One study found that over 80 percent of organizations have met or exceeded their expectations for edge investments.
But despite the positive results, nearly 40 percent of organizations planning edge deployments have increased concerns about the current infrastructure’s ability to support edge computing.
The NTT report emphasized that organizations see the fragmented management of compute, connectivity and IoT devices as a major impediment to realizing the full potential of edge technology. In contrast, companies that adopted a combined approach of private 5G and edge technologies saw the greatest benefits, outperforming those with an old, separate approach or no adoption at all.
Another key finding was that while most organizations believed their network infrastructure could handle their current edge requirements, approximately 40 percent of organizations planning edge deployments recognized that they need to upgrade their network to accommodate the expected increase on connected devices and applications. In fact, nearly two-thirds of companies that had already implemented edge solutions had undergone a wide area network refresh.
To manage the complexity of edge adoption, organizations are increasingly looking to partner. The report found that 88 percent of organizations expect their reliance on third-party edge services to increase over the next 24 months. Additionally, 90 percent expressed their preference for a single partner that provides a central point of accountability, and 94 percent considered more managed service options as one of the top factors in facilitating edge adoption.
The study also shed light on the drivers behind the adoption of Edge in various industries. Manufacturing companies cited operational efficiency and data security as the top drivers, while healthcare, transportation and manufacturing companies reported meeting or exceeding their expectations in terms of improving supply chain efficiency and worker safety.
The report’s findings underscore the growing importance of edge computing in driving business outcomes and driving digital transformation. As organizations continue to invest in edge technologies, the need for robust network infrastructure, strategic partnerships, and end-to-end management becomes increasingly important to realize the full benefits of edge computing.
