To the Edge and Beyond

There are two sides to every story, and there are two sides to edge computing – infrastructure edge and a device edge. Infrastructure is the edge hardware that ranges from light to medium and heavy edge products. This hardware consolidates multiple workloads on-premise.

Infrastructure edge hardware solutions are the sandlot Amy Leeland plays in. Leeland is the Edge Computing Director for Retail, Banking, Hospitality and Education at the Intel Internet of Things Group. She joined To the Edge and Beyond to share her thoughts and insights on the latest trends in edge computing solutions for these markets.

“My focus is to enable our customers’ digital transformation journeys with edge compute,” Leeland said. “We build new edge hardware products with original equipment manufacturers and original device manufacturers. We also create open-source reference implementations, and our partner team works with independent software vendors and solution providers.”

Edge compute isn’t one type of deployment model, device, or product. While edge solutions for retail, banking, hospitality and education vary, there is one constant that guides Leeland and her team.

“It’s all about bringing compute closer to the point of where data is being generated,” Leeland said.

Moving large amounts of data to an outside center is not always feasible, so creating on-site compute solutions for customers is critical.

The sheer number of devices people use in their daily lives is producing a vast volume of data. While this data proves an ongoing storage challenge, it also provides tremendous strategic opportunities for advanced use of intelligent applications and business insights.

“As the volume of this data increases, so does this inefficiency of transmitting all of it and processing it in a central location,” Leeland said.

Learn more about edge computing solutions by connecting with Amy Leeland on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleeland/, follow her on Twitter @Amy_Jaklich or visit https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/edge-computing/overview.html and click on solutions.

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Digital out-of-home (DOOH) is a rather broad term – in fact, according to Intel IOT Business Development Director Maroun Ishac, it’s “really the millions of screens that you see outside of the home.”

Alongside those millions of screens, which adorn everything from taxis and ridesharing vehicles to mall advertising, smart city infrastructure and airport signage, comes potential just as vast.

Ishac joined Intel’s host Mariya Zorotovich on this episode of To the Edge and Beyond to discuss the company’s role in powering that DOOH experience.

The role of advertising is shifting, and Ishac said DOOH solutions need to adapt. Often, they’re viewed as carrying with them inefficiencies in terms of spilled impressions (advertisers want their messaging to reach highly targeted audiences) and high costs.

“We need to move away from the old model of being ‘one too many,’” Ishac said. “We need to become fully digital and end-to-end accountable.” Ishac believes this shift allows immersive, rich content to be accessed via touchless, content aware, and AI responsive capabilities at scale. That’s where Intel comes in.

By helping media owners leverage cutting-edge artificial intelligence and analytics, DOOH digital signage solutions can connect brands with the specific audiences they want to reach more effectively, making more powerful and lasting impressions.

“We cannot be complacent,” Ishac said. “Even though we have all the ingredients and the technology and resource capabilities to be a fully digital medium, we’re only 14% programmatic. … We need to be at 100% programmatic.”

Connect with Maroun Ishac on LinkedIn or visit https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/internet-of-things/iot-solutions/digital-signage/dooh.html.

eCommerce has become a lifeline for so many and the primary way to shop for a variety of goods. The growth in this channel has transformed the technology of fulfillment, as well.

According to Naren Kumar, the Retail Segment Manager at Intel’s Internet of Things Group, the number of people shopping for products online doubled from 15% to 30% at the height of the pandemic.

As a result, leading retailers have “started exploring micro-fulfillment centers to process online orders faster, leveraging technology like robots and AI, and doing it all in a cost-effective manner,” Kumar said.

However, larger retailers have the clear advantage when it comes to micro-fulfillment centers, or MFCs.

“Larger retailers have the capital to invest in these technologies, and they’re already doing it,” Kumar revealed. “Small retailers, however, are constrained with capital. The good news is that these micro-fulfillment center providers are entering a partnership arrangement with these retailers and enabling them to meet these surging online demands, meet delivery expectations, and still maintain customer loyalty.”

“MFCs are all about fulfillment efficiency and how you do it in a relatively small footprint in close proximity to customers,” added Paul Zyskowski, the Director of Engineering at Intel Internet of Things Group. “They’re all about expediting that delivery to the customers.”

Automating these centers takes that efficiency one step further.

“Automation reduces the labor costs, decreases some of that human error, increases the density of that usable space, and can expedite the pulling and sorting of products,” Zyskowski continued. “And it may sound futuristic… but it can be something as simple as a robotic arm that grabs the product and puts on a shuttle or a conveyor belt that moves the items to the packing space. It’s all about what that space looks like and what business problems you’re trying to solve.”

Learn more about micro-fulfillment and accompanying technology by connecting with Naren Kumar and Paul Zyskowski on LinkedIn.

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Organizations often opt for technology solutions that address the most immediate and pressing problems which often result in tradeoffs for more holistic, longer-term solutions. Banking organizations are no exception--particularly when it comes to investing in physical branches. The tradeoff? Erosion of the customer experience, especially as customers engage digitally and expectations evolve.

On this episode of Intel’s To the Edge and Beyond, host Tyler Kern was joined by Intel Internet of Things Group Global Banking General Manager Seong Boon “SB” Ngoo and DBS Bank Head of Innovation, India Sandeep Varma, who walked Kern through the technologies and strategies that can help banks modernize their branches to meet growing expectations.

