Given the excitement surrounding AI at the Edge, it may be easy for solution providers to expect more hype than results. However, when it comes to industry leaders like Intel and Dell Technologies, legitimate advances are driving real-world results - especially in the case of manufacturing. Therefore, solution providers are best served by taking their Edge hardware seriously and choosing only the best partners.
Edge hardware requirements
When crafting hardware platforms for Edge solutions, providers need to use the same mindset they would for the enterprise. Thanks to the unique demands of the Edge, solution providers should expect their hardware to perform at a level equivalent to, and in some cases, higher than those for traditional hardware builds.
The following are key considerations when building a robust Edge computing environment:
Reliability - Edge servers and other hardware must perform in a variety of challenging situations and locations.
Environment - Hardware deployed at the Edge must be resistant to environmental factors much harsher than in core or cloud data centers.
Security - Given their location outside traditional data centers, Edge equipment must offer the best possible physical and electronic protection.
Management - In deployments large and small, Edge hardware needs to leverage the newest management functions to remain viable.
Connectivity - Edge hardware must function while connected and disconnected from corporate networks.
AI at the manufacturing edge
The global recovery and increased competition is causing many industries, including manufacturing, to turn to purpose-built application for AI at the Edge. No longer is AI merely the subject of 'what-if' scenarios. In manufacturing, companies that are getting ahead are using AI in three broad categories:
Lowering production costs - With AI, manufacturers can receive real-time insights into assembly line operations and make more intelligent decisions.
Streamlining processes - AI is being used to analyze the flow of goods through the manufacturing process to help operators find and leverage new efficiencies.
Maintaining greater uptime - Using AI's predictive capabilities, manufacturers can predict machine failure and schedule maintenance accordingly.
AI at the Edge - DELL Technologies offerings
Dell Technologies offers a variety of hardware solutions to facilitate the latest Edge-based AI deployments, including:
Compute - Dell Technologies offers a variety of hardware, from Edge-hardened servers to laptops and workstations, to support the latest solutions.
Storage - Drawing on its EMC heritage, Dell Technologies also offers storage solutions suited to the needs of Edge and AI deployments.
Networking - To provide seamless integration into existing corporate environments, Dell Technologies offers a variety of Edge-enabled switches and other solutions.
Integrated solutions - To aid in putting it all together, Dell Technologies has created validated AI hardware designs that combine compute, storage, and networking.
AI at the Edge - Intel offerings
Intel is driving innovation for AI at the Edge with multiple technologies in conjunction with Dell Technologies and independently.
Its latest Intel 3rd Generation Xeon Scalable processors power the servers built to run in Edge environments. Furthermore, a family of related technologies supports this leap in processing power.
Intel has created multiple development tools and software reference designs to power machine learning and machine vision technologies. With them, software providers can develop solutions for an ever-growing list of use cases.
Intel's open dource fevelopment yools include:
Intel OpenVINO toolkit - The Open Visual Inference and Neural Network Optimization toolkit was created by Intel and distributed as an open-source AI inference engine. Edge Insights for Industrial - This software reference design enables solution providers to capture video and time-series data to create AI inferences. Edge Controls for Industrial - Also a reference design, Edge Controls for Industrial gives providers the power to create solutions to create virtualized industrial control systems for easier maintenance and increased uptime.
How solution providers can make the most of the Edge
Solution providers are racing to create AI-enabled applications running in Edge locations that deliver greater productivity, manufacturing efficiencies, and overall cost savings. The question is whether or not they're arming their deployments with the hardware to get the job done.
UNICOM Engineering is proud to be a Dell Technologies Titanium OEM Partner and Intel Technology Provider. We've had the pleasure of being named Dell Technologies Americas OEM Partner of the Year for three consecutive years. Our team is ready to power your solutions with Dell Technologies and Intel's industry-leading portfolios to deliver unique solutions with incredible speed and reliability. Our customers benefit from solutions optimized for telecom, cloud, enterprise, network, security, IoT, and HPC workloads with expanded I/O, storage, and network connectivity options by leveraging our services.
To learn more about how we can help you drive your solution to market faster, watch our Why Build on Dell Video or visit our website to schedule a consultation today.