Samsung and IBM develop hybrid cloud for 5G enterprise and edge computing

A cloud connected to electronic devices
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

IBM and Samsung have announced plans to develop open hybrid cloud solutions that enable enterprises to use 5G and edge computing to process large amounts of data from edge computing workloads.

The collaboration will combine Samsung’s Galaxy 5G mobile devices and advanced end-to-end enterprise network solutions with IBM’s network management, hybrid cloud, and edge computing offerings. It’ll also include IBM’s industry solutions that integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and Red Hat’s open architecture.

IBM and Samsung said the goal is to develop “open, hybrid cloud solutions that enable enterprises to draw greater insights from data at the edge – from the factory floor to an oil rig or a regular office space – to improve operational performance, increase worker safety, and minimize downtime.”

The companies are also looking to help enterprises use 5G in public and private networks through cross collaborations with global mobile operators. Earlier this year, Samsung announced a project with IBM, the Singapore Infocomm Media Development Authority, and telecom provider M1 to showcase Smart Factory advancements, including 5G-enabled AI analytics and AR capabilities.

Additionally, Samsung and IBM’s collaboration in private 5G networks will enable enterprises to adopt emerging technologies crucial to Industry 4.0, such as the internet of things (IoT), AI, cloud, edge computing, and augmented reality (AR). It’ll also introduce innovations across businesses that can enable employees to identify faults in manufacturing lines using AI-powered image recognition, employ thousands of sensors to build smart agriculture solutions, or facilitate employee training and productivity using AR.

As part of this collaboration, Samsung, IBM, and Red Hat plan to deliver AI-powered solutions for industry using 5G devices, cloud-native 5G networks, and edge computing platforms. Specifically, the companies intend to explore Samsung hardware and software’s interoperability and integration with IBM Edge Application Manager, which runs on Red Hat OpenShift and AI to enable computing workloads to be managed and deployed to Samsung’s portfolio of mobile devices at an industrial scale.

Steve Canepa, global GM and managing director, communications sector at IBM said the communication networks’ transition from proprietary architecture to intelligent, software-defined hybrid cloud platforms enables the creation of enormous new value in the 5G and edge era.

“5G devices and network solutions from Samsung, along with IBM and Red Hat’s open, hybrid cloud capabilities, can help organizations across all industries accelerate their transformation and solve real business problems while unlocking the true power of 5G and edge,” Canepa added.

Rene Millman

Rene Millman is a freelance writer and broadcaster who covers cybersecurity, AI, IoT, and the cloud. He also works as a contributing analyst at GigaOm and has previously worked as an analyst for Gartner covering the infrastructure market. He has made numerous television appearances to give his views and expertise on technology trends and companies that affect and shape our lives. You can follow Rene Millman on Twitter.