Dell Technologies Moves Closer to the Edge with Project Frontier

Dell Technologies is ramping up its focus on edge computing with the launch of a new software platform, Project Frontier.

Project Frontier will help organizations simplify and automate their edge operations, said Dell. The company announced the launch Wednesday at the Dell Technologies Summit.

“We see the edge as the next frontier for our customers’ business transformation,” said Gil Shneorson, senior vice president of edge solutions at Dell. “We’re seeing extremely high adoption of infrastructure for edge growing very, very quickly.”

According to IDC, 42% of businesses say the most challenging aspect of edge deployments is putting together an entire edge solution.

Dell’s Gil Shneorson

“We know the game has got to change,” said Shneorson. “We need to deliver solutions to help our customers maximize their edge. We think this is the perfect time to introduce Project Frontier as the next frontier for our multicloud strategy.

“Project Frontier is going to allow organizations to better manage and operate edge infrastructure and applications much more securely, efficiently and at scale.”

What Is Project Frontier?

Project Frontier’s open design supports use cases across software applications, IoT frameworks, operational technologies (OT), multicloud environments and future technologies.

It claims greater efficiency and reliability of end-to-end edge operations with centralized management, zero-touch deployment and secure device onboarding. There is minimal need for IT expertise in the field with automation to streamline edge deployments and operations across edge locations.

It can also integrate with edge compute, and storage hardware with workloads. Another feature — global planning and support services across 170 countries. This will help design edge deployments and create a road map for scaling customers’ edge infrastructure.

Potential For Partners

Shneorson said there are a “multitude of potential opportunities” for partners around Project Frontier.

“Many partners deliver services around edge use cases today so those partners who are resellers will be able to resell those. Partners who have services, for example, around vertical use cases would benefit very much [from] the levels of automation and the ability to create blueprints and simplify the deployment.

“And over time, some partners … would be able to collaborate with us and offer it as an offer from themselves. There are a multitude of potential opportunities for channel partners. We’re encouraging channel partners to talk to us and let us know what business models they see around this as we are building the platform.”

Expanded Dell Portfolio

With the launch, Dell is expanding its current edge portfolio. This includes an enhanced Dell Validated Design for Manufacturing Edge. The solution now includes new Dell-validated partner applications to support advanced edge use cases.

Meanwhile, the Dell PowerEdge XR4000 is the shortest depth server in the Dell PowerEdge family — about the size of a shoebox. The XR4000 is 60% shorter than traditional data center servers, and its mounting options allow it to be installed in a rack, on walls or ceilings, saving floor space.

Additionally, Dell said the Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme Tablet can withstand “the most demanding edge locations.”

Project Frontier will be available in 2023.