NTT Data has unveiled its new Edge AI platform to accelerate IT/OT convergence by bringing AI processing to the edge.
By processing data when and where it is generated and unifying diverse IoT devices, systems and data, the fully managed solution enables real-time decisions, enhanced operational efficiencies and secure AI application deployment across industries to drive advanced Industry 4.0 technologies.
While the spotlight has been on generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and large language models (LLMs), these technologies are impractical for industries requiring real-time and local decision-making.
NTT Data’s Edge AI solution addresses this challenge by processing massive data sets on compact computing platforms, using smaller, more efficient machine learning models to deliver real-time AI insights.
Edge AI is an all-inclusive managed service platform that includes all the systems, tools and capabilities required for AI at the edge. It addresses data discovery, collection, integration, computation power, seamless connectivity and AI model management.
The Edge AI platform, supported by NTT Data’s consulting data scientists, managed services and global technical resources, addresses the shadow IoT challenge and AI infrastructure requirements. It does this by auto-discovering, unifying and processing data from IoT devices and IT assets across the organisation, simplifying AI deployment and management.
Designed to support industry-specific requirements, the Edge AI platform leverages lighter, cost-effective AI models, enabling it to run within a small compute box. Edge AI will perform specific tasks, such as supporting safety or operational efficiency, by collecting data from disparate devices across a network environment, enabling instantaneous and secure data processing and analytics.
Manufacturing operations could benefit from improved predictive maintenance by accessing IT/OT data from sensors, machinery, cameras and applications to plan and address failures. In addition, NTT Data’s Edge AI can monitor and optimize energy consumption in real time, predicting energy spikes and optimizing machine usage, reducing costs and CO2 emissions with renewable energy.
“Our Edge AI platform represents a significant leap forward in driving AI at the edge securely and cost-effectively,” says Shahid Ahmed, group executive vice-president of edge services at NTT Data. “By harmonising data from disparate sensors and devices with lightweight AI models, powering all kinds of automation use-cases, NTT Data’s Edge AI is pioneering industrial AI adoption as the first fully managed offering, helping organisations modernise with tailored, industry-specific solutions.”
According to IDC, worldwide spending on edge computing is expected to reach $232-billion in 2024, an increase of 15% over 2023. This growth is perpetuated by the growing number of connected IoT devices worldwide, expected to exceed 41-billion by 2025.
NTT Data is poised to capture significant market share through its dedicated IoT consulting and services business, which brings together 1 000 industry experts, hundreds of use cases from predictive maintenance, fleet management, connected factories, energy consumption monitoring and sustainability, and has already trained over 500 sales experts globally to accelerate its Edge AI go-to-market efforts.