MobiledgeX, the edge computing company founded by Deutsche Telekom AG, unveiled its architecture for connecting mobile users to application cloud containers created by aggregating existing operator network resources.
Deutsche Telekom is now using the MobiledgeX Edge-Cloud R1.0 to power the first world's first public mobile edge network deployment and is already supporting the prototyping of developer use cases such as live trials around Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM).
The solution MobiledgeX Edge-Cloud R1.0 leverages application cloud containers created by aggregating existing operator network resources. At runtime, MobiledgeX Edge-Cloud R1.0 spins up the containers on-demand in edge cloud locations (also known as “cloudlets”) that optimally fulfill the needs of the desired application and user quality of experience.
“Deutsche Telekom is proud to lead a global effort toward a smart, mobile, digital society and recognizes that ubiquitous edge availability is the foundation for this vision. For operators, Edge-Cloud R1.0’s ability to quickly aggregate existing 4G and 5G resources and make them available anywhere they are needed across the network means an extremely low barrier to entry for scalable edge deployments that can be immediately monetized. When edge networks are deployed widely, developers and device makers can more easily define business and use cases for new offerings that can be rolled out across a large number of users. The milestone announced today is an important moment not just for Deutsche Telekom and MobiledgeX, but the broader mobile ecosystem eager to capitalize on the massive edge opportunity in the lead-up to 5G,” stated Walter Goldenits, CTO of Telekom Deutschland in Germany.
Key features of MobiledgeX Edge-Cloud R1.0:
- Device and platform-independent SDKs for Android and IOS devices in Java, C++, C# or REST that support edge node discovery, built-in identity and verified location services, with the ability to connect automatically to the nearest edge location. MobiledgeX will release these SDKs as open source to speed development times and flexibility.
- A Distributed Matching Engine (DME) that is natively borne and integrated into Telekom Deutschland’s mobile network in Germany. The DME allows developers to ensure the identity and location of application users while guaranteeing their privacy as this data remains within the boundaries of the mobile service provider and is not disclosed to MobiledgeX.
- A fully multi-tenant control plane that supports zero-touch provisioning of edge cloud resources via a Cloudlet Resource Manager. This architecture is massively scalable based on the number of distributed edge cloud locations and enables the operator to bring any combination of compute, storage and network resource pools to add to capacity independently of a preferred Virtualization Infrastructure Management (VIM) layer. For example, while Deutsche Telekom edge cloud resource pools are virtualized using OpenStack, MobiledgeX Edge-Cloud R1.0 equally supports other industry- standard VIMs such as VMware or native Kubernetes.
- A global edge cloud SAAS portal that allows operators to visualize application delivery performance and developers to deploy their application containers.
MobiledgeX is highlighting the following use cases :
- Automatically deploying application backends close to users based on their Verified Location and Identity. MobiledgeX Edge-Cloud R1.0 instantiates application containers to support streaming workloads similar to lambda functions ideally suited for increasingly immersive and massively multi-user workloads like multi-player gaming, robotics and AR maintenance that must ascertain trusted identity and location. The built-in “verified location” service automatically correlates GPS-reported location from the device using telemetry extracted from the mobile service provider’s infrastructure and directs mobile client to appropriate edge location.
- Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality Performance Support. Makes lower latency available natively in the mobile network and geographically closer to end user devices. Enables AR and MR experiences on smart glasses or wearables where these devices do not natively provide the required CPU and GPU hardware capabilities, either due to cost, weight or power consumption reasons.
- Video and Image Processing that meets local privacy regulations. Platform guarantees in- country containment and privacy of user data, offering country-specific control planes that ensure country-specific applications and data remain in the country to satisfy GDPR and other privacy regulations.
Deutsche Telekom's MobiledgeX venture aligns with SK Telecom
MobiledgeX, the independent mobile edge computing provider founded by Deutsche Telekom, announced an agreement with SK Telecom to enable a new generation of connected devices, content and experiences, creating new business models and revenue opportunities leading into 5G.
MobiledgeX is focused on delivering developer-facing edge cloud services and bringing mobility to those services, dynamically placing application back-end as close to mobile devices as possible and removing them when not needed. MobiledgeX, Deutsche Telekom and Intel have partnered with Telecom Infra Project (TIP) to form an Edge Application Developer project group to ensure the gained insights and supporting source code are available to all.
"Deutsche Telekom created MobiledgeX as an independent company to drive strategic collaboration across the world’s leading telecoms, public cloud providers, device makers and the surrounding ecosystem - enabling a new era of business models, operating efficiencies and mobile experiences. We are particularly excited to announce SK Telecom’s participation in this collaborative ecosystem where everybody wins. SK Telecom is a global leader in 5G which follows their rich tradition of innovation within their network, strategic partnerships and developer engagement. This new era is underway,” says Eric Braun, Chief Commercial Officer of MobiledgeX.
