Hawaii isn’t just known for its palm trees, surf, and sunsets anymore. The tide is turning as the Aloha State is is becoming a frontier edge on the brink of a major global digital revolution with edge computing taking shape in regional data hubs, cities, telecom towers, and on devices.

A surge in customer demand for connectivity, cloud, and CDN services throughout Hawaii and the Pacific is the driving force to position Hawaii as one of the frontiers of cloud computing and cloud connectivity.

This new phase of global Internet infrastructure is designed to accommodate the new growth and requirements that current telecommunications partners and global cloud providers demand as they pivot to an edge strategy for the next wave of 5G technologies. As Hawaii businesses embrace the edge and understand the opportunity to truly drive value and positively impact business outcomes, their desire for reliable connectivity, security, and a global reach to remain relevant continues to swell.

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 created a jolt that rippled across Hawaii businesses. As working from home became the new normal, this was a complete 180-degree turn from being dependent on physical offices, which has been the norm for far too long. However, there was a connectivity gap exposed for businesses in Hawaii, which included unreliable and slow connectivity, the need to rely on the public Internet with outdated security, maintaining servers and other IT equipment on-site, and not being able to readily access major global public cloud providers.

These challenges shed new light on how online tools, cloud applications, colocation, and more are imperative to sustain efficient business operations with employees in multiple locations and to remain competitive. Moving and thriving in the cloud was seen as a burden with increased costs, infrastructure, and resources needed. However, the abundant opportunities to drive business outcomes with the edge are outweighing the challenges for businesses. They now demand high-speed, reliable, secure cloud access while lowering latency, cost, and risk into the cloud that is closer to the end user.

Local businesses aren’t the only ones to benefit from a new wave of digital transformation. The benefits touch the entire community, including healthcare and schools. For example, public schools in Hawaii are learning lessons of technological improvement, while also creating an environment to embrace innovation and empowerment faster. Distance learning is fueling a new urgency to accelerate digital transformation to afford every student across the islands stable and secure Internet connectivity.

Hawaii is building a future now, as several initiatives are underway to enhance edge cloud computing and connectivity. It’s a critical time for the Hawaii business community to be able to access their data remotely, safely, and efficiently to ensure business continuity. Now, more than ever, local businesses rely on technology, infrastructure, and flexibility to stay afloat and Hawaii is answering the call.

All eyes are on Hawaii, but not for just its beauty. It’s becoming a digital destination filled with bountiful opportunities for businesses to gain competitive advantages, residents to connect swiftly and securely, and the global telecom community to become a partner on this new frontier edge.

About Rosa White:
Rosa is responsible for all finance, budget, human resources, and operations for DRFortress, on the frontier edge in Hawaii. Rosa brings 15 years of experience in the IT and telecommunication industry specializing in finance, system and process implementation, and product development. Rosa most recently served with Equinix as the Asia-Pacific solution development manager where she managed all cross-regional sales efforts, new business and service offering opportunities, and assisted with financial system implementations in Asia-Pacific. Previous positions include senior consultant for systems and process integration at KPMG Consulting, Hawaii (currently Bearing Point Consulting); financial controller at Strategic Information Solutions, Hawaii; and revenue reporting manager at Adobe Systems, San Jose, California. Rosa graduated from Santa Clara University with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting. She previously contributed Staying Connected During a Crisis to the PTC Blog.