Partners collaborate to deliver edge computing to top 30 US metro markets

AUSTIN, Texas – February 13, 2019 –  Vapor IO, creators of the Kinetic Edge and the leading provider of tower-connected edge colocation and interconnection services, today launched the Kinetic Edge Alliance (KEA), alongside deployment partners Federated Wireless, Linode, MobiledgeX, Packet and StackPath and technical partners Alef Mobitech, Detecon International, Hitachi Vantara, New Continuum Data Centers, Pluribus Networks, and Seagate Technology. The KEA is an industry alliance of leading software, hardware, networking and integration companies committed to driving the broad adoption of compute, storage, access and interconnection at the edge of the cellular network, simplifying edge computing for the masses.

“Delivering edge computing at scale, across the entire United States, requires a great deal of collaboration,” said Cole Crawford, founder and CEO of Vapor IO. “The Kinetic Edge Alliance provides the vehicle for delivering nationwide edge computing, removing the guesswork from edge deployment and operations that exists today. The Alliance will accelerate the rollout of edge computing, delivering a platform for wireless operators and application providers to deliver new edge-enabled products and services to customers.”

“By pre-integrating our CBRS controller with the Kinetic Edge, we are able to ensure last mile wireless connectivity in every one of the Alliance’s locations, eventually spanning the entire country,” said Iyad Tarazi, president and CEO, Federated Wireless. “This will unleash a tsunami of edge-native and edge-enhanced applications for Private Networks. Nothing like this has ever been created before and we’re proud to be a part of this movement.”

The Kinetic Edge Alliance

The Kinetic Edge Alliance combines critical infrastructure deployments with enabling edge technologies and expertise. Targeting the top 30 US metro markets which cover nearly 50% of the US population, the Alliance seeks to establish critical mass for nationwide edge computing.

In 2019, the Alliance will focus on the first six Kinetic Edge markets: Chicago, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles and Seattle. Chicago, the first Kinetic Edge city, has two Kinetic Edge sites online today with a third to come online later in Q1.

KEA Deployment Partners

Deployment Partners will be jointly rolling out equipment and services across the top 30 major metropolitan US markets, beginning with the first six markets in 2019. The Alliance seeks to deploy, in lockstep, all of the key hardware and software infrastructure components that will enable commercial-grade edge computing at scale. The combination of technologies brought together by KEA Deployment Partners ensures a uniform infrastructure platform that makes it easy to build edge applications and deploy them to multiple markets. The founding Deployment Partners are (in alpha order):

• Federated Wireless: Federated Wireless will bring software and systems for delivering 4G and 5G wireless services over newly-available CBRS spectrum to all Kinetic Edge locations, including a large set of pre-integrated wireless access points, end devices, and network functionality suppliers through its diverse partner program.
• Linode: As the leading cloud for over 800,000 developers worldwide, Linode will extend its cloud computing infrastructure at Kinetic Edge locations. This partnership will enable next generation low-latency applications to operate at the edge of the wireless network. Developers and their teams will enjoy a new level of performance and simplicity to bring their cloud driven experiences to life.
• MobiledgeX: MobiledgeX will provide developers with automated workload orchestration tooling for the provisioning and management of applications at the edge location nearest to a requesting device. It is a seamless extension of the modern development and deployment practices that developers are using today. The developer access to a network of this scale and distribution is completely new, and so are the application and device experiences that are being created.
• Packet: Leading bare-metal cloud provider Packet is committed to helping software developers deploy and operate edge workloads. Starting with a flagship Kinetic Edge deployment in Chicago, Packet will continue its mission of helping developer-driven companies deploy physical infrastructure at global scale, and at the edge.
• StackPath: StackPath will extend its global platform of edge computing services to the Kinetic Edge, making it easy for developers to deploy containers and VMs at the edge of the cellular network, as well as also deploy serverless scripts via the company’s EdgeEngine™.
• Vapor IO: Vapor IO is committed to building tower-connected edge data centers across each of the 30 target markets, offering purpose-built edge colocation, interconnection and fiber-based networking to its partners and customers. These sites form the foundation of the Kinetic Edge, Vapor’s innovative nationwide network of edge data centers.

