Intelligent Data Centres Issue 06 | Page 20

DATA CENTRE PREDICTIONS will not be enough; companies must rethink their entire business strategy to take advantage of Edge opportunities. The book outlines several key changes for enterprises to consider, including: • • Embrace a more progressive, experimental approach: A majority of survey respondents said that a change in business mindset was needed to embrace the concept of Edge strategies (64%). This could include accepting autonomous decision-making by Edge devices (60%), greater top-level support and leadership for the pursuit of driving smarter experiences (53%) and a willingness to experiment with solution design and business models for Edge applications (53%). • • Focus on investment, training and customer need: There were also calls to more clearly define the customer benefits of Edge applications (50%), allocate appropriate investment funds (42%) and provide training in how to spot and specify potential Edge applications (45%) • • Address emerging security concerns: Enterprises must address the security challenges of a network hosting many more connected devices. These include the creation of potentially thousands of points of risk exposure across the network (82%), uncertainty over whether a device has been compromised (67%), hacking of voice or 20 Issue 06 biometric security (62%) and concerns that IoT devices and sensors are not being built with security in mind (62%). Rohit Talwar, CEO at Fast Future, said: “To access the opportunities of the Edge, companies need a mindset shift to drive both structural and strategic change. Leaders must take responsibility for navigating the journey to the Edge, working hand in hand with IT to pursue open technology options and maintaining a consistent dialogue with employees, customers and other key stakeholders. “Focused experiments, with clearly defined goals, proactive project owners and dedicated resources are likely to be the best way forward.” TO ACCESS THE OPPORTUNITIES OF THE EDGE, COMPANIES NEED A MINDSET SHIFT TO DRIVE BOTH STRUCTURAL AND STRATEGIC CHANGE. Morten Illum, VP EMEA at Aruba, concludes: “Enterprises should be excited about the Edge opportunity, but they should not underestimate the degree of change needed to unlock it – including the implementation of a network infrastructure that is strong and flexible enough to withstand the greater demands Edge technologies impose and the security threats they create. “Given the pace and uncertainty of the change ahead, it is also essential to base any Edge strategy on an open technology ecosystem that leaves flexibility to adapt and evolve over time.” To read the full book, visit arubanetworks. com/ebook/opportunity-at-the-edge/ ◊ www.intelligentdatacentres.com