Although many organizations have developed Net Zero sustainability goals (i.e., 97% of the telecom sector), clarity about how to accomplish them is often needed. While effective strategies exist to lower power consumption in core data centers, like liquid cooling, another sustainability strategy goes to work before data even reaches cloud servers: Edge Computing.
How does Edge Computing boost sustainability and application performance?
Deploying more computing power at the Edge offers significant benefits. These include lower power consumption through temperature-resistant servers that draw less power. Advanced remote management capabilities reduce the need for onsite servicing and streamlining maintenance. Improved computing power and decision support are facilitated in remote areas, reducing network latency due to decreased traffic to central or cloud servers.
When it Comes to Sustainability, Enterprises are Feeling the Heat.
In a survey of telecom operators funded by Dell Technologies and GSMA Intelligence, 70% of operators rated energy as a priority in their network transformation plans, yet 50% rated their organization's current efficiency as a competitive weakness.
Unfortunately, not all enterprises can easily retrofit existing data center facilities to improve efficiency. Due to space and infrastructure limitations combined with the rise of higher-performing, hotter CPUs, they're approaching the limit of air cooling.
Edge Computing Application Advantages
As Edge technology proves its worth from a sustainability perspective, it also presents opportunities for newer, better-performing applications like Edge AI. With more IoT devices than ever, organizations are awash in new data sources. Coincidentally, the lifeblood of better AI is data, both for training and inference. Some more talked-about use cases include video surveillance, self-driving cars, and AI-enhanced retail.
The real-time decision-making required for these and other emerging applications puts a premium on network latency. Therefore, organizations are choosing to deploy more computing power to locations closer to end-users (aka the Edge). As a result, applications perform faster thanks to the high availability of vital data.
Intelligent Management
Due to their distributed design, Edge deployments are frequently concerned with security and scalability. After all, with decentralization comes more machines in more places. Thankfully, infrastructure management has advanced alongside the growth of Edge AI.
Dell's NativeEdge operations software platform is designed to automate and secure the management of Edge environments with:
- Zero-touch onboarding
- Device lifecycle management
- Remote monitoring
- Single pane of glass visibility
- Workload consolidation
In addition, NativeEdge employs an open design that enables organizations to choose their software, IoT frameworks, multi-cloud environments, and OT providers. The platform's open APIs allow it to integrate with existing management tools and apps.
Lastly, NativeEdge empowers organizations to strengthen their security posture in seven key zero-trust security domains:
- Devices
- Users
- Transport and sessions
- Data
- Software
- Visibility and analytics
- Automation and orchestra
Getting Started with Dell's Sustainable PowerEdge Servers
Edge deployments can deliver tangible, real-world advantages over core or cloud-based architectures—especially regarding sustainability and performance. To help organizations reap these rewards, Dell offers a variety of purpose-built platforms, including:
Dell PowerEdge XR4000 - a short-depth 2U server with rack or wall mounting options, ideal for retail, manufacturing, telecom, marine, and government use cases
Dell PowerEdge 5610 - a short-depth 1U rack server designed to power retail, telecom, and Edge device installations
Dell PowerEdge XR7620 - a 2U short-depth rack server optimized to support complex telecom applications with optimum acceleration
Dell PowerEdge XR8000 - a sled-based 2U, short-depth server built to run RAN applications with flexibility, scalability, and serviceability
Each server offers Intel Xeon Scalable processors and support for the latest memory and storage options. It is also ruggedized to handle wide temperature ranges, such as -20 to 65 degrees Celsius for the PowerEdge XR8000.
Make Your Next Sustainability Move at the Edge - With UNICOM Engineering
Edge Computing represents a paradigm shift in data processing and sustainability, offering unparalleled speed, scalability, and reliability. By bringing computation closer to data sources, Edge enables real-time decision-making, reduces latency, and enhances security across various industries.
By integrating DELL's PowerEdge servers into comprehensive solutions tailored for diverse industries, UNICOM Engineering ensures that the potential of Edge Computing is fully realized. Whether facilitating faster time-to-market for technology innovators or providing end-to-end support for complex Edge deployments, UNICOM Engineering is at the forefront of bringing these cutting-edge technologies to life.
Contact UNICOM Engineering today to learn how your organization can fully utilize the Edge.