Edge is the new cloud, as Jason Grimm, consulting solutions architect at ZEDEDA, will tell you. IoT devices have multiplied exponentially, and by 2025, are set overshoot 75 billion, according to IHS Markit estimates. This is shifting computing back from the cloud to the physical edge of the network where data originates.
Grimm has witnessed the explosion of edge computing use cases across industries in the recent years, which have come to include even the most unlikeliest sectors like manufacturing and maritime.
The demand for near real-time data processing and infinitesimally low latency of these use cases necessitates building cloud-like environments at the edge.
Referring to a customer story, Grimm, at the Edge Field Day event in California last month, highlighted the advantages of edge computing in international maritime shipping, and ZEDEDA’s capabilities to support the use case.
Shipping Goods Around the World
Big shipping companies carrying out long-distance transportations own and operate large fleets of container vessels that haul thousands of cargos across ports. These vessels spend weeks on end at the sea, which means moving temperature-sensitive, perishable goods to distant places is tricky. Groceries, for example, need to be preserved at optimal operating temperatures and delivered well before they spoil to ensure freshness and quality.
Shipping refrigerated cargoes like groceries across the world often comes at a cost to the vendors, reminded Grimm. Companies like the one he talked about, move fresh and frozen goods worth approximately $21 million. That is no small stake.
Lack of connectivity can pose significant risks to monitoring these containers, he said. Scant onboard staffing makes it even more difficult to maintain the ideal temperature, leading to risks of spoilage and degradation of products.
Onboard connectivity in container vessels typically supports basic radio communication but falls short of enabling reliable on-ship to onshore communication. This leaves vendors struggling to do things like IoT steaming and real-time data analysis directly from the vessels. The physical safety of the devices is another key concern for companies looking to get value out of the data they collect.
To accelerate edge use cases, shipping companies must redesign and modernize their on-ship connectivity infrastructure with 4G and satellite connectivity to ensure consistent IoT streaming throughout the course of the journey.
ZEDEDA’s Edge Cloud for International Shipping Companies
ZEDEDA’s solution to this is based on the principle of extending the cloud operating model to the edge. The cornerstone of that is a private core network powered by ZEDEDA’s flagship EVE-OS running on third-party partner hardware, and SD-WAN implementation.
“Local network is basically for wide networking, and implementing SD-WAN’s ability to go between low earth orbiting and geo satellites.”
ZEDEDA upgraded the local connectivity to 4G ensuring reliable on-ship communication, and via satellite connectivity, sent IoT streams over to the company and ZEDEDA’s own NUCs. This way, sundry management functions like pushing updates, performing troubleshoots and monitoring container health are possible to orchestrate automatically and remotely, without requiring an IT team onboard.
Grimm said that this infrastructure allows companies to “manage all of that in a way that doesn’t require local staff, so that they can get the local insights and push them up to the cloud as well as the rest of the fleet.”
The IoT sensor streams for temperature measurements are read and processed by an app running on ZEDEDA’s hardware. Real-time insights and recommended actions are delivered to the ship crew, who, based on the alerts, can then make fixes where required.
Central to edge is security of connected devices. ZEDEDA protects against physical tampering and unauthorized accesses through built-in features of the platform like measured boot and remote attestation that ensure the safety of the devices while on transit.
“It’s a complete solution to modernize and revolutionize the business and meet all of the standards, while reducing that $21 billion risk of spoilage down to as near zero as we can get,” Grimm said.
Following its success with freight vessels, ZEDEDA is working on foraying into chartered vessels and other shipping companies where it is set to enhance fleet management and edge compute capabilities with a portable tech kit.
For more, be sure to watch ZEDEDA’s presentations from the Edge Field Day event on the Tech Field Day website.
