Earlier this year, Verizon launched On Site 5G, which allowed enterprise and public sector customers to utilize the carrier’s mmWave network
Almost a year after announcing an edge computing solution with Microsoft, Verizon has announced the availability of an on-premises, private edge compute solution called Verizon 5G Edge with Microsoft Azure Stack Edge.
Earlier this year, Verizon Business launched On Site 5G, which allowed large enterprise and public sector customers to utilize the carrier’s millimeter (mmWave) network, called 5G Ultra Wideband, at indoor or outdoor facilities. The most recent solution build off of that on-premise offering, bringing compute and storage services to the edge of the network at the customer premises.
According to Verizon, Verizon 5G Edge with Microsoft Azure Stack Edge provides enterprises with “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.”
“Our partnership with Microsoft brings 5G Edge to enterprises, dropping latency at the edge, helping critical, performance-impacting applications respond more quickly and efficiently,” said Sampath Sowmyanarayan, chief revenue officer of Verizon Business.
Ghassan Abdo, research VP at IDC, said the partnership is a “positive development” for the companies and the industrial space as it “aligns with IDC’s view that an on-premises, private 5G edge compute deployment model will spur the growth of compelling 4th generation industrial use cases.”
Ice Mobility, a logistics and supply chain solutions company, has already implanted the new solution, using it for computer vision-assisted product packing. The company is also considering additional applications for the solution, such as near real-time, activity-based costing.
“Business innovation demands powerful technology solutions and central to this is the intersection between the network and edge” said Yousef Khalidi, corporate vice president Azure for Operators at Microsoft. “Through our partnership with Verizon, we are providing customers with powerful compute and storage service capabilities at the edge of customers’ networks, enabling robust application experiences with increased security.”