KEA Technical Partners

KEA Technical Partners participate in Kinetic Edge deployments and enhance the ecosystem by making their unique expertise and enabling technologies available to Kinetic Edge deployments, offering to collaborate with end users and Deployment Partners as they bring new edge infrastructure services to life. The founding Technical Partners are (in alpha order):

• Alef Mobitech: Alef Mobitech has developed an edge architecture that makes it easy to deploy MEC (Mutli-Access Edge Computing) applications. By integrating tightly into the telco networks, Alef Mobitech accelerates the building and deployment of edge applications that benefit cellular operators.
• Detecon International: Detecon International, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, will support operators in sustainably improving their competitiveness and performance across the entire value chain with the help of innovative technologies such as edge, accelerating their digital transformation and evolution to 5G.
• Hitachi Vantara: Hitachi Vantara, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd., delivers data center and IoT expertise for the Kinetic Edge, and provides technologies and solutions for data center infrastructure, edge-to-cloud data governance and data-driven insights. Hitachi’s Lumada specifically provides the capabilities to connect, collect, analyze, store and act on data from disparate data sources, allowing customers to make decisions in near real-time.
• New Continuum: New Continuum will cross-connect its West Chicago data center with the Kinetic Edge to provide local colocation capacity as well as a software-enabled Internet Exchange Point (IXP). Additionally, New Continuum will deploy Open 19 IT equipment in Kinetic Edge Locations, supporting development and production environments with a pay-as-you-go business model.
• Pluribus Networks: Pluribus has created a next-generation network fabric for distributed cloud that can span multiple Kinetic Edge (and non-Kinetic Edge) sites, with the ability to manage them as one fabric that is able to stretch geographically with fabric-wide automation, multi-tenancy, granular telemetry and network slicing, with no latency penalty.
• Seagate: Seagate, the world’s leading provider of data management technologies, will provide technical blueprints and deployment support for end users and partners who require storage at the edge.

Growth and Collaboration

The Alliance provides its members access to a global networking community that will grow to hundreds of members, connecting edge computing stakeholders with end users and customers in a collaborative environment. The Alliance will also collaborate with the State of the Edge project, helping to advance the group’s vendor-neutral educational mission, as well as its relationship with Edgecon, the leading series of edge-focused events that include Edgecon Vegas, Edgecon Aspen, and Edgecon Barcelona.

Partner Quotes

Alef Mobitech
“The Edge is here, and the Edge is now—and it is a place for many opportunities. We are extremely excited to deliver our ‘operating system’ to the Kinetic Edge Alliance, which brings together key components to complete the edge ecosystem, enabling us to roll it out nationwide. Together with the Alliance partners, we have the capacity to not only build applications for the next wave of the internet but also create time-to-market advantages for the entire edge Internet landscape, which may very well spark the reconfiguration of the mobile internet.” – Ganesh Sundaram, founder and CEO of Alef Mobitech

Detecon
“We support startups and big enterprises in defining and executing their edge strategy with our global expertise in cloud computing and connectivity. Detecon is excited to be a founding member of the Kinetic Edge Alliance and bring to the table world-leading wireless infrastructure, product development and deployment know-how. We are committed to leverage our knowledge and push forward edge computing to build the next generation internet.” – Stefan Wilhelm, CEO of Detecon, Inc.

