Edge computing innovations at Mobile World Congress 2024

From the battlegrounds of networking supremacy to the frontiers of edge computing and artificial intelligence integration, Mobile World Congress 2024 encapsulated the spirit of innovation and collaboration driving progress within the digital age.

TheCUBE’s live coverage at this week’s conference checked out the groundbreaking revelations that unfolded over the course of the event — from the shift in networking dynamics to the evolving realms of edge computing and AI integration.

“AI is forcing the telcos to alter,” said John Furrier (pictured right), theCUBE Research executive analyst. “The large revelation here on theCUBE this week is 5G is an incredible technology, from a hard and fast wireless perspective, but nobody’s buying it.”

Furrier was joined by fellow analysts Dave Vellante (left) and Savannah Peterson (second from left) during a theCUBE evaluation segment at MWC Barcelona, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed the pivotal moments and key insights that unfolded over the course of the event. (* Disclosure below.)

The battle of titans: HPE, Juniper and Cisco

One in all the central themes dominating conversations at MWC24 revolved across the seismic shift within the networking arena catalyzed by Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.’s acquisition of Juniper Networks Inc. This strategic move not only challenges the dominance of networking giant Cisco Systems Inc., but in addition reshapes the competitive landscape, in response to Furrier. TheCUBE interviewed each CEOs from HPE and Juniper throughout the event.

“The Juniper-HPE deal was the most important announcement, I assumed, in networking this 12 months,” Furrier said.

With Juniper’s formidable technology arsenal bolstered by HPE’s resources, organizations are presented with a compelling alternative, raising questions on the longer term direction of the industry. Amid Cisco’s internal challenges, including layoffs and AI strategy refinement, the stage is about for a fierce competition where each player vies for market supremacy.

“Juniper at all times competes with Cisco, but Cisco at all times dominated Juniper,” Furrier said. “Juniper had the service provider business, but once they got acquired by HPE, it put a formidable competitor on the sector against Cisco. And Cisco with their challenges, the layoffs and their product platform, AI strategy not yet in view, puts them in danger.”

The rise of edge computing and AI integration

Furthermore, the emergence of Broadcom Inc. and Nvidia Corp. as frontrunners in supplying crucial components for AI-driven cluster systems signifies a paradigm shift in data center architecture. As clusters develop into the brand new norm, the importance of networking infrastructure amplifies, positioning firms reminiscent of HPE and Dell Technologies Inc. to capitalize on the burgeoning AI market. This shift underscores the resurgence of networking because the linchpin of technological advancement, with implications extending beyond conventional realms.

“Broadcom is a significant player here,” Vellante said. “There’s an organization with a $600 billion valuation. They are surely at once the number two AI play behind Nvidia. I feel lots of people don’t realize that.”

One other compelling narrative emerging from MWC revolves across the convergence of edge computing and AI, heralding a brand new era of innovation.

Qualcomm Inc.’s exposition on running AI on devices underscores the transformative potential of edge computing, bridging the gap between theoretical discourse and practical implementation. The proliferation of open-source models and AI-driven applications heralds a renaissance in edge computing, unlocking novel possibilities across diverse sectors.

“It’s a very exciting time for edge,” Peterson said. “When we will have this speed and the inference happening at the sting in our phones or in whatever device that’s within the retail environment … it’s going to make the sting relevant in a way that it hasn’t been. There’s such a cool synergy happening at once where we’re going to have the option to do all of the things that we used to do in isolated environments and server environments on-prem at the sting.”

Here’s the whole video interview, a part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE Research’s coverage of MWC Barcelona:

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the MWC Barcelona event. No sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE