NTT DATA, a prominent IT infrastructure and services firm, has introduced its innovative Edge AI platform to expedite the convergence of IT/OT by deploying AI processing at the edge. This distinctive, fully managed solution facilitates real-time decision-making, boosts operational efficiency, and ensures secure deployment of AI applications across various industries, thereby advancing Industry 4.0 technologies. While GenAI and Large Language Models (LLMs) have garnered attention, they are unsuitable for industries that require immediate and local decision-making. NTT DATA’s Edge AI solution tackles this issue by processing extensive datasets on compact computing platforms using smaller, more efficient machine learning models to provide real-time AI insights.
NTT DATA’s Edge AI is a comprehensive managed service platform that encompasses all necessary systems, tools, and capabilities for AI at the edge. It addresses data discovery, collection, integration, computational power, seamless connectivity, and AI model management. Supported by NTT DATA’s consulting data scientists, managed services, and global technical resources, the Edge AI platform resolves the shadow IoT challenge and AI infrastructure needs by automatically discovering, unifying, and processing data from IoT devices and IT assets throughout the organization, thereby simplifying AI deployment and management.
Designed to meet industry-specific requirements, the Edge AI platform utilizes lighter, cost-effective AI models, allowing it to operate within a small compute environment. Edge AI will execute specific tasks, such as enhancing safety or operational efficiency, by gathering data from diverse devices across a network, enabling immediate and secure data processing and analytics. Manufacturing operations can benefit from improved predictive maintenance by accessing IT/OT data from sensors, machinery, cameras, and applications to plan and address failures. Additionally, NTT DATA’s Edge AI can monitor and optimize energy consumption in real-time, predicting energy spikes and optimizing machine usage, thereby reducing costs and CO2 emissions with renewable energy.
According to IDC, global spending on edge computing is projected to reach US$232 billion in 2024, a 15% increase from 2023. This growth is driven by the rising number of connected IoT devices worldwide, expected to surpass 41 billion by 2025. NTT DATA is well-positioned to capture a significant market share through its dedicated IoT consulting and services business, which combines 1,000 industry experts, hundreds of use cases from predictive maintenance, fleet management, connected factories, energy consumption monitoring, and sustainability, and has already trained over 500 sales experts globally to accelerate its Edge AI go-to-market efforts.
NTT DATA’s Edge AI deployment approach enables clients to take advantage of a free 30-day discovery and diagnostic of their IT and OT environment. The software automatically discovers assets with its extensive library of pre-built OT interfaces. Following this initial phase, Edge AI software generates a detailed diagnostic report inventorying assets and data streams, including identifying security risks and vulnerabilities.
NTT DATA’s managed services for Edge AI provide a unified view and management of devices, sensors, and assets. With expert support and advanced technologies, NTT DATA assists businesses in simplifying complex processes, driving cost savings, enhancing performance, and accelerating digital transformation. As the industry’s first fully managed IT/OT convergence platform, Edge AI transforms physical assets into software assets for data-driven insights, regardless of the manufacturer. Operating at the edge, managed services integrate OT assets with IT applications, boosting operational efficiency. Edge AI also offers a view of the firmware version of all connected devices to promote vulnerability patching and overall device security.
