Yotabites of Data, how will we Transport them in 2030?

The enormous amounts of data generated by the increasing networking via the Internet of Things will no longer be „transported“ or transmitted to central servers in the future. The trend is towards decentralization. In concrete terms, this means that in just a few years up to 80 percent of all data will be processed where it is captured, i.e. at the edges – keyword: edge computing. This does not mean that the cloud will become obsolete; it is only because of this extreme amount that not all data is sent to it. One example of this is security cameras that take pictures around the clock and generate a massive volume of data. In the future, they will no longer all be sent to a central server; instead, thanks to Edge Computing, they will be analyzed directly on site – only in the event of irregularities or deviating events will the corresponding data be „transported on“.

We at Atos have recently launched the world’s most powerful edge computing server to best address this growing demand. Wherever a fast response time is required, its use is particularly suitable, for example in autonomous driving, in the healthcare sector or at critical locations such as airports or major events.
The BullSequana Edge embedded server safely manages and processes IoT data close to where it was created and ensures that it is processed immediately. It analyzes and operates AI applications in real time, providing immediate insight and decision-making for optimized operations. BullSequana Edge also enables companies to address challenges such as limited bandwidth, unstable network connections, edge data security and network costs.

How will AI to your opinion change Infrastructure in the coming decade?

With the constantly increasing networking and the use of sensors or cameras, of course, a lot of data is generated. Unlike in the past, these data are not simply collected, they are also intelligently evaluated and subsequently used to teach artificial intelligence. For example, by recording deviations they can avoid traffic jams and thus high pollutant emissions by improving the flow of traffic. In addition, traffic is made safer because potential hazards are identified and appropriate countermeasures can be taken quickly before accidents happen.

Reinventing Smart cities: is it more than increasing Data capacities? Is transportation really the key issue or do you see bigger challenges?

Assuming that by 2050 a good two thirds of all people will live in cities, the transport sector is of course a very important one. And it is true that the vision of a truly smart city is closely linked to a rapidly growing volume of data. Another challenge, for example, will be to feed the many people in the megacities and at the same time protect our environment. For this reason, we at Atos launched a project last year to meet this challenge. This is called „Digital Urban Farming“: The innovative project to research and promote vertical agriculture is backed by Atos, the start-up company Ferme Urbaine Lyonnaise and the LIRIS laboratory at INSA Lyon. In the future, we will see wheat fields on roofs, tomato perennials in mobile gardens and lettuce head rows on walls ─ In some megacities, such as Singapore, vertical agriculture already looks like this today. Behind this extraordinary and now very profitable cultivation method are perfectly coordinated control processes based on state-of-the-art digital solutions. Using sensors and Big Data Analytics, for example, optimal growth conditions and cultivation methods are investigated and implemented accordingly.

Success factors for companies to thrive in the new age?

I can give you the following three insider tips for companies that want to succeed on the market in the future:

• Be creative: Many companies already collect data diligently, but do not (yet) use it because they do not know how. This requires well-trained people who are not only good with numbers, but also have a certain amount of creativity, a very good sense of industries, customers and of course society. In the future it will be all the more important to be able to think creatively and networked and to break away from old patterns of thinking. No artificial intelligence in the world can learn this; in the digital age, human beings and their intellectual performance therefore become all the more important – through the use of AI or robotics, they are freed from routine tasks in order to be able to devote themselves to these creative processes.

• Be collaborative: The most successful companies in the digital age are all based on platform business models that enable multiple stakeholders to interact, create value and share. Business platform champions are leading the way to significant change in all industries, with a 30 percent share of global revenue forecast for 2025. In the near future, B2B platforms will be as commonplace as B2C platforms are today. Companies must therefore define how they can create added value both for their business and for the associated partner ecosystems.

• Test, learn and grow fast: Don’t be afraid to try out new things and learn from mistakes. At Atos, more than 3,200 experts work on research and development projects to develop new solutions and drive innovation. We have both an expert community and a scientific community. In addition to consulting and roadmap development to determine how to turn the new opportunities into business benefits, we also offer Discovery Workshops, Design Thinking and Rapid Prototyping to test possible use cases in a small scale implementation project. The technical and economic feasibility will also be examined in a proof of concept. If everything is on track, we are of course also available to our customers for implementation, rollout and, if desired, operation.