The “push to the edge” is the process of pushing content, applications, and data away from centralized locations and closer to end-users. Content, from the likes of providers such as Salesforce and Workday, is being consumed in massive quantities and the consumer expectation is that this content is delivered quickly, without interruption or delay. Driverless vehicles, for example, are just one type of application where milliseconds matter and latency issues can produce catastrophic results. To meet the user requirements of these next-generation applications, enterprises are shifting from a centralized flow of traffic to a more distributed model.
This type of reliable, resilient connectivity is achieved through physical proximity. In 2019, we should see greater buildout of smaller nodes as well as cloud on-ramps that are close to not only primary markets but secondary ones as well. Content and infrastructure providers will need to be informed as to ideal site selection candidates for their implementations and network service providers will need to make decisions as to where to compete.
For these parties to properly capitalize on this trend, they need to develop a strategy that utilizes location intelligence to identify optimal sites for implementation based on businesses or consumers within a geographic area as well as identify the potential network service providers in the vicinity. With the visual insight that The Connected World can offer, these participants can position themselves to capitalize on the move to the edge.
Final Thoughts
In the same vein as the hybrid cloud, service providers looking to enhance the availability and security of their services are pushing their content to more distributed locations near users; and as with the hybrid cloud, the push to the edge is happening now. Content or network providers who choose to wait to take advantage of this trend will find that they have missed their chance to benefit from a significant shift in consumption patterns.
