NTT’s Edge Advantage 2023 report surveyed 600 enterprises leveraging edge computing and 5G; uncovered concerns around infrastructure capabilities.
Enterprises around the world are discovering the edge advantage, benefitting from digital technologies that accelerate data-driven decision making, secure physical and virtual assets, and control sustainably resilient operations.
But while more than 80% of technology decision makers say their edge investment expectations have been met or exceeded, many fear that the rapid pace of technology evolution could cost them in the long term.
“The growing need for faster processing and a distributed digital architecture is creating increased pressure on networks and infrastructure capabilities, driving both accelerated adoption of private 5G and edge,” said Shahid Ahmed, EVP New Ventures & Innovation at NTT Ltd.
“Achieving the edge advantage will require end-to-end solutions with holistic management and uncompromising accountability. Only through utilizing these solutions can enterprises gain instant access to data, where it is generated or collected, with near zero latency, and harness it to drive powerful business outcomes.”
According to organizations that have already deployed edge, the top reasons to invest are to automate and integrate AI into business processes, and to gain real-time access to data. But achieving these objectives is a formidable challenge because they require:
- Tight orchestration of hardware, platforms, systems and devices
- Consistent operational performance without compromising security
- Overcoming legacy infrastructure and technical debt
Organizations need help to navigate the complexity of adopting edge and next generation technologies into what is, traditionally, a complex and change averse environment. Legacy protocols and systems need to be carefully managed to ensure production is not impacted while migrations are in progress.
The challenges that an organization can encounter are key drivers in why 94% of enterprises partner for edge expertise and 90% want a single edge partner that can do it all. But those that successfully harness the benefits of edge can look to grow their business, improve agility, enhance sustainable business practices, and improve quality control.
“Organizations striving to become real-time enterprises need help beyond design and launch of edge solutions,” said Camille Mendler, chief analyst at Omdia. “Managed services offer a pragmatic and adaptive way to keep ahead of complexity.”
At the end of the report, NTT outlined a guide with suggested starting points and pathways for organizations to consider before embarking on their edge journey. To read the full 2023 Edge Advantage Report, click here. For the key findings from the report, check out this infographic.
