Dr Chris Cooper, General Manager, Data Center Group MENA at Lenovo talks about the role of edge computing in transforming cloud computing. Read all about it here.
Technology can help transform businesses. The source of innovation is data. However, in the current scenario, over 70 per cent of enterprise data is completely unused.
“To move forward, one needs to move ahead from one data centre to multiple data centres, which is the right mix of cloud hybrid and on-premise data centres,” said Dr. Cooper. According to him, the most formidable challenge that enterprises face is gaining more control and getting the most out of their data with data analytics.
The recent surge of attacks by hackers has increased the demand for robust and efficient data security plans and the need for strategies to counter ransomware attacks, regardless of where the data is stored. “No channel or platform is absolutely secure. Enterprises must ensure clarity in their security policies and lay down effective guidelines that respect compliance and the laws of the land,” he explained.
Dr. Cooper reflects that the state of attacks during the pandemic-induced lockdown has wreaked havoc on many institutions, and the expected expenditure for ransomware-related attacks is likely to cost $6 trillion annually by 2021.
“Technology as we know has a lot of potential. Today, we speak of 5G technology. As and when advancements have happened, the robust potential of IoT and Edge Computing applications have come to the fore,” said Dr Cooper.
According to him, IoT as we know is not evenly adopted by enterprises. “Today, we can see only 33 per cent of medium to large enterprises having adopted IoT. A whopping 38 per cent organisations are yet to adopt but they plan to do so in a phased manner by 2022,” Dr. Cooper stated.
Despite being popular, the lack of technology in certain global areas hamper an organisation’s digitisation process. Dr Cooper states that only 26 per cent of medium to large organisations are planning to adopt 5G in the next 12 months. Additionally, only 26 per cent organisations are planning to adopt edge computing in the next 12 to 18 months.
“Digital transformation happens through innovation and data. How an organisation unlocks its digital potential depends on how it creates its digital overview that includes existing legacy as well as future strategies,” opined Dr. Cooper. Organisations need to create new revenue streams and data processing centres need to be protected.
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Dr Cooper believes that the gap between devices, typical IT protocol and edge computing, need to be narrowed and the gap between devices and the cloud has to be closed. “When enterprises harness the potential of edge computing, it helps deliver real and positive impact in the lives of peoples.”
Dr Cooper continued to expand on different strategies with which edge computing could deliver the best Customer Experience.
- Retail: Better CX results in better customer engagement, more loyal customers and better revenue for companies.
- Energy: Cleaner and more efficient power can be delivered to other industries. Industries on their part can use the power of technology to use less and conserve more energy.
- Transportation: Improved surveillance and security. Better public service models can be created after analysing data from government and private agencies.
- Telecom: Technology – Better connectivity and can prevent latency in 5G technology.
- Healthcare: Gives health care providers better outcomes for patients and improves their experience. Robust integrations that are guarded by top-of-the-line security systems helps deliver the best experience to patients.
Giving a future outlook, Dr Cooper claims that edge computing will become the new normal. “Businesses have to create models, leverage market data and adopt new technology to meet the demands for the adoption of edge computing. Being data-centred is the only way for enterprises to stay ahead of the curve.”
He signed off with the statement, “As newer technology gets embraced by enterprises, the addition of suitable new architecture and data platforms can help enterprises stay in vogue.”
The conference was supported by Platinum Partner Nutanix. Strategic Partner Lenovo, Intel, and Enterprise Technology Partner Confluent, Media Partners Enterprise Talk and IT Security Wire.
Written By Soumyadeep Roy, Khushbu Raval
Edited By Chandni U
