The report, Edge Infrastructure Models Archetypes 2.0 Ready for Deployment, builds on the Edge Computing archetype research and taxonomy that Vertiv presented to the industry in 2018. The new study ranks edge computing installations based on factors such as location and external environment, number of racks, power requirements and availability, site tenure, passive infrastructure, Edge Computing infrastructure provider, and the number of locations to be deployed.

- Edge of devices: Computing is located in the end device itself, either integrated into it or independently, connecting directly to the device, such as AR/VR devices or smart traffic lights.

- Micro Edge: A small, standalone solution that can range in size from one or two servers up to four racks. It can be deployed on-premises or at a telecommunications company's site, with use cases such as real-time inventory management and network cabinets in educational facilities.

- Distributed Edge Data Center: This can be located within an on-premises data center (whether a pre-existing enterprise data center, a network room, or a new standalone facility). It can also be a small distributed data center or a colocation facility located on the telecommunications company's network or at a regional site. Distributed edge data centers are common today in manufacturing, telecommunications, healthcare, and smart city applications.

- Regional Edge Data Center: A data center facility located outside of central data centers. As a facility specifically built to house IT infrastructure, it shares many characteristics with hyperscale data centers; for example, it is climate-controlled, offers high security, and provides high reliability. This model is common for retail applications and serves as an intermediate data processing site. 

The introduction of Edge archetypes three years ago advanced the understanding of Edge Computing. It was the first formal attempt—with input gathered from across the industry—to group applications at the network edge in a way that would help organizations avoid reinventing the wheel with each remote deployment. Since then, other organizations and industry bodies have worked in parallel—often with Vertiv as a collaborator—to create standard processes and technologies that further the understanding and effectiveness of Edge Computing. These latest edge infrastructure models represent the next logical step.

“As edge computing matures and remote sites proliferate and become more sophisticated, creating edge infrastructure models is a necessary step toward standardized equipment and designs that can increase efficiency and reduce costs and deployment times,” said Martin Olsen, worldwide vice president of edge computing strategy and transformation at Vertiv. “Edge locations will still require some customization to meet specific user needs, but these models streamline many fundamental choices and introduce much-needed repeatability in remote environments. This study is especially useful for specifiers, such as channel partners and IT management professionals.”.

The study, developed with the support of the analysis firm STL Partners, makes it clear that edge locations will require adjustments based on factors such as the environment, use case, legacy equipment, security and maintenance, enterprise data center operations, and communication capabilities. However, these adjustments are possible within the framework of edge infrastructure models and do not diminish the benefits of the standardization that these models provide.

“By adopting the four infrastructure models, players in this ecosystem can gain a number of advantages, such as accelerating time to market and facility deployment,” noted Dalia Adib, consulting director and head of the Edge Computing practice at STL Partners. “The Edge Computing market is growing, and this can only be reinforced by introducing some degree of standardization to the language we use to describe the network edge.”.

The report also analyzes the edge infrastructure needs of key vertical sectors, such as manufacturing, retail, and telecommunications, and assesses their preferred edge infrastructure models. In addition to identifying these models, the report offers recommendations for businesses and solution providers deploying this type of infrastructure.

Vertiv has also developed an online tool to help customers, channel partners, and others who plan, select, and deploy edge installations determine the right infrastructure model for their applications. The report and tool are available here .