Leveraging Verizon 5G Edge with Microsoft Azure Stack Edge, the solution “enables the ultra-low latency needed to deploy real-time enterprise applications,” the companies said in a statement. Sampath Sowmyanarayan, chief revenue officer of Verizon Business, said it would allow businesses to “bring compute and storage services to the edge of the network at the customer premises, providing increased efficiencies, higher levels of security, and the low lag and high bandwidth needed for applications involving computer vision, augmented and virtual reality, and machine learning.” “We’re thrilled to partner with Microsoft to bring 5G Edge to enterprises, dropping latency at the edge, helping critical, performance-impacting applications respond more quickly and efficiently,” Sowmyanarayan said. “5G will usher in next-generation business applications, from core connectivity to real-time edge compute and new applications and solutions that take advantage of AI transforming nearly every industry.” Corporate vice president of Azure for Operators at Microsoft Yousef Khalidi added that through the partnership with Verizon, the companies would be able to provide customers with computing and storage service capabilities at the edge of customers’ networks, “enabling robust application experiences with increased security.” “Business innovation demands powerful technology solutions, and central to this is the intersection between the network and edge,” Khalidi said. Verizon said the announcement builds on a collaboration with Microsoft that began in 2020 and has sought to provide retailers with a way to process information in near real-time to gain actionable data-driven insights to increase inventory accuracy and power fast and flexible supply chains. The companies noted that businesses like Ice Mobility have already used the solution to assist with computer vision-backed product packing as a way to improve on-site quality assurance. Ice Mobility is now looking into other 5G Edge applications that can offer material automation enhancements to its business, like near real-time activity-based costing. “This solution would allow them to assign overhead and indirect costs to specific customer accounts, pick and pack lines, and warehouse activities to enhance efficiencies and improve competitiveness,” the companies explained in a statement. The companies believe that the solution can help manufacturers minimize their downtime, gain greater visibility into their business processes and maximize the performance of their assets. Ghassan Abdo, Research VP at IDC, said the announcement “aligns with IDC’s view that an on-premise, private 5G edge compute deployment model will spur the growth of compelling 4th generation industrial use cases.” “This partnership is a positive development as it leverages the technology and communications leadership of both companies,” Abdo said.
