Edge services provider Virtuosys has launched an Edge Application Platform, which it claims will improve the economics and efficiency of delivering mobile or multi-access edge computing (MEC).
The Bath, UK-based company said that its platform, an ‘end-to-end’ software and hardware product designed to facilitate cloud-edge communications, would require no support or involvement from a mobile operator.
This means it could be installed more easily and deliver a low-latency, self-healing mesh network that could run multiple applications securely at the same time, claimed the company.
The organisation, which was founded in 2014, hopes that the platform will appeal to a number of markets, including smart transport, smart cities, connected retail, financial services and the industrial IoT sector.
In addition to a local edge mesh network, Virtuosys’ platform offers a transport-agnostic network over any wireless or wired protocol. Companies using the platform can manage services at the edge with a white label app store.
With its open development architecture, developers can also deploy apps specific to their own needs in the cloud or at the edge, or a combination of both.
The platform also delivers a range of application services such as payment processing and employee messaging.
Close to the edge
Virtuosys is just the latest company to focus on processing and storage on the network edge, providing the ability to operate standalone networks when connections to the internet can’t be guaranteed, or high performance and low latency are essential.
Read more: Dell reveals its IoT strategy
With the rise of IoT, edge devices are becoming more sophisticated, meaning that they can generate more real-world data for analysis. Vendors working in the IoT edge space suggest that processing in the edge will help customers to avoid consuming increasing amounts of bandwidth.
“The promise of edge computing in the wireless industry has been well documented, and in particular how it will play a key role in enabling a wide range of innovative IoT services. However, to date, actual deployments have been few and far between,” said Alan Jones, CEO of Virtuosys.
“Virtuosys technology provides these benefits today, and can be rapidly developed and deployed taking edge computing to the end point, not just the base station,” he added.
Internet of Business says
Getting close to the edge technologically increasingly means a competitive edge for businesses, especially in time-critical applications. As the space hots up, creating the infrastructure to support edge applications and services will become a hyper-competitive market.