Revolutionizing your factory operations

The benefits of edge computing are clear, and the technology for edge computing has existed for at least a decade. However, the commonly adopted approach of implementing edge computing separately at each factory as siloed projects has often led to redundant efforts, increased costs, and a lack of central government and monitoring.  

Nortal’s vision for the “next-generation edge platform” is to deploy, monitor, and manage applications at the edge using the same tools and practices we use in the public cloud, i.e., to extend the cloud computing principles to the edge. The grounding principles are the same as those for any technology platform, as described in Nortal’s previous post by Aki Pehkonen: to enable the business to move faster and more efficiently towards its goals. 

We have designed Nortal's Edge Platform to unlock the full potential of edge computing in large industrial settings, and we’ve already started piloting the approach with a leading customer.

Based on our experience in the industrial landscape, the benefits of next-generation edge platform can be manifold for corporations with many sites globally: 

While many edge platform solutions may lead to vendor lock-in and closed environments, our approach is different. We have developed an open, cloud-native edge platform based on open standards and Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) projects. This approach enables you to choose the right tools and avoid vendor lock-ins. Our platform supports applications from various vendors, allowing you to select the best, most cost-effective components for your needs, fully benefit from the investments you have already made, and innovate more efficiently. With our extensive experience working with leading industrial customers and their OT/IT environments, we help you make the best architecture choices for your business.

• Infrastructure: Utilizing tools like Azure Local, the foundational layer includes physical and virtual resources in your factories’ on-premises server room that ensure high availability and reliability, e.g., networking components, storage systems, and hardware resources. 
• Compute: With Kubernetes technology at its core, the compute entity includes virtual machines and containers that execute the application logic and data processing. It also enables rapid deployment and consistent management of containerized applications across all factory locations.
• Core Services: Standardized core services capabilities such as databases, APIs, integrations, and message brokers make application development and deployments easier and ensure all necessary data is available for your applications. 
• Applications: The development and deployment of containerized applications for your business and operational needs stay in your hands and those of your selected application development vendors, allowing for greater flexibility and scalability. The platform ensures seamless interaction with the underlying data and core services.
• Management in the Cloud: Tools like Azure Arc enable the deployment, management, and monitoring of the above-mentioned edge resources and workloads. The edge platform offers a single control panel across your global factories.

With this next-generation Edge Platform, Nortal can help you efficiently, securely, and scalably orchestrate the entity described above across your factory sites. Our guidelines and best practices are based on our 30 years of expertise in industrial environments. Still, the platform allows you to continue to benefit from your current infrastructure, application partners, and tools to implement the edge computing architecture and processes best suited to your operational needs.

Switching to a next-generation Edge Platform is not just a tech upgrade but a smart move that can improve how your factories work, make them safer, and save money.  

Edge computing supports digital transformation technologies like the Internet of Things, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. These technologies rely on low-latency, high-bandwidth data processing, which edge computing can provide. Edge computing lowers costs and emissions by diminishing the need to send data over networks, reduces security and compliance risks, and keeps operations running even if the cloud connection is lost. Real-time decision-making speeds up innovation cycles and helps improve customer experience. 

Emerging technologies from Microsoft, such as Azure Local and Azure Arc, make edge computing easier, cheaper, and accessible for more companies than before. These tools let you use the same methods in local setups as in the public cloud, making your local factory operations more straightforward and secure. Investing in edge computing now helps build systems that can grow and adapt to future technological needs, ensuring long-term business success and flexibility.