Defining Four Edge Archetypes and Their Technology Requirements

Over the last several years, “edge computing” has become one of the most talked about trends in IT, and for good reason. Grand Valley Research projects a CAGR of 41% for edge computing between 2018 and 2025. Nearly every industry is recognizing the limitations of supporting users and emerging technologies through centralized IT infrastructures and is pushing storage and computing closer to users and devices. A close analysis of the market reveals a wide variety of current and emerging use cases and, while they share some similarities based on the broad definition of edge computing, they are also distinct in some significant ways. Vertiv edge experts, in conjunction with an independent third-party consulting firm, analyzed the use cases that comprise the edge ecosystem to develop a better understanding of these differences and their implications for the supporting infrastructure. As a result of this analysis, we have identified four main archetypes for edge applications. This white paper presents a description of each archetype with examples of the most impactful use cases, along with an overview of their connectivity requirements to local, metro and regional hubs.