The Rise of the Enterprise Edge Node: White Paper

Co-Authored by Vinay Nagpal and Nick Tanzi

Topics Covered
Digital Transformation, Multi Cloud, Hybrid Cloud, Private Cloud, Public Cloud, Interconnection Ecosystem, Cloud Exchange, Edge Data Centers, and Enterprise Edge Node.

Abstract

The Enterprise IT Spectrum
The move to a shared services architecture in the information technology (IT) realm is not new for the enterprises. “Cloud” services which represent the delivery of IT services through web-based tools and applications, as opposed to a direct connection to a server, have become mainstream over the last decade or so. The explosive digitalization of corporate enterprises and the strong appeal of cloud-based services–which includes ease-of-use, scalability, and economies of scale–enables the corporate enterprises to focus on their core business functions, as opposed to the hardware and software aspects of IT.

Journey to the Cloud
As the adoption of cloud-based services continues to be on the rise, different models such as multi cloud and hybrid cloud have been developed. While formulating and executing their outsourcing strategies, enterprises have considerations for two aspects (at a high level)–the compute and the network. Usually enterprises adopt a multi-pronged approach when designing their outsourced architecture. In this outsourcing proposition, the network component is extremely critical as it “glues” together the various aspects of their architecture. These innovative and evolving business models form the genesis of the rise of the “Enterprise Edge Node,” which signifies an enterprise’s network components that they outsource and colocate at a connectivity-rich, low-latency “edge” data center.

The primary goal of moving the enterprise network components to an edge data center is to interconnect to a multitude of partners in an interconnection ecosystem. These partners comprise–Cloud Service Providers, Telco’s, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Software-defined Networking (SDNs), Internet Exchange Providers (IXPs), and Content Distribution Networks (CDNs).

This paper provides an in-depth look at the various facets of interconnection for enterprises as part of their outsourcing strategy. The paper touches on the critical importance for the enterprises to establish a highly connected Enterprise Edge Node in a connectivity-rich and carrier-neutral third-party edge data center.

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