HPE boosts edge presence with new products

HPE once again talked up its edge computing credentials by revealing a slew products and partnerships at this year's Discover conference.

Four core announcements were focused on the importance of edge technology in the industrial sector, particularly with regards to making sense of the data coming from IoT devices and other sensors, ensuring reliable connectivity and leveraging the cloud.

First up was the Secure Edge Data Center for Microsoft Azure Stack. This appliance, which was jointly developed by HPE, ABB, Rittal and Microsoft, is optimised for the harsh and sometimes outright hostile conditions of industrial environments, with IP55- rated environmental protection, cooling, and redundant power supply and distribution, as well as automated management. It also offers in-the-moment intelligence and action capabilities on site while still integrating "seamlessly" with Microsoft Azure.

Next up was the integration of ABB Ability Smart Sensor technology into Aruba access points. This, HPE claims, provides scalable, high-performance wireless connectivity for equipment such as pumps, motors and mounted bearings, known collectively as operational technology (OT). This in turn can be used in so-called predictive maintenance, where monitoring of such devices indicates when a part will need replacing before it actually fails.

Another joint development with Microsoft was Edgeline IoT QuickConnect. Based on HPE's Edgeline OT Link Platform - a late-2018 addition to the Edgeline Converged Edge Systems portfolio - IoT QuickConnect brings together OT devices, Microsoft Azure IoT managed cloud services and the HPE Edgeline EL300 Converged Edge System. This, the company said, simplifies the convergence of OT and IoT systems significantly and allows businesses to monitor and control their OT equipment in real time.

Finally, the company revealed it is offering customers help in setting up their condition monitoring through its PointNext services arm. The rather obviously named Fast Start Condition Monitoring is targeted at customers who don't have the skills to set up the kind of system described above. HPE promises a 90-day setup time, with technologies drawn from HPE Edgeline Converged Edge Systems, the HPE Edgeline OT Link Platform and PTC's ThingWorx Industrial IoT platform.

Edgeline IoT Quick connect will be available from July, with Fast Start Condition Monitoring having a limited release in France and the Netherlands the same month followed by global availability in August. Secure Edge Data Center for Microsoft Azure Stack is available with IEC certification immediately, with UL certification coming in August.