Joe McKendrick

The National Transportation Safety Board is already pushing manufacturers to install standardized black boxes in autonomous vehicles.

Edge computing, often enabled by 5G, represents the next force shaping enterprise computing in the year ahead.

A continued surge in 5G and edge computing over the coming year is predicted by multiple studies and analyst reports.

Quantum computing is being considered for application areas including supply chain logistics and challenges related to climate change. It is also expected to solve existing problems faster while reducing computing costs.

At the heart of the supply chain digital twin development lies a flexible supply chain simulation model that is data-driven and scalable.

5G supports real-time data at points of origin, which can be used to uncover supply chain problems across inventory at speed, predicting future disruptions.

Reliance on AI has been growing exponentially, creating urgent demand for greater transparency and trust in AI decisions.

Analysts at some leading consulting firms are already planning out the ways 5G will make a difference, and a key area is government – with functions as wide-ranging as port inspections to frontline troop deployments.

Ownership of remotely serviced equipment, as well as the right to repair said equipment, could emerge as an issue across many other product lines.

Unlike other industries where the opportunity only seems promising, factories are primed to be completely transformed by 5G and edge now.

A step-by-step approach to smart manufacturing holds opportunities for manufacturers to gain actionable insights and benefit from various growth paths in maturity.

In the long term, infrastructure edge demand will be driven by edge-native use cases that can only function when edge computing capabilities are available.