Federated Wireless
“By pre-integrating our CBRS controller with the Kinetic Edge, we are able to ensure last mile wireless connectivity in every one of the Alliance’s locations, eventually spanning the entire country. This will unleash a tsunami of edge-native and edge-enhanced applications for Private Networks. Nothing like this has ever been created before and we’re proud to be  a part of this movement.” – Iyad Tarazi, President and CEO of Federated Wireless

Linode
“We are committed to helping developers scale their cloud applications while delivering the performance, value and service they demand. Our participation as a KEA Deployment Partner will enable application developers to extend their proximity to the user edge, creating new experiences that are driven by the cloud and ultra-low latency.”- Carl Williams, Director of Network Strategy & Innovation at Linode

MobiledgeX
“We are thrilled to announce our participation in the Kinetic Edge Alliance that clearly states a predictable deployment of edge capability across the 30 largest metropolitan areas in the USA. We commit to making access to these edge locations and edge services as seamless and easy as possible for any interested businesses, device makers and application developers. Now is the time to begin adopting the next wave of growth as we create one global mobile edge for all to use, and in the USA, the KEA enables a known timeline to move from experimentation today to full market coverage tomorrow.” – Jason Hoffman, CEO of MobiledgeX

New Continuum Data Centers
“We are excited to join the Kinetic Edge Alliance, supporting what we believe is the next evolution of internet infrastructure. We have worked tirelessly to create the most supportive and fertile environment for edge compute services to grow, and we are genuinely humbled to be able to support the other Alliance partners, who are true innovators in the industry.” – Eli D. Scher, Chairman and CEO of  New Continuum

Packet
“Vapor and Packet have a shared vision for the edge, which includes a seamless customer experience connecting infrastructure to wireless access. The Kinetic Edge Alliance provides a much-needed framework to enable cloud-native applications built for the edge, which will accelerate innovation and commercial deployments.” – Ihab Tarazi, CTO of Packet

Pluribus Networks
“Pluribus Networks’ focus is on radically simplifying network operations and lowering capital costs by providing a unified network fabric, based on white box switches, stretching from central data centers out to compact data centers deployed at Kinetic Edge locations. We are excited to be founding members of the Kinetic Edge Alliance and to collaborate with other industry leaders to accelerate edge compute and the plethora of new applications it will enable.” – Kumar Srikantan, CEO of Pluribus Networks

Seagate
“Seagate is excited to partner with the Kinetic Edge Alliance to help define a simple and secure data management architecture for edge computing. There are hundreds of use cases that stand to benefit from edge infrastructure, and the Alliance offers a launch pad to drive edge adoption and bring the power of analytics closer to the data source.  With forty years of data management leadership and innovation, Seagate is building storage products to secure, manage and activate data at the edge.” – Jeff Fochtman, VP Global Marketing at Seagate

StackPath
“StackPath seeks to be the pre-eminent secure edge platform, and that requires becoming as distributed as possible across the globe.. The edge today is analogous to the early days of cloud, and education on the technology and proximity is key to mass adoption. Joining the Kinetic Edge Alliance will help with both and allow us scale even more quickly and take even more people to the edge.” – Lance Crosby, co-founder and CEO of StackPath

About Vapor IO

Vapor IO is developing the largest nationwide edge colocation and interconnection platform at the edge of the wireless cellular network. Serving the world’s largest wireless carriers, cloud providers, web-scale companies and other innovative enterprises, the company’s Kinetic Edge combines multi-tenant colocation with software-defined interconnection and high-speed networking. The Kinetic Edge delivers the most flexible, highly-distributed edge infrastructure at the edge of the wireless network. The company has deployed its Kinetic Edge in Chicago, IL and has plans to have projects underway in the top 20 markets with 100+ sites.

About Alef Mobitech

Alef Mobitech provides value-added services at the edge of the mobile network. Mobile edge computing allows us to physically locate products and services closer to users. Alef’s innovative architecture allows for 5G style applications to work over 4G. New and existing networks benefit from our edge architecture. We provide market differentiation and new revenue opportunities to mobile carriers and developers. We are live today. No more theory, it works. Alef Mobitech is headquartered in New York, with offices in India and Brazil. Visit www.alefmobitech.com for more information on how we can help.

About Detecon

Detecon International is a leading technology management consulting company that supports telecommunications operators in sustainably improving their competitiveness and performance across the entire value chain with the help of innovative technologies, accelerating their digital transformation and evolution to 5G. Detecon is part of the Deutsche Telekom Group. We play a driving role in defining and implementing edge strategies both with operators as well as enterprise customers — while driving conversations around use-cases and standardization.

