Article Summary:
- From wired data center networks to telecom networks to the edge— Intel is a leader in network transformation.
- The Internet is undergoing a paradigm shift from centralized computing and data storage to distributed computing and network architectures.
- The resulting explosion of edge computing presents a huge opportunity for Intel and the industry as a whole.
- Intel's edge strategy is designed to provide customers with the industry's best programmable platforms and transform global networking and enterprise operations systems into software-defined and programmable forms.
Nick McKeown
Senior Vice President and General Manager, Networking & Edge Business Unit, Intel Corporation
Intel-based edge computing solutions have supported thousands of deployments, creating tremendous value for Intel customers and generating billions of dollars in revenue. Our customers leverage Intel products to build IoT solutions, 5G infrastructure, and enterprise networking products deployed at the edge. We are working with partners and customers to deliver and deploy edge solutions based on the Intel ® Xeon ®, Intel ® Core ™, Intel Atom ®, FPGA, Vision Processing Unit (VPU), and network chip portfolios, as well as open containerized software frameworks such as Smart Edge, the OpenVINO™ Toolkit for AI Inference, and our Infrastructure Programmer Development Kit (IPDK). (1) At Intel, this business is booming and growing.
Shift to a distributed architecture
But I believe that this is just the beginning. The way we use the Internet and deliver software applications is undergoing a paradigm shift: from centralized compute and data storage clusters to more distributed computing and network architectures. This "cloud-to-edge" infrastructure model combines cloud with unmatched scale and capacity with a more responsive edge where data is stored closer. At Intel, we see this model as a "super-technology force" that can drive digital transformation across industries.
In addition, a variety of social changes are driving this transformation: the rapid development of remote and hybrid work models; the digitization and automation of physical operations such as factories, retail stores, healthcare services, and increasing privacy concerns and related government regulations requiring data to be processed and stored near their source. These changes require us to deploy massive amounts of computing infrastructure to the edge, allowing edge AI platforms to interpret massive amounts of generated data, while driving intelligent automation to transform networks into software-defined and programmable forms so that workers connected to the network anywhere can dynamically connect to the distributed computing infrastructure.
I've been in the technology industry for 25 years, both as a professor at Stanford University and as the founder of several startups, and I've been convinced that this paradigm shift and the resulting explosion of edge computing is a major opportunity for Intel and the industry as a whole.
But where exactly is the "edge"? The term actually broadly covers many locations, and what these locations have in common is that the location where the data is computed and stored is close to where the data is sourced or processed (and/or close to the end user). The edge includes the "local edge" where most of the data is generated and will host a significant portion of AI workloads, the "telecom edge" with carrier data centers and central offices (where software-defined 5G/6G networks are deployed), and the computing facilities are "managed edges" owned by managed services or cloud service providers (where latency-sensitive applications such as software-defined enterprise networks, security applications, and games are deployed).
Intel's Edge Strategy
Intel's ambition at the edge is to provide customers, especially their software developers, with the industry's cutting-edge, broad programmable platform. Our edge strategy has two aspects, namely providing programmable platforms for:
Transform the operating systems of each business premises—whether it's assembly line monitoring on the factory floor, POS machines in retail stores, patient monitoring systems in hospitals, or supply chain management in logistics centers—into software-defined automation systems and use artificial intelligence on a modern cloud-native software platform.
Transform global networks into software-defined and programmable networks that enable these distributed enterprise sites to flexibly and securely connect with remote and field workers and mobile consumers.
Intel has world-class process, manufacturing at scale, and software capabilities that we are enabling these transformations by supporting the implementation of these strategies and accelerating the deployment of edge computing solutions. At the same time, we will also give full play to our leadership and experience in the field of networking in this process.
Network leadership
For years, Intel has led global networks away from the shackles of traditional fixed-function hardware to be defined by open, interoperable software, a network transformation that spans both wired data center networks and cellular wireless networks. In 4G/5G networks, we are driving the transition from core networks to virtualization with the help of network function virtualization and wireless access networks with virtual RAN and open RAN capabilities. We have made outstanding progress in this area – more than half of the new 5G core network deployments in 2021 will be virtualized, and the vast majority of commercial 5G vRAN deployments will run on Intel platforms, including 140 licensees using the Intel FlexRAN™ software reference architecture. A great example of this is Rakuten Mobile, which delivers world-class 5G services with an end-to-end, fully virtualized, open, cloud-native network built entirely on Intel platforms. ②
Similarly, we are leading the transformation of wired data center networks – transforming them into software-defined fabrics based on Ethernet adapters, infrastructure processing units (IPUs), and P4 programmable intelligent fabric processors (IFPs). Once you have the ability to program devices in your network, you can give network innovation unprecedented flexibility without changing the hardware. Having this capability end-to-end means that all network devices in the data path are programmable, which further enhances the flexibility and scalability of the network.
Empower edge partners with ARTIFICIAL intelligence and 5G
Intel works with partners to provide solutions to a wide range of customers in vertical industries such as retail, banking, hospitality, education, manufacturing, energy, healthcare, and pharmaceutical to drive digital transformation and automation. We're helping these partners build edge platforms that bring data closer to its source. To that end, we've provided our partners with powerful AI and 5G building blocks for fast, real-time analytics and response. Artificial intelligence—especially reasoning at the edge—can deliver beneficial insights in place, in real time, where and where data is generated. As a result, it is becoming the most common use case in edge computing, transforming and automating places like factories, smart cities, hospitals, and more. Programmable 5G networks enable our partners to connect a large number of sensors and smart devices, such as robots, to software and artificial intelligence running on Intel's programmable platforms over high-bandwidth, low-latency, robust, and deterministic wireless connections. Intel is working with partners on our shared vision: to operate autonomously on the edge of the enterprise.
We don't stop at building programmable hardware platforms, we also provide developers with open software building blocks such as IPDKs that give them access to our hardware capabilities on modern cloud-native software platforms such as Kubernetes. In addition, we offer toolkits to help developers develop optimized inference models for the edge with OpenVINO. Intel remains committed to creating the most exciting development experience for software developers at the edge.
With these platforms, Intel is forging a dynamic and reliable path for "pervasive computing"—from the cloud to the intelligent edge. In turn, our customers, software developers, technologists, and end users will innovate on these platforms, creating amazing applications that will transform people's lives and businesses in ways they can't imagine.
(1) Note: Revenue generated by FPGAs and a large portion of Xeon is included in the Intel Data Center and Artificial Intelligence (DCAI) business classification.
(2) Rakuten Mobile uses Intel Xeon processors, FPGAs, network interface cards (NICs), FlexRAN, and Smart Edge Open.
Intel, the Intel logo, Xeon, OpenVINO, and the OpenVINO logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries.
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