[Beijing, China, November 29, 2018] At the Edge Computing Industry Summit 2018, the Edge Computing Consortium (ECC) and IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in edge computing standardization and related market promotion programs. Under this MoU, both parties will jointly advance the edge computing industry by capitalizing on IEEE’s global standards platform and ECC’s continued explorations and achievements in edge computing technologies, architectures, and best practices.

ECC and IEEE Strategic Cooperation Signing Ceremony

The edge computing creates a bridge between the physical and digital worlds. It involves many fields including OT, IT, and CT, and covers multiple industry chain roles, such as network connectivity, data aggregation, chips, sensors, and industry applications. The edge computing industry lays the foundation for the industrial Internet and is crucial to building a digital, networked, and intelligent society. By 2025, 75% of enterprise-generated data will be created and processed outside data centers or clouds, far more than that of today (less than 20%).

IEEE, a not-for-profit organization, is the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology. It has 420,000 members spread across a wide range of areas such as electrical techniques, electronics, electrical engineering, robotics, automation, computer engineering, computer science, and other related technologies in over 160 countries. Through this MoU, the two parties will deepen cooperation in edge computing industry standards, technical test beds, branding, and market promotion, and create more open source opportunities beneficial to the entire industry. Such concerted efforts will benefit the edge computing industry in terms of its implementation, collaborative incubation, and prosperous development.

“From smartphones to shop equipment, devices operating at the network edge are becoming more intelligent and equipped with processors that can tackle computing problems that previously needed a fully loaded server,” said Konstantinos Karachalios, managing director of the IEEE Standards Association. “Virtualized applications also allow code to be more easily packaged and managed within data centers, bringing it closer to the edge. In this environment, where multiple factors are swinging the pendulum towards more decentralized computing, we look forward to working collaboratively with ECC and prioritizing standardization as the means for assuring the development of a vibrant and sustainable edge computing ecosystem that brings benefit for all.”

Dr. Chen Wei, Vice President of Edge Computing Consortium, Vice President of Intel and General Manager of Internet of Things Group China, said, "It is a great pleasure to witness the cooperation between ECC and IEEE. Integrating the advantages of both parties is conducive to the standardization of edge computing, the innovative integration of edge computing, and ultimately the healthy and sustainable development of the entire edge computing industry ecosystem. In addition, I believe that in the near future the cooperation between the two sides will definitely bring more opportunities for the development of edge computing."