The Role of Edge Management and Orchestration in Industrial Digitalization
By David Puron CEO at Barbara.
The 181 zettabytes of data generated annually by over 13 billion devices exceeds global internet bandwidth, posing challenges for cloud computing due to high costs, latency, and security concerns. Edge computing processes data locally, offering efficient, secure analysis without constant connectivity. Barbara’s Industrial Edge Management and Orchestration Platform simplifies managing this infrastructure by providing cloud-like capabilities on-premises and bridging the IT-OT gap.
The Data Deluge: Companies Generate 181 Zettabytes Annually, far exceeding Global Internet Capacity
The volume of digital data generated by companies today is staggering. With over 13 billion connected devices worldwide, recent estimates suggest that the data generated in a year reaches around 181 zettabytes, translating to an immense 5.74 petabytes per second. This figure is roughly 26 times greater than the current global internet bandwidth can handle.
This massive influx of data is posing significant challenges to cloud computing, which is struggling to meet its promises due to high processing costs, latency issues, and security concerns. These challenges highlight the need for a more effective solution, which is where edge computing comes into play. By processing data on local devices that do not require constant internet connectivity, edge computing ensures that data is stored and analyzed efficiently and securely right at the source, eliminating bottlenecks.
However, managing this infrastructure of distributed local computing can be complex. One customer aptly described their requirement as “working like the cloud, but without using the cloud.” This is precisely what an Edge Management and Orchestration (EMO) Platform offers.
Barbara’s Industrial Edge Management and Orchestration Platform is designed to meet these needs, providing cloud-like capabilities on-premises, bridging the gap between IT and OT (Operational Technology).
Why an Edge Management and Orchestration Platform is Critical
Many industrial companies embark on on-premise data projects without realizing the necessity of an EMO platform. Often, these projects end up as successful test laboratories but fail to scale effectively.
Here are some critical challenges faced without an EMO platform:
1. Configuration Management: Ensuring consistent configurations across all devices is difficult without orchestration tools, leading to mismatched settings and continuous failures.
2. Patch Management: Timely deployment of security patches becomes challenging, leaving devices vulnerable to attacks.
3. Data Protection: Ensuring secure transmission and storage of data across all edge devices is harder to enforce without a unified management system.
4. Resource Optimization: Orchestration optimizes resource allocation across devices. Without it, resources might be underutilized or overburdened.
5. Load Balancing and High Availability: Proper distribution of computational load prevents bottlenecks and ensures smooth operation, which is difficult to achieve manually.
6. Real-Time Monitoring: Having real-time visibility into the performance and health of edge devices is challenging without edge management tools.
7. Automation: Orchestration enables automation of routine tasks, improving efficiency and reducing the likelihood of human error.
8. Failure Management: Orchestration solutions include features for detecting and mitigating failures, ensuring higher uptime and reliability.
9. Backup and Recovery: Effective management solutions provide mechanisms for backup and recovery, reducing downtime in case of device failure.
Barbara’s Industrial EMO has been built with years of investment to address these challenges. However, implementing the right edge-focused data use cases requires more than just a platform. Innovation in industrial digitalization is a team effort that demands multiple products and companies working together in perfect synchronization.
The Importance of Strategic Partnerships
As a deep tech CEO, I understand that no matter how good our technology is, the success of our platform heavily depends on our strategic partnerships.
Partner with Barbara to Reshape the Future of Industrial Technology
We actively seek collaborations with individuals and companies passionate about driving digital transformation in the industry. David Purón CEO at Barbara.
System Integrators and Engineering Companies play a crucial role in the digitalization of industrial processes. For those working on Industry 4.0 projects, particularly in asset-intensive sectors such as energy, utilities, and process manufacturing, including an EMO in their offering provides transformative advantages:
1. Integration Foundation: An EMO helps integrate various systems and technologies. For example, Barbara’s EMO aids in integrating legacy data into AVEVA cloud, significantly reducing time and cost for integrators.
2. Optimized Project Delivery: With centralized management, an EMO solution optimizes project delivery and maintenance operations, driving overall efficiency and dramatically reducing the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
3. Supporting New Digital Solutions: Modern EMOs like Barbara support complex projects with out-of-the-box building blocks available in Barbara’s Marketplace.
Another key aspect of our partnership strategy is collaborating with Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) who can complement Barbara’s EMO with end-to-end functionality for system integrators and industrial customers.
An EMO acts like a rail management system, but we need the trains—advanced software solutions—to complete the journey. We invite you to join us in shaping the future of industrial technology. Whether you're a developer looking to deploy advanced software solutions or a system integrator ready to tackle ambitious digitalization projects, Barbara IoT is the partner you need to succeed. Together, we can drive unprecedented levels of efficiency, security, and innovation.
For more information on how we can collaborate, please contact us.