| | June 20218IN MY OPINIONIN MY OPINIONBy Priya Natarajan, Head of Networking & Global Head of Service Provider GTM, LenovoLet's get Smart!In the technology world, hardly a day goes by without talking about cloud, IoT, Edge, Smart, etc. Our innate need for speed, combined with the modern possibilities of immersive experiences, drives the demand for 5G. The explosion of IoT is pushing computing closer to the user. The combination of 5G and Edge computing presents opportunities to advance user experience and improve productivity through smart applications. While some automation level has made its way through many industry verticals, the ability to compute closer to the edge now makes it possible to apply context dynamically, reducing the need for human interference. Let's look at some examples of different verticals and how CIOs can prepare for them. Smart transportation: Reliable autonomous smart transportation requires real-time obstruction detection. It also requires the intelligence to distinguish between stationary and mobile objects, estimate the speed and distance and avoid encounters. Through APIs, the traffic light status can be communicated with vehicles to prepare them for stopping, if necessary. Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) plays a huge role in making this a possibility. This enables both vehicle to vehicle communication as well as communications to the central edge or other locations. Smart Tourism: While CCTVs have been around for a while, MEC and 5G and other technologies are changing the game. With the combination of AI, video analytics, and real-time navigation, cities can guide tourists to different locations, navigate them through shopping areas, and market to them. For instance, it will be easier to match the tourist's preference and budget with a restaurant recommendation in the vicinity. While this dynamic recommendation level drives better engagement and improves the experience, it requires excellent computing capabilities at the edge, high bandwidth, and low latency. In addition to smart transportation and safety, the connected environment in the cities offers additional benefits, including improving the quality of life for the inhabitants, and improving economic opportunities for the local businesses. It may be possible to quickly and easily schedule city services, pay bills, etc. Likewise, vendors can offer preference-based marketing to drive higher conversion rates. This improvement in the quality of life
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