Category: HPE

Authored by Bret Peavy, Vice President, Sales and Business Development

Every day, across all industries and environments, companies are discovering how to leverage the constant waves of data to help their organizations be better, faster, and even safer with edge computing. Edge computing refers to “computing that is done on site near a particular data source, minimizing the need for data to be processed in a remote data center,” according to our partner Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

In situations where data plays a key and immediate role, edge computing is essential. For example, during a robotic heart surgery where the extent of the blockage will determine the course of the procedure; at a manufacturing center where equipment malfunctions are pinpointed instantaneously; or, in a retail setting where any delay in response to a shopper’s request will mean losing the sale to a competitor.

Edge computing means getting answers quickly—in milliseconds. By keeping data, storage, management, and control at the edge, companies can minimize insight delay and reduce data bandwidth requirements, lowering overall operations costs. Edge computing also eliminates the security risks associated with moving large volumes of sensitive data back and forth from a data center.

Gartner estimated, “By 2022, as a result of digital business projects, 75 percent of enterprise-generated data will be created and processed outside the traditional centralized data center or cloud, up from less than 10 percent in 2018.”

Use cases

Healthcare. In healthcare, immediate action for hurt and ill patients is especially critical, and potentially lifesaving. Edge computing extracts insights from the masses of data arriving from doctors’ offices and hospitals to allow providers to make informed decisions in real time, improving the speed and accuracy of diagnoses. Medical delivery devices also employ edge computing in robot-assisted procedures and other delivery methods.

Banking. As banking technologies have rapidly advanced, so have their data processing counterparts. Edge computing helps financial institutions better apply data from distributed branches and ATMs, and deliver ultra-personalized experiences to customers.

Internet of Things. At this point, we’ve all heard of the “Internet of Things.” Everything from refrigerators to agricultural drones to fitness trackers are collecting real-time data. But internet-connected devices are only useful when the data they collect is immediately processed and actionable. Going further with IoT, manufacturers track operations, address assembly line issues, and predict equipment servicing schedules.

And more. A retail store with edge computing can monitor a retail environment with facial recognition technology and behavioral analysis to proactively combat theft. City departments manage traffic flow with preemptive measures such as opening and closing lanes or redirecting around an accident or icy bridge. Edge computing provides unmatched potential for growth and innovation for companies in all industries, while also minimizing security risk and cost.

HPE innovations

Working with HPE, Pacxa is implementing next-generation edge computing environments that adapt across industries and are ideally situated to grow as companies evolve. HPE takes edge computing one step further to the intelligent edge where data is not only processed but also thoroughly analyzed.

HPE innovations are setting the pace for edge computing innovation and IT ecosystems of the future. Its edge solutions comprise data platforms that are flexible, scalable, and comprehensive. These offerings eliminate the need for siloed data, opening up seamless paths between edge and cloud to ensure the peace of mind that comes with effortless backup and recovery.

For harsh environments such as extreme temperatures and rugged atmospheres, the Edgeline EL8000 is a “data center in a box.” The military-grade toolbox-style solution is portable, modular, and compact; the entire solution can fit under an airplane seat. Collecting and securing data is only the beginning. To gain an edge, enterprises should leverage their data and apply it immediately, bringing value and innovation to customers in even the most remote locations. To schedule a demo and learn more about how HPE’s edge computing solutions can help your organization, contact Pacxa today.

Authored by Bret Peavy, Enterprise Sales Representative

Simply put, intelligent data is data that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to create efficiencies, gain understanding, innovate, and transform organizations and industries. With massive amounts of data generated daily, every enterprise should be looking to unlock insights and seek new business outcomes to progress. Particularly in a hybrid work environment, establishing a system in which data can be safely accessed and seamlessly integrated 24/7 is crucial to enterprise operations.

Although the most important data will vary according to organization and industry, the common hurdles to creating an intelligent data environment tend to be universal across sectors:

• Data silos,
• Infrastructure problems,
• Disruptions to consistent data collection and storage, and
• A lack of intelligence and integration among systems

The initial questions in considering an intelligent data environment are:

1. What is our most important data?
2. How are people in our organization using it?
3. How can it be harnessed to propel our organization to the next level?

Pacxa customers are transitioning to intelligent data environments with the help of HPE’s intelligent data platform. This platform enables our clients to optimize data at every turn, whether it’s mission-critical or general-purpose, and whether it’s stored in the cloud or on an individual’s device. With a pay-as-you-use consumption model, organizations can realize significantly lower operational storage expenses. And with the platform’s real-time adjustments, problems can be resolved even before they are known.

Here, we’ll look at the foundational pieces of an intelligent data environment.

Storage Efficiency

Storing data often means preventing access to it and sacrificing any insights that may be gleaned from having it in the available data mix. Backup data has traditionally been viewed as an insurance policy. An intelligent data platform helps transform this sitting data into a business asset by using it to unlock answers in real-time.

Storage capacity is also maximized with the platform’s AI-powered projections coupled with its as-a-service model. Organizations can use the data insights to predict fluctuations in storage requirements, and then effortlessly contract and expand capacity by paying only for what they use.

Data Security

Security allows only the right people to access the troves of information. Data that isn’t secure is a liability—it’s at risk of being lost or compromised. The beauty of an intelligent data platform is that it can store data safely and securely, while also keeping it available 24/7 in a hybrid work environment with multiple devices, multiple geographies, and multiple and varied access points. Its built-in protection capabilities include VM backups, multi-side replication, recovery, cloning, and disaster recovery. A zero-trust approach, which entails introducing more friction to access, is now the norm from a security standpoint and means that organizations must work harder to secure their data and systems. The platform helps to streamline resources so that the IT team and budget are not completely exhausted by these security measures.

AI and Analytics

Of course, the point of having data is to use it. An intelligent data environment is primed to analyze information and make connections we might not see on our own. An intelligent data platform creates a foundation for truly leveraging the data, allowing for multiple data-centric workloads, advanced analytics, AI, and large-scale data lakes all in one place.

For example, an HPE case study revealed that their intelligent data platform enabled New York-based IT provider Webair to scale operations with ease. Webair utilized the platform to more accurately project growth and anticipate the need for additional hardware through predictive analytics.

Intelligent Edge

Across all industries, there has been an increase in edge computing or “data at the edge.” Data that was traditionally managed at remote data centers is now being processed in high volumes at multiple locations such as satellite and remote offices. While this decentralized model allows for more efficient data processing, these on-site locations are often unequipped to handle huge amounts of data or are inadequately staffed. An intelligent data platform fills these gaps by maximizing data protection and storage as described above and simplifying management through centralization of IT operations and integrated automation.

With an intelligent data environment, the edge becomes the intelligent edge. The data isn’t just processed near its source, it’s then analyzed and employed. In healthcare, for example, providers are using the edge to access real-time patient insights without processing the information through third-party databases. AI is then applied to improve the speed and accuracy of diagnoses.

Final Thoughts

A strong intelligent data strategy is the foundation to harness your data. Enterprises should plan a transition to an intelligent data environment that will power and mobilize their organizations into the future.