Edge computing container specialist Vapor IO has organized the Kinetic Edge Alliance, a group of hardware, software and networking companies that plan to collaborate on accelerating the integration edge solutions.
The list of partners includes Federated Wireless, Linode, MobiledgeX, Packet, StackPath, Alef Mobitech, Detecon International, Hitachi Vantara, New Continuum Data Centers, Pluribus Networks, and Seagate Technology.
The Alliance plans to target the top 30 U.S. metro markets with its products, which cover nearly 50 percent of the U.S. population. So far, Vapor IO has begun rollouts in Chicago but plans for five more cities this year: Chicago, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Seattle.
The Alliance “provides the vehicle for delivering nationwide edge computing, removing the guesswork from edge deployment and operations that exists today,” said Cole Crawford, the founder and CEO of Vapor IO, in a statement. “The alliance will accelerate the rollout of edge computing, delivering a platform for wireless operators and application providers to deliver new edge-enabled products and services to customers.”
Vapor IO specializes in creating micro modular data centers called Kinetic Edge that can be deployed at key points on the network, most notable wireless telecom towers. The Kinetic Edge is a ruggedized container designed to withstand the elements and be remotely managed.
The Kinetic Edge Alliance features two types of partners: deployment partners and technical partners. Deployment partners have committed to jointly rolling out equipment and services in Kinetic Edge markets, which ensures a uniform infrastructure platform around the country, thus making them easier to manage.
Technical partners support Kinetic Edge deployments by making their expertise available to Kinetic Edge deployments, supporting deployment partners as they bring new edge infrastructure services online and offering their services to end users.
Edge technology is still in the very early stages, and there are plenty of competitors for Vapor IO, including the massive Schneider Electric, but it has certainly gotten out in front of the market to take a strong leadership position. The challenge now is to find uses, otherwise this becomes another case of a solution in search of a problem, something the tech industry has wasted a lot of VC money on.
