By: Jason Warner.
Podcasts are becoming very prominent as news and opinion sources for many of us. I listen and watch numerous podcasts on topics that interest me for both personal and business value. The Edgevana Podcast Series has been very informative and aligned with much of what we work on at Fortress Data Centers. Host Mark Thiele, CEO and Founder of Edgevana, brings a significant wealth of experience in the industry and an interviewing style that engages the interviewee and audience.
In the latest episode, Mark interviewed Tim Crawford about the effect pandemics have on driving technology innovation and most specifically Edge Computing. Our thinking parallels many of the points in this series including the need to build trust and credibility using new technologies like blockchain for personal and device identification and authentication. Or the need to bring our children and other students new learning systems such as virtual reality and augmented reality.
Building an Edge enabled ecosystem is more than laying down fiber and connecting routers and switches. It is a mindset that all data starts locally and should be processed as effectively and efficiently as possible while providing the ultimate in data security and accurate results. 5G gets us closer to realizing the massive benefits that Edge Computing can give us, especially when we are working and learning remotely. I have written in the past why governments that are quick to implement Edge focused infrastructure investment policy will make their constituents globally competitive. Those that fall short will see population and business flight to areas that have provided the tools Edge gives.
San Francisco is a case in point. It is currently experiencing a significant reduction in people working in the city which leads to businesses such as coffee shops and co-working spaces at risk of closing. The cascading effect can create decades of decline or at the least, a slower rebound rate than other metropolitan areas. However, shifting to a suburb-apolitan mindset where communities are connected for the ultimate in work-from-home meets high-rise amenities and access to great restaurants, quality health care, and the best hybrid schools can bring a new generation of city dwellers. The vibrancy of a city like San Francisco will never be the same as a place in the burbs and the city needs to embrace the changes occurring with work and school. Like Tim and Mark state in episode 4 of their podcast, it’s not about the pandemic but the aspect that our world has been tipped upside down and that we are being driven to look at all the things we can do as individuals, businesses, and governments to change for the better. At Fortress Data Centers, we are committed to being part of an Edge evolution and we applaud groups like Edgevana for their forward-thinking. As they say, we are all in this together. And as we say, We Are Here.
