterprises testing edge computing today across different applications.

Webinar

Edge business models and how to execute them

A joint webinar with MobiledgeX and STL Partners exploring edge cloud business models and the value proposition for application developers in augmented reality.

Go-to-market strategy

Developing the proposition for on-premise edge

STL Partners helped the client to identify and prioritise key opportunities within on-premise edge computing, and subsequently develop the clients go to market strategy (partnerships, channel, co-development) and proposition to key stakeholders.

Growth Strategy

Assessing the value of edge in Industry 4.0

STL Partners undertook a primary research programme to better understand the value of edge computing across different industry verticals, exploring key drivers, challenges, and use cases.

Business model development

Building the business case for MEC

A leading mobile operator leveraged STL Partners’ expertise to define a commercial strategy and business case for a planned MEC site roll-out in the next 1-2 years.