96% of companies using edge computing today get benefits from the insights it captures.

Lynn Haber

October 16, 2020

3 Min Read
Edge Computing highlighted in sea of hexagons
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Edge maturity isn’t here yet. But it’s a must if businesses are to unlock the potential from the increasing volumes of data being produced. The ability to collect, process, store and analyze data at the edge is the lifesaver businesses need to stop drowning in the overwhelming amount of data that’s being produced. But the very organizations that yen for the edge admit hurdles getting there. That’s according to new research from Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) company.

The Aruba report – At the Edge of Change: Navigating the New Data Era — assesses the implications of the shift in data processing from cloud to edge. It examines how ITDMs are responding to this trend, looks at the opportunities the edge presents for a number of major industries and the critical role networking plays in this transformation. Aruba commissioned Vanson Bourne for the research.

The Findings

There are six key findings in the report.

  • Growing urgency. Adoption of the full range of edge technologies is still in an early phase. However, the need to embrace the edge is real and urgent. Eighty-two percent of ITDMs describe their need for an integrated system at the edge as “very” or “somewhat” urgent.

  • Satisfaction at the edge. The lion’s share, or 96%, of companies already using edge technologies report being able to take advantage of new data and insights captured at the edge. Equally important, they’re reaping benefits. The biggest benefit reported is improving operational efficiencies and costs (53%). Additionally, 47% noted greater agility and increased security, 44% cited capturing deeper customer insights and 40% noted creating new products, services and revenue streams.

  • An emerging divide. Seventy-eight percent of ITDMs in production deployment with multiple edge technologies (i.e., networking, security, compute and storage) report a better ability to derive actionable insights and business value from their implementation. Compare that to 42% only piloting edge technologies and 31% planning pilots in the next 12 months.

  • APAC region in the lead. ITDMs in APAC were ahead of their counterparts in EMEA or the Americas when it comes to deploying edge technologies.

  • The skills barrier. Lack of specialist skills is the top barrier to edge adoption. Ninety-three percent of IDMS report that they lack the skills in their organization to unlock the power of data. The key skills missing are artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).

  • Security uncertainty. The report revealed mixed feelings on how edge technology adoption will impact network security. Fifty-seven percent of ITDMs agreed that connecting IoT or user devices at the edge made or would make their business more vulnerable. Thirty-three percent said security was one of the top three barriers to edge adoption. At the same time, 47% of respondents said that an increase in security would be a key benefit of capturing data from user devices. And 75% indicated that IoT adoption would have a positive impact on security in the next two years.

Edge Strategy a Necessity

Narasimhan-Partha_Aruba.jpg

Aruba’s Partha Narasimhan

“This research suggests that the vast majority of IT leaders are already embracing the edge or are preparing to,” said Partha Narasimhan, CTO and HPE senior fellow for Aruba. “Developing an edge strategy against the backdrop of existing cloud implementations is becoming a necessity as the number of connected devices increases and it becomes impractical to transfer vast volumes of data to a cloud or data center environment, especially as organizations undergo digital transformation to advance their business objectives and address customer needs.”

A recent report — Connecting the Dots: AI at the Edge — from Omdia examines the challenge of getting AI to the edge and vertical use cases.

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About the Author(s)

Lynn Haber

Content Director Lynn Haber follows channel news from partners, vendors, distributors and industry watchers. If I miss some coverage, don’t hesitate to email me and pass it along. Always up for chatting with partners. Say hi if you see me at a conference!

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