Acromove - IBM Collaboration Announcement

Acromove Inc. introduced a solution and ecosystem collaboration around IBM Cloud Computing AI, 5G, and IoT applications that runs seamlessly on Acromove’s product portfolio of Edge Computing “Edge Cloud in-a Box” (ECiB) building blocks. The collaboration offers a new computing platform to enable clients and partners to deploy and manage enterprise grade solutions from the cloud all the way to IoT devices at the far edge of a complex and geo-distributed architecture.

IBM’s Edge Application Manager automates and enables AI, analytics and IoT workloads to be securely deployed and remotely managed, delivering real-time analysis and insight at scale – up to 10,000 devices simultaneously. Now container-based workloads can be built, managed, and deployed to the most appropriate locations for optimal performance. The Acromove portfolio of building blocks includes ServerPack Edge™, BladePack Edge™, and NetPack Edge™:

• ServerPack Edge™ is a single node 16-core Xeon “ECiB” that comes in variations including nVidia Tesla GPU, 10-100GbE fiber or copper ports, an 8 port 10GbE switch, AcroTrace™, a WiFi hotspot, 4G modems, and up to 240TB of SSD storage.
• BladePack Edge™ is a “ECiB” consisting of dual node Xeon 16-core Xeon blades combind with dual nVidia Tesla GPUs, an 8-port 10G switch, and up to 90TB nVME storage, AcroTrace™, WiFi hotspot and 4G modems.
• NetPack Edge™ is a portable ruggedized Ethernet multiport networking device that includes three separate switches that come in 10GbE, 40/56GbE and 100GbE versions to enable Leaf-Spine network architecture and AcroTrace™remote security system.

These shock-proof and water-proof systems can operate as stand-alone units or combined depending on storage and processing needs and easily clustered for computing projects that need to be expanded or contracted based on user demand. They will operate in any indoor or outdoor location with a built-in UPS able to power each building block for 3-4 hours and can be moved to different service locations in a matter of minutes as the user load migrates among service locations (Geo-Elasticity). Wireless 4G remote management is a standard feature of each building block.

AcroTrace™ is Acromove’s remote security system that employs GPS and other sensors enabling full control of a building block through a cloud-based SaaS interface. It allows the location of the device to be determined even in an underground garage or isolated position off the grid with its 4G/WiFi/FM-RDS modules and in case of a security breach to lock the system down. The interface is completely customizable with AcroTrace™’s REST API to integrate with a client’s data center orchestration software.

RedHat OpenShift with IBM Edge Application Manager are pre-loaded on Acromove servers to move and manage new containerized applications onto the server and manage them on the devices from there. Containers can be pushed to the devices and provisioned without needing a technician on hand.

IBM and Acromove Inc. are making a concerted effort to help our joint customers move forward with confidence and speed to address real business problems and enable new edge business strategies. “These systems are engineered to deploy in any environment with minimal technical resources within minutes”, comments Evan Achillopoulos, CTO of Acromove. “IBM’s partners will appreciate how easy it is to build powerful and profitable edge computing projects anywhere in the world with our full support”.

"The convergence of 5G and edge computing will spark a new level of innovation,” says Evaristus Mainsah, general manager, IBM Cloud Pak Ecosystem. “This in turn will enable and fuel a broad ecosystem of providers co-create for a growing set of Edge opportunities. We are excited about the value that our collaboration with Acromove can bring to our joint clients wanting to deploy mobile data centers to run our software at the edge.”

That “edge” could be:

• on a factory floor where smart robots are constantly generating data about their work;
• drones with sensors surveying vast farming operations to identify water and nutrient needs;
• at a busy hospital collecting patient data and documentation on operations in MRI/PACS/RIS/LIS/EMR systems;
• remote oil drilling sites that process complex geo-physical data;
• or Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity scenarios that need reliable computing power in adverse conditions.

Data can be analyzed with Machine Learning algorithms on the GPU and acted upon locally with minimal latency before sending results back into the cloud. Acromove’s portfolio of Edge Computing “Edge Cloud in-a Box” building blocks are the only hardware/software combination that allows fast deployment in the most difficult and unusual locations for complex and demanding Edge applications.

Moving forward we plan to bring the IBM Edge Application Manager into a new IBM/Acromove initiative to engage and unlock Edge Innovation with our partner and programmer communities. IBM is working with Acromove Inc. and our joint partners to move IoT analytics and compute capability to its most logical location - at the edge.