Google LLC is expanding its edge capabilities with a new program that combines its Anthos hybrid application development platform and artificial intelligence tools with its own and its communication service providers’ existing global networks.

The plan is to help customers develop and deploy vertical services and applications at the edge more rapidly, Google said. This will ensure customers can benefit from lower latency by processing data where it is created, reduce the costs associated with data storage and eliminate the need to send data from the edge to a data center where it’s traditionally processed.

In a blog post today, Amol Phadke, managing director of Telecom Industry Solutions at Google Cloud, said it’s necessary for enterprises to take advantage of edge infrastructure wherever they can, especially with the advent of 5G networks that enable much faster connectivity than before.

Edge infrastructure is important because it makes it possible for data produced by “internet of things” devices (such as sensors for example) to be processed closer to its source, instead of being sent across long routes to centralized data centers or clouds. The advantage of processing data closer to the network edge is that it can be analyzed faster, which means organizations can make decisions based on that analysis in real-time using technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Google’s plan is to make edge infrastructure more accessible to its cloud customers by tapping into its extensive network of ecosystem and telecommunications partners.

“Organizations with edge presences, like retailers operating brick-and-mortar stores, transportation companies managing fleets of vehicles, or manufacturers relying on IoT-enabled equipment on shop floors, have an opportunity to modernize processes and deliver new experiences with cloud capabilities at the edge,” Phadke said.

The majority of businesses still rely on on-premises systems or small onsite servers to tackle many of their edge computing tasks. But by taking advantage of 5G connectivity, customers can now build and deploy new services at the edge using the Google Anthos platform, and then use Google’s AI and machine learning tools to analyze the data they generate on site, Phadke said.

This will make it possible for retailers for example to build more enriched in-store visual experiences streaming data directly from the network, he said. Meanwhile, manufacturers will be able to run advanced AI-powered visual inspections using 5G-enabled devices without the need for local processing power.

To enable that, Google Cloud is teaming up with more than 30 launch partners to deliver more than 200 applications at the edge that span multiple industries, Phadke said.

On the industrial “internet of things” and manufacturing side, Google announced partnerships with companies that include Siemens AG to make its W3C Web of Things middleware available on Google Cloud, helping make cloud-agnostic IoT application development a reality. Other partners include Dematic Group Ltd., which will bring its supply chain execution, warehouse automation and robotics applications to the edge for companies to optimize warehouse resources, inventory management and supply chain operations.

Phadke said another beneficiary of 5G and edge infrastructure is the media and entertainment industry, since it enables providers to create live video experiences for sports fans or concertgoers, for example. To that end, Google’s media and entertainment launch partners include a company called Harmonic Inc., which will deliver its CableOS Platform for faster next-generation broadband services and its fully managed VOS platform that enables the delivery of live and on-demand video streaming services.

On the retail side, Google says it can enable new customer experiences such as cashierless checkouts and improved backend processes such as inventory management. Its launch partners include Qwinix Technologies Inc., which sells 5G edge AI solutions for stock management and traffic monitoring, and Trax Technology Solutions Pte Ltd., a provider of in-store monitoring and intelligence services.

Lastly, Phadke said, Google is working with a number of horizontal solutions providers that can help to deliver security, device validation and verification, and virtual network services across multiple verticals. In this area, Google’s long list of partners includes Equinix Inc., a digital infrastructure company that provides low-latency virtual network services, and Cellwize Wireless Technologies Ltd., which specializes in accelerating 5G network deployments.

Holger Mueller, an analyst with Constellation Research Inc., told SiliconANGLE that today’s announcement is significant because the edge is one of the key battlegrounds for cloud leadership.

“Next-generation applications powered at the edge are always connected to the cloud, and the range of use cases is being expanded enormously with the rollout of 5G,” Mueller said. “So we’re seeing a race among cloud providers now to be the best partner for 5G solutions. Google is also addressing another important trend this year, vertical clouds, with its global mobile edge strategy that includes substantial partner ecosystem backup.”

Image: Google