As activity around the enterprise edge continues to heat up, some major technology players are building data processing architectures around multi-access edge computing, or MEC. The services model emerging from this trend will be a point of exploration at this week’s Dell Technologies World.

MEC technology moves compute of traffic and services from a central cloud to the network edge, reducing latency and bringing real-time processing to applications. The most recent sign of MEC’s growing influence came at the end of April when Dell Technologies Inc. announced plans to release an MEC reference architecture expressly aimed at private 5G network deployments.

In conjunction with Dell’s latest release, the company also announced the addition of Red Hat Inc.’s OpenShift software to its server equipment coupled with Intel Corp.’s Smart Edge Systems in support of 5G network deployment. The latest moves represent another entry by Dell into the telecom and 5G space.

“What Dell is saying is: ‘We’re going to partner with the right people to deliver solutions specific to your needs,'” said Scott Sinclair, senior analyst with ESG, in an interview with SiliconANGLE. “The edge is a really fascinating and high growth area. It is something that Dell is well-positioned to go after.”

TheCUBE’s coverage of Dell Technologies World 2021 begins at 10 a.m. PDT on May 5 and will run through 1 p.m. PDT on May 6. In addition to Michael Dell, featured speakers at the event include Dell’s John Roese, global chief technology officer; Jeff Clarke, vice chairman and chief operating officer; and Allison Dew, chief marketing officer and executive vice president; as well as Equinix’s Sara Baack, chief product officer. (* Disclosure below.)

Strategy for 5G

In advance of Dell Technologies World, Dell has increased focus on its most promising areas of edge and storage, as it sheds old acquisition baggage and pays down debt. On April 4, Dell announced a spinoff of VMware in a $9B deal, and on May 2, Dell revealed that it would sell its Boomi software business to private equity firms for $4B.

Dell’s move to the edge is part of the company’s broader strategy for 5G network deployment, which the firm’s executives have been positioning for the past year. During Dell Technologies World in October, the company’s chief technology officer, John Roese, outlined the need for cloud technology to manage critical tasks.

The telecom industry will need the kinds of tech solutions that Dell provides to fully realize the networking standard’s power. 5G offers a framework for telecom operators and customers to process enterprise workloads within cloud-managed environments.

“There’s a traditional world of telecom that’s just fine doing traditional telecom,” Roese said, during an interview last year. “But to build what we’re talking about, it can’t be done without the cloud and the IT ecosystems fully engaging.”

Tailwind for storage

Dell’s involvement in 5G and edge computing may benefit from tailwinds associated with a rebound in the tech services spending market as a whole. Recent data supplied to SiliconANGLE from Enterprise Technology Research showed that CIOs are relaxing defensive postures taken during the height of the COVID outbreak in 2020. Projections call for steady quarterly improvement in IT spending projected to track with US GDP growth at 6% to 7% in 2021.

One area where Dell may be gaining momentum, as captured in ETR’s survey data, is storage. The company launched its midrange PowerStore enterprise storage lineup one year ago and followed that with an entry-level model and software update with NVMe-over-Fiber-Channel support in April.

Dell exhibited noticeable improvement in ETR’s charting of spend velocity in the storage sector from April 2020 to now.

“Dell has had a storage refresh and product rollout, so it’s notable to see the uptick in Dell within this survey,” said Dave Vellante, co-founder and chief research officer at Wikibon and host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming video studio, in a recent analysis. “Because Dell is so large, a small uptick can be very good for the company.”

Livestream of Dell Technologies World

Dell Technologies World is a livestream event, with additional interviews to be broadcasted on theCUBE. You can register here to watch the live event. Plus, you can watch theCUBE interviews during Dell Technologies World here during the event and on demand after the live event.

How to watch theCUBE interviews

We offer you various ways to watch the live coverage of Dell Technologies World, including theCUBE’s dedicated website and YouTube channel. You can also get all the coverage from this year’s events on SiliconANGLE.

TheCUBE Insights podcast

SiliconANGLE also has podcasts available of archived interview sessions, available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify, which you can enjoy while on the go.

Guests

Guests who will be interviewed on theCUBE during Dell Technologies World include Dell’s Michael Dell; Gil Shneorson, senior vice president of edge computing offers, strategy and execution; Pierluca Chiodelli, VP of engineering technology; Andrew Glinka, VP of competitive intelligence; Adam Glick, senior director of product marketing for Project APEX; and Akanksha Mehrotra, VP of portfolio marketing for Project APEX. Check here for a complete list of speakers.

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for Dell Technologies World. Neither Dell, the sponsor for theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE