Verizon, Microsoft Azure Roll Out Private Mobile Edge Cloud For Enterprises

The two companies debuted Verizon 5G Edge with Microsoft Azure Stack Edge, on-premises, private edge compute solution for enterprises, such as retailers and manufacturers, that uses Verizon’s private 5G network.

Verizon and Microsoft Azure are making good on their partnership announced last year with the introduction of an on-premises, private edge compute solution that harnesses 5G.

Verizon 5G Edge with Microsoft Azure Stack Edge is a cloud platform that puts compute and storage services at the edge of the network at the customer premises. The solution will give enterprises lower lag time and high bandwidth needed for demanding applications, such as augmented and virtual reality, and machine learning, according to the two companies. The solution comes at a time where many businesses are considering hybrid IT environments -- a blend of private, public and hybrid cloud technologies -- to accomplish their goals.

Verizon 5G Edge with Microsoft Azure Stack Edge is going to be available through the carrier‘s channel partners, Verizon told CRN.

The latest solution uses Verizon’s commercially available private 5G network for enterprises, On Site 5G, which the carrier debuted in June.

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Verizon 5G Edge with Microsoft Azure Stack Edge is already being used by Logistics and supply chain solutions company Ice Mobility to bolster its computer vision-assisted product packing for quality assurance, according to Basking Ridge, N.J.-based Verizon. The solution in the hands of customers such as retailers and manufacturers, for example, can boost processing information to near-real time to increase inventory accuracy and power fast and flexible supply chains, the companies said.

“Our partnership with Microsoft brings 5G Edge to enterprises, dropping latency at the edge, helping critical, performance-impacting applications respond more quickly and efficiently,” Sampath Sowmyanarayan, Verizon Business’ chief revenue officer said in a statement. “5G is ushering in next-generation business applications, from core connectivity to real-time edge compute and new applications and solutions that take advantage of AI transforming nearly every industry.”

Verizon has a similar arrangement with Amazon Web Services (AWS). In a partnership announced in 2019, AWS unveiled WaveLength, a service that puts technology from AWS -- including compute, storage, database, and analytics tools -- at the edge of Verizon’s 5G network and closer to end user devices.

The telecom giant last year also joined forces with Microsoft Azure for a different project. Verizon’s IoT developer platform ThingSpace and its 5G LTE network connectivity have been integrated with Microsoft Azure’s IoT Central, a platform that provides cloud-based analytics and pre-built IoT use case templates as a way to help developers and service providers create and develop IoT solutions faster.