Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2023. Read them in this 15th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
Top Developments That Will Shape the Edge Computing Industry in 2023
By Michael Maxey, VP of business development for ZEDEDA
With
some of the most notable minds on Wall Street giving a bleak
prognosis
of the economy in the year ahead and continuing to worry that inflation is
eroding everything, business leaders are bracing for rough times in 2023.
To
manage their way through an uncertain economy, companies will put more scrutiny
on every part of the business, including the millions of dollars spent each
year on research and development. While spending on edge
computing
is still expected to grow, executives are eager to see real-world applications
of projects that, up until now, have thrived in laboratories. For edge
computing professionals, 2023 is the time to get real.
While
there are opportunities ahead to demonstrate the value of edge computing, it may
not be easy, and companies shouldn't falter even if some prominent projects
fail. Leaders should continue to search for affordable ways to deploy software
in the field that delivers actionable data. Rather than custom software
solutions, more businesses are starting to embrace the idea of using commodity
hardware and running multiple applications on a single device.
More Cloud Apps Will Find Their Way to the Edge
Technology
veterans who watched (or lived through) the "lift-and-shift" to the cloud are now
considering whether that same approach will work for the edge. And while a few
smaller, nimble companies might be able to get away with running everything on
a container, that strategy isn't possible for most companies with decades of
infrastructure investment.
Instead,
there's an increasing convergence of old and new technologies at the edge. As
companies seek to modernize their operations, they find that a mix of legacy
systems and cutting-edge technologies is critical for success. To make that mix
work, more cloud apps will have to find a path to the edge. By pushing data and
compute to the edge of the network, companies will be able to save on massive
upload charges and begin to make edge projects a business success.
Security at the Edge Will Become a Major Factor
The
proliferation of devices at the edge and the lack of established security
protocols will almost certainly create potential vulnerabilities for a major
company in 2023. Managing that risk will require careful planning and
investment to ensure that these systems are secure and reliable.
Over
the past 10 years, we've been trained to think about security in terms of a
network. Everything runs in a data center with armed guards out front,
preventing anyone from tampering with what's inside. Today, however, devices
that run on the edge might be stored under a retail counter, where it's easily
accessible for tampering or theft, or even just a random store clerk plugging
their phone in to charge. The security stack you have to cover when you deploy
to the edge is much broader, so there are a lot of components that will need
renewed attention.
Even
if the near future doesn't appear rosy, there remains a tremendous opportunity
to leverage edge computing for business success. I'm convinced the edge will
transform industries and force lagging companies to innovate faster. It's the
difference between a $20,000 operation to send technicians in a truck to a
remote location to reboot a system versus three clicks in a dashboard. Getting
to that point won't be easy, but the time to begin is now. It's time for the
edge to get real.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Maxey serves as VP of business development for ZEDEDA. Throughout his career, he has built products and partnerships across open source software, cloud computing, application development, security, and data markets.