About Federated Wireless

Federated Wireless is leading the wireless industry through the shared spectrum revolution, eliminating the decades-old problem of spectrum scarcity. The Company offers the industry’s only end-to-end Spectrum Controller, enabling government and commercial users to securely share the same spectrum band. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, Federated Wireless is removing the multi-billion dollar price tag associated with spectrum access, allowing for the creation of new wireless carriers and business models. For more information, please visit: www.federatedwireless.com.

About Hitachi Vantara

Hitachi Vantara, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd., helps data-driven leaders find and use the value in their data to innovate intelligently and reach outcomes that matter for business and society. We combine technology, intellectual property and industry knowledge to deliver data-managing solutions that help enterprises improve their customers’ experiences, develop new revenue streams, and lower the costs of business. Only Hitachi Vantara elevates your innovation advantage by combining deep information technology (IT), operational technology (OT) and domain expertise. We work with organizations everywhere to drive data to meaningful outcomes. Visit us at www.HitachiVantara.com.

About Linode

Linode is the leading cloud for developers demanding maximum performance, reliability and value for their modern applications. Pioneering cloud hosting since 2003, we empower over 800,000 developers worldwide through our 9 data centers to easily build and scale their server infrastructure. For more information, visit https://www.linode.com or follow @linode on Twitter.

About MobiledgeX

MobiledgeX Inc. is building a marketplace of edge resources and services that will connect developers with the world’s largest mobile networks to power the next generation of applications and devices. MobiledgeX is an edge computing company founded by Deutsche Telekom AG and headquartered in San Francisco, California.

About New Continuum Data Centers

New Continuum Data Centers (“NCDC”) is a multi-tenant data center operator in the western Chicago suburbs. NCDC operates an 80,000 square foot, purpose-built, concurrently maintainable facility in West Chicago, IL. NCDC offers highly flexible wholesale and retail colocation services to enterprises and small businesses. New Continuum’s products range from basic colocation to private cages, private suites and secured data halls. Additionally, NCDC offers unique connectivity and peering solutions through its partnership with United IX (http://www.unitedix.net). To learn more, please visit http://www.newcontinuum.net, or call 877-432-2656.

About Packet

Packet is the leading provider of infrastructure automation solutions for developers. Its proprietary technology automates physical servers and networks without the use of virtualization or multi-tenancy – powering over 60k deployments each month in its 20 global datacenters.Founded in 2014 and based in New York City, Packet has quickly become the provider of choice for leading enterprises, SaaS companies, and software innovators. In addition to its public cloud, Packet’s unique Private Deployment model enables companies to automate their own infrastructure in facilities all over the world.

About Pluribus Networks

Pluribus Networks is delivering an open, next generation software defined network (SDN) fabric for modern data centers, multi-site data centers and distributed cloud edge environments based on open networking hardware from Dell EMC, Edgecore and D-Link. The Linux-based Netvisor® ONE operating system and the Adaptive Cloud Fabric™ have been purpose built to deliver highly secure per-tenant services across data center sites with simple operations and no single point of failure, all while realizing white box economics. Pluribus Networks is deployed in over 200 customer networks globally, including some of the world’s largest mobile network operators.

About Seagate

Seagate crafts the datasphere, helping to maximize humanity’s potential by innovating world-class, precision-engineered data management solutions with a focus on sustainable partnerships. Learn more at www.seagate.com.

About StackPath

StackPath is a platform of secure edge services that enables developers to protect, accelerate, and innovate cloud properties ranging from websites to media delivery and IoT services. With an innovative global edge network infrastructure, StackPath delivers enterprise-grade security and performance in a frictionless, on-demand platform with cloud-scale control and flexibility. More than one million customers, including early-stage and Fortune 100 companies, use StackPath services. StackPath is headquartered in Dallas and has offices across the U.S. and around the world. For more information, visit stackpath.com and follow StackPath at www.fb.com/stackpathllc and www.twitter.com/stackpath

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