The Network Edge is Central to Any Discussion of 2019 Data Center Trends
It should come as no surprise to anyone in the data center industry that our recent forecast of 2019 data center trends is focused heavily on innovation around the edge of the network. Cisco Visual Networking Index estimates global IP traffic will almost triple by 2021, with the number of connected devices eventually almost tripling the global population. That’s an additional 23 billion connected devices in just three years.
How will this growth shape the IT infrastructure?
A centralized IT infrastructure simply cannot support that model – to say nothing of the next wave of applications that will further tax the network edge, such as virtual and augmented reality, autonomous vehicles, and widespread IoT implementation. All of these things are behind the push to locate storage and compute closer to the users and devices.
How do edge infrastructure owners address challenges?
While consumers enjoy the benefits of edge computing, the men and women managing those networks are facing tremendous challenges related to latency, bandwidth, availability
These network edge deployments are becoming mission critical facilities, with the same sort of IT infrastructure and support requirements as a traditional data center. The difference, of course, is they’re scattered around the globe and typically lack any sort of on-site IT personnel.
In response, organizations are relying on more intelligent IT systems and infrastructure that deliver remote visibility and control in these locations. The coming year is going to see additional advances in this space.
OK, what’s next for these critical facilities?
The objective is clear: To enable a more sophisticated network edge and to simplify these increasingly complex environments for the organizations that rely upon them.
We’re doing it by leveraging cloud-based platforms that can convert massive amounts of data generated at the edge into actionable knowledge. The result will be a more robust, efficient edge of the network with enhanced visibility and self-healing capabilities requiring limited active management.
As always, we would love to hear from you. How are you addressing the increasing demand for edge computing and what do you expect of edge technologies as we barrel toward 2020?
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