NTT, VMware team to develop fully managed Edge+Private 5G offering as a service

With factories increasing their reliance on robotics, vehicles become autonomous, and manufacturers moving to omnichannel models, there is a greater need for distributed compute processing power and data storage with near-instantaneous response times. So, noting that combining edge and private 5G will be a “game changer” for their customers, NTT and VMware, in collaboration with Intel, have launched edge-as-a-service.

The partnership is designed to innovate on edge-focused systems and services and the IT infrastructure and services company says the launch of the managed edge compute platform will enable enterprises to deploy quickly, manage and monitor applications closer to the edge. NTT’s edge-as-a-service offering is described as a globally available integrated solution that accelerates business process automation. It delivers near-zero latency for enterprise applications at the network edge, optimising costs and boosting end-user experiences in a secure environment.

Edge-as-a-service is part of NTT’s managed service portfolio, which includes network-as-a-service and multicloud-as-a-service, all designed for enterprises to focus on their core business. NTT is using VMware’s edge compute stack to power the edge-as-a-service offering and VMware is adopting NTT’s private 5G technologies as part of its edge solution, which will be delivered by NTT across its global footprint running on Intel network and edge technology. The companies will jointly market the offering through coordinated co-innovation, sales, and business development.

VMware’s secure application development, resource management automation, and real-time processing capabilities will be combined with NTT’s multicloud and edge platforms, creating a fully integrated Edge+Private 5G managed service. VMware and NTT’s innovative offering resides closer to where the data is generated or collected, enabling enterprises to access and react to information instantaneously.

The solution, which also used multicloud and multi-tenant connectivity, combined with NTT’s capabilities in network segmentation and legacy in movement from private to public 5G, is designed to provide critical benefits for multiple industries, including manufacturing, retail, logistics and entertainment.

“The combination of NTT and VMware’s edge compute stack and private 5G delivers a unique solution that will drive powerful outcomes for enterprises eager to optimise the performance and cost efficiencies of critical applications at the network edge,” said Shahid Ahmed, group EVP, new ventures and innovation CEO at NTT. “Minimum latency, maximum processing power and global coverage are exactly what enterprises need to accelerate their unique digital transformation journeys.”

Sanjay Uppal, senior vice-president and general manager, service provider, and edge business unit at VMware, added: “Enterprises are increasingly distributed – from the digital architecture they rely on to the human workforce that powers their business daily. This has spurred a sea change across every industry, altering where data is produced, delivered and consumed.

“Bringing VMware’s edge compute stack to NTT’s edge-as-a-service will enable our mutual customers to build, run, manage, connect and better protect edge-native applications at the near and far edge while leveraging consistent infrastructure and operations with the power of edge computing.”