NTT Data unveils Ultralight Edge AI platform for internet of things and manufacturing

NTT Data, the IT infrastructure and services company owned by Japan’s NTT, unveiled its newEdge AI platform to accelerate AI processing to the edge.

By processing data when and where it is generated and unifying diverse Internet of Things devices, systems and data, this unique, fully managed solution enables real-time decisions, enhanced operational efficiencies and secure AI application deployment across industries to drive advanced Industry 4.0 technologies.

The tech is aimed at IoT devices, manufacturing and industrial applications.

While the spotlight has been on GenAI and Large Language Models (LLMs), NTT Data said these technologies are impractical for industries requiring real-time and local decision-making. NTT Data’s Edge AI solution addresses this challenge by processing massive data sets on compact computing platforms, using smaller, more efficient machine learning models to deliver real-time AI insights. Such platforms were a big topic at our recent Transform 2024 event.

NTT Data’s Edge AI is an all-inclusive managed service platform that includes all the systems, tools andcapabilities required for AI at the edge. It addresses data discovery, collection, integration, computationpower, seamless connectivity and AI model management.

The Edge AI platform, supported by NTT Data’s consulting data scientists, managed services and global technical resources, addresses the shadow IoT challenge and AI infrastructure requirements. It does this by auto-discovering, unifying and processing data from IoT devices and IT assets across the organization,simplifying AI deployment and management.

Solving industry-specific challenges with AI-driven insights

Designed to support industry-specific requirements, the Edge AI platform leverages lighter, cost-effective AI models, enabling it to run within a small compute box. Edge AI will perform specific tasks,such as supporting safety or operational efficiency, by collecting data from disparate devices across anetwork environment, enabling instantaneous and secure data processing and analytics.

Manufacturing operations could benefit from improved predictive maintenance by accessing IT/OT datafrom sensors, machinery, cameras and applications to plan and address failures. In addition, NTT Data’sEdge AI can monitor and optimize energy consumption in real time, predicting energy spikes andoptimizing machine usage, reducing costs and CO 2 emissions with renewable energy.

“Our Edge AI platform represents a significant leap forward in driving AI at the edge securely and cost-effectively,” said Shahid Ahmed, Group Executive Vice President of Edge Services at NTT Data, in a statement. “By harmonizing data from disparate sensors and devices with lightweight AI models, powering all kinds of automation use-cases, NTT Data’s Edge AI is pioneering industrial AI adoption as the first fully managed offering, helping organizations modernize with tailored, industry-specific solutions.”

Seizing the $232 billion market opportunity

According to IDC, worldwide spending on edge computing is expected to reach $232 billion in 2024,an increase of 15% over 2023. This growth is perpetuated by the growing number of connected IoTdevices worldwide, expected to exceed 41 billion by 2025.

NTT Data said it is poised to capture significant market share through its dedicated IoT consulting and services business, which brings together 1,000 industry experts, hundreds of use cases from predictivemaintenance, 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 allows clients to take advantage of a free 30-day discovery and diagnostic of their IT and OT environment. The software auto-discovers assets with its vast library of pre-built OT interfaces. After this initial stage, Edge AI software generates a comprehensive diagnostic report inventorying assets and data streams, including identifying security risks and vulnerabilities.

“A key challenge for enterprises is reliably capturing and aggregating operational data securely across a fragmented landscape of devices, platforms and data sources and turning it into actionable insights,” said Alejandro Cadenas, associate vice president for telco mobility & IoT research at IDC Europe, in a staetment. “NTT Data’s ultralight Edge AI addresses these issues and simplifies the deployment and adoption of a data-driven enterprise strategy, reducing risks and timelines and optimizing total cost of ownership and value for the enterprise.”

Driving secure AI adoption at the edge with a fully managed service

NTT Data’s managed services for Edge AI offer a unified view and management of devices, sensors andassets. With expert support and advanced technologies, NTT DATA helps businesses simplify complexprocesses, drive cost savings, enhance performance and accelerate 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 provides a view of the firmware version of all connected devices to promote vulnerability patching and overall device security.

“Computing and AI must happen where they create the most value for the enterprise; for many industrial enterprises this is where the data is generated. By ingesting IT and OT data and leveraging AI models to drive use-case specific results, the NTT DATA solution takes another step towards realizing the industry 4.0 vision,” said Pablo Tomasi, principal analyst for private networks at Omdia, in a statement. “Additionally, using task-specific small AI models will help drive AI democratization by making it is easier for the enterprise to introduce AI where and when is needed, without the need for an extensive overhaul of their whole infrastructure.”

Edge AI rounds out NTT Data’s comprehensive Edge as a Service portfolio, which includes Enterprise IoT,Edge Compute, Private 5G and Device as a Service. Tokyo-based NTT has more than $30 billion in revenues related to telecommunications and tech.