Schneider Electric Releases New Research to Help IT Industry Navigate Edge Computing Challenges

Sept 27, 2019

By 2024, companies will spend more than $650B per year in digital transformation. But, enabling digital transformation has created challenges as IT professionals plan highly distributed IT edge computing networks. Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, has released two new e-guides to support the IT industry in addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by edge computing – available free to IT and data center professionals, managed service providers (MSPs) and value-added resellers (VARs).  

• Developed in partnership with the independent research firm Canalys, the new e-guide “How to Capitalize on the Edge Computing Opportunity” is designed to help MSPs and VARs identify new revenue streams by supporting customers in their edge computing strategy. 
• “Buyer’s Guide to Edge Infrastructure Management” identifies the right questions to ask and key steps IT and data center professionals should take before selecting and deploying an edge infrastructure management solution.

The e-guides deliver proprietary research from Canalys, guidance from IT leaders, and insight garnered from years of R&D developing IT and data center solutions under the APC by Schneider Electric brand. They are available now on APC.com and SE.com.

Practical guidance to solve edge computing challenges

Edge computing is designed to put applications and data closer to devices – and their users. While cloud computing drove the creation of mega data centers, edge computing brings distributed IT with an exponential number of micro data centers. This new environment reduces latency and increases availability of data, ensuring IT systems can deliver the benefits of digital transformation. With a highly distributed network, IT professionals need to address new issues including lack of on-site IT staff, physical and cyber security, a lack of integrated or standardized systems and, as a result, poor resiliency. 

“Our reliance on digital experiences is ever-increasing, changing how we personally interact with each other and the companies with whom we do business. A digital customer experience is now a business imperative and IT professionals – from end users to VARs and MSPs — are navigating a complex new hybrid IT world,” said Jamie Bourassa, VP IT Channel Strategy, Schneider Electric. “We have developed these guides, along with tools and other resources, to remove some of the complexity from the process of developing a unique edge computing strategy.”

Edge Computing offers new service and solution revenue for channel partners

“How to Capitalize on the Edge Computing Opportunity” is an in-depth e-guide presenting the results of Canalys’ primary research of more than 350 IT channel respondents regarding edge computing opportunities and challenges. Key findings include:

• Priority vertical industries for Internet of Things solutions include healthcare (37%), manufacturing (33%) and industrial (23%)
• Channel partners report that an average of 75% of their end users cite downtime as detrimental to their business
• Nearly all IT providers cited remote site management, physical security and standardized deployment as important or very important

In addition to discussing how channel partners can grow edge computing expertise, the e-guide provides a detailed roadmap for successfully identifying and implementing physical infrastructure to enable edge computing projects including how to:

• Identify solutions that complement existing portfolios
• Understand the required capabilities and sales approach
• Access tools that enable edge design, deployment and management
• Leverage wide ecosystem of partners to address emerging opportunities in industrial environments

Buyers guide outlines pragmatic approach to evaluating edge infrastructure management

The distributed nature of edge computing means sites often lack IT support and are more vulnerable to physical and cyber risk. The “Buyer’s Guide to Edge Infrastructure Management” outlines the value of edge management and the important steps IT and data center professionals should take before buying and deploying a solution. By understanding the considerations and evaluating approaches in a pragmatic and methodical way, decision makers can identify solutions more effectively, ensuring better outcomes. The e-guide includes sections and tools designed to help small, medium and large enterprises to:

• Self-assess if there is a need for an edge infrastructure management solution
• Map the business requirement to the solution
• Assemble the right team of experts with appropriate skillsets
• Build a business case and action plan

The e-guides are available to download today on APC.com and SE.com.