Living on the edge: why partner ecosystems require a fresh IT approach

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The promise of edge technology’s ultra-low latency, reduced load on bandwidth capacity, real-time decision making, and ultra-reliable intelligent operations would make any CIO sit up and take notice. In fact, a recent Analysys Mason survey highlights that 87% of the operators consider edge computing to be a top strategic priority.

But behind all the hype, what does this really mean for CIOs, especially those working for Communication Service Providers (CSPs)? How do you go about delivering edge solutions at scale? Can you do it on your own, or will you need to work with a partner ecosystem? And what solutions such as an ecosystem orchestration platform can help get you there faster?

Why edge technology should be on your radar

Connected and autonomous vehicles, smart manufacturing and industry 4.0 use cases, remote operations on oil rigs and in mines, and safe spaces and smarter cities etc., all require very fast decision-making and real-time reactions, and large data volume processing. In fact, by 2023, IDC predicts that 70% of enterprises will run varying levels of data processing at the edge. However, edge, by definition, is a partner ecosystem play. If CSPs want to play in the edge market, they will need to work with partners to capture a significant share of the edge opportunity. Adding to this, 72% of enterprises expect CSPs to provide edge solutions with an ecosystem of partners (IDC). The ability to build outcome-based solutions at scale is key for edge and 5G monetization, so partnerships are going to be essential as CSPs will find it challenging to be able to deliver the full edge solutions on their own.

Managing multiple use cases, and a plethora of partners

Customers want technology solutions that solve problems. Certain verticals, especially manufacturing, can see 10s, if not 100s of potential use cases for edge technology and the good news is that most of these can be built on common components that already exist. However, you also have to consider the additional individual pieces that need management, especially when considering verticals like agriculture and transport logistics where you are required to deliver edge solutions at scale with an extensive number of use cases and partners. The IT complexity can be extremely daunting. Where do you even start to deal with such a large number of partners and customers? The truth is, you need to have a completely new approach to IT.

Challenges you may face when considering these scenarios

So how do you efficiently onboard new partners to deliver edge solutions at scale? And when they are onboarded, how do you deal with the different commercial models with your partners? The challenge is that it’s not a simple supplier relationship. There may be parties like independent software vendors (ISVs) involved who want to create software on top of your solutions, all of them interacting with you in a different commercial model. It’s likely that you’ll need to deal with complex hierarchies of both partners and customers, especially when managing a variety of processes such as ordering, assurance and billing etc., so establishing a governance for your partner ecosystem will be essential. For CSPs advancing beyond connectivity offerings and developing business outcome solutions, establishing a business platform model will be crucial to managing this complexity and consequently make them attractive to partners.

Ecosystem orchestration requires a new kind of IT approach

The existing BSS/OSS landscape is typically optimized for linear business models and is not ready for dealing with a complex partner ecosystem and a platform business model. The good news is that, by following the ODA architecture and Open API standards, you have a solid foundation for integrating the required partner management capabilities in your IT environment without having to replace your existing BSS/OSS landscape. An ecosystem orchestration platform plugs into the BSS/OSS architecture and deals with the challenge of managing complex partner relationships. It provides the required capabilities for managing the catalog partners and partners solutions, orchestrating the fulfillment and monetization for solutions that involve multiple partners, as well as providing the required self-service capabilities and APIs for allowing partners to quickly onboard and utilize the platform.

Use an ecosystem orchestration platform to power edge/5G business growth

There are five key considerations when utilizing an Ecosystem Orchestration Platform to power business growth with edge and 5G across all partners, relationships, customers and business models:

Helping CIOs get there faster

Gartner predicts that by year-end 2023, more than 50% of large enterprises will deploy at least six edge computing use cases, versus less than 1% in 2019. In light of this, Beyond is working hard to address the complexities mentioned above and provide an ecosystem orchestration platform with pre-integrated 5G/Edge solutions.

• Openness – a shift from traditional IT and probably the most important element to consider. You need an open platform that allows partners to self-onboard, join the ecosystem and co-create with other stakeholders.
• Speed – manual processes are not going to work if you are dealing with a large number of partners. Any delays could spell disaster when contemplating industries like connected and autonomous vehicles, smart manufacturing and industry 4.0 use cases.
• Commercial flexibility – find an efficient way to handle the various business models that you will have your partners. Are you co-selling? Jointly selling? Are you using them as a channel?
• Scalability – self-service capabilities are essential with open APIs in place so that partners have the power to make the ecosystem work for them
• Efficiency and automation - facilitating the rapid launch, sale and monetization of new digital services in days or weeks, not months, making you more agile in the face of competition.