Jan-Feb 2020 - ChannelVision Magazine

I ’ll go on the record: edge comput- ing is the single-biggest opportu- nity for the channel right now. De- mand for edge computing is grow- ing rapidly, and companies of all sizes are looking to move their data closer to the end user. This growth is happening across industries, from retailers that want to analyze their customer data in-store to healthcare facilities treating patients with telemedicine. With the edge, you have this massive amount of compute that’s moving from centralized to decentralized networks. Channel partners need to be proficient in all aspects of these sites – from the server, storage and networking to the physical infrastructure, software applica- tions and service and maintenance. As resellers, you have been selling into small spaces for years. The differ- ence now is the increased complexity and connectivity and what that means for your customers. Channel partners need to be able to understand and simplify this for customers. It’s critical that you are a trusted partner to help navigate these new waters. Think big picture It’s important to think holistically when you think about the edge. You shouldn’t be myopic on physical infra- structure. There’s sometimes a ten- dency to get so focused on the pieces and parts that resellers forget about the software and the services that make it a full package. It’s important to develop an understanding of the Livin’ on the Edge Best practices for channel partners for edge computing By Martin Olsen VIRTUAL REALITY “What will be the primary data requirement for your edge applications in 2025?” (Among industry professionals with a variety of roles supporting the data center) Source: Vertiv 17% 42% 22% 20% Data intensive (high bandwidth) Machine-to-machine communications (very low latency) Human latency sensitive (latency impacts human experience) Life critical (high criticality, low latency) 28 CHANNEL VISION | January - February, 2020