Though branches are no longer transaction centers in the digital age, which empowers consumers to bank on the go, there are certain elements of a bank’s role in our lives that can’t be fully automated. This is where branches enter the picture, and it’s why modernizing them to better fulfill these roles is so critical.

“Like most industries, you’ve seen consumer behavior evolve over time,” Varma said. “There’s a new generation of millennials who are digital-natives. So, what we’ve seen is that these digitally savvy customers prefer to do most of their transactions online or with [mobile devices]. … There’s always been a trend toward digitization, and the role of the branch is changing.”

While some customers still prefer face-to-face interaction and branches will always have a role to play, the pandemic has further accelerated banks toward digital interaction.

To keep up, banks need to modernize through technologies and solutions like self-service capabilities and kiosks, smaller, interactive spaces that serve as pseudo-branches, cloud and cybersecurity advancements, and more.

Learn more about bank modernization by connecting with Seong Boon “SB” Ngoo and Sandeep Varma on LinkedIn or visiting http://www.intel.com/banking.

Other episodes related to banking:

• Conversational AI Solutions for the Banking Industry

• The Digital Transformation of the Banking Industry

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It is undeniable that the impact of the pandemic on students, teachers, and administrators has been swift and dramatic. Remote learning became a necessity overnight, and technology has become the key to success for the education industry.

Host Daniel Litwin was joined by Mark Frost, Visual Collaboration Marketing Manager for Intel's Internet of Things Group, Jag Minhas, CEO & Founder of Sensing Feeling, and Duncan Peberdy, EdTech Consultant at DroitwichNet Limited for an engaging discussion on utilizing technology such as AI and Computer Vision to analyze student engagement and wellbeing to improve learning outcomes.

Remote learning has changed the dynamic of education at all levels.

“Everybody has been desperate to have that continuity of education,” Peberdy said. “People have different perceptions as to whether technology is going to solve it or if it will actually be a problem.”

Campuses moved toward smaller groups and collaboration in person but have since moved back toward larger lecture audiences with remote learning via conferencing interface platforms. “It has not been a gentle transition,” Peberdy said.

“The IT challenges have been massive,” Frost added.

Student engagement is very difficult when working from a distance.

Video calling technology has been utilized to deliver a remote teaching and learning environment. Many accessory developments have been added to improve engagement during teaching sessions. This has led to “a gradual enrichment of the basic tools to help facilitate more interactive engagement,” Minhas said.

Collaboration technology, interactive touchscreens, virtual classrooms, computer vision technology, and IoT solutions are also being applied to remote learning. These technologies improve student engagement and collect data that can assist in evaluating other engagement technologies and teaching techniques.

It is important to integrate multiple technologies and communication tools to create a productive and efficient system. As learning has abruptly moved from in-person to fully remote and now toward a hybrid learning environment, educators need to be equipped to facilitate learning in multiple scenarios and be prepared for future situations that could be similar to COVID.

Learn more about Education with Intel by connecting with Mark Frost on LinkedIn or visit http://www.intel.com/education.

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Every industry the world over is feeling the effects of innovative IoT solutions, and the restaurant and hospitality sectors are certainly no exception.

On this episode of To the Edge and Beyond, brought to you by Intel’s Internet of Things Group, host Mariya Zorotovich was joined by Orietta Verdugo, Global Hospitality and Restaurants General Manager for the Intel Internet of Things Group.

The duo dove into how Intel and its work in IoT are committing to elevate and personalize the guest experience in the restaurant and hospitality landscape, from drive-thrus to five-star overnight stays.

“There are two reasons why I really enjoy these two industries,” Verdugo said. “One is the focus on the guest experience, and the other is regarding operations excellence. These two areas are quicky evolving as technology delivers improved data insights to inform service improvements.”

Intel is working to help industry players achieve through tools and solutions that address unique pain points. This means translating business and customer drivers into tangible industry solutions in collaboration with the greater technology ecosystem. For example, business drivers such as efficiency, data security and customer drivers of seamless experience, contactless and personalized service translate into solutions that improve keyless entry, self-service markets, and loyalty to name a few.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought health and safety pain points to the forefront, with hospitality and food and beverage organizations needing to reconfigure their digital footprints and earn elevated trust in the face of consumer expectations.

The three biggest trends entering 2021, Verdugo said, are frictionless solutions, personalization and sustainability, and Intel’s Internet of Things Group will be working to provide customers with thorough data and actionable insights and strategies designed to help them capitalize.

Learn more about how IoT is shaping the hospitality and restaurant industry by connecting with Orietta Verdugo on LinkedIn or visit https://www.intel.com/hospitality.

AI, or artificial intelligence, is more than a buzzword; it drives real solutions across myriad industries, including banking. And AI’s arrival is perfectly timed to help solve challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kathy Crumley, Global Market Lead, Banking & Payment Enablement at Intel, and Vicki Milhoan, Solutions Engineer at Intel, spoke with To the Edge and Beyond about how technology, driven by the digital transformation of AI, machine learning, and relevant form factors such as kiosks are set to reshape the banking experience for millions of customers.

“Without question, COVID has been the single most disruptive hit to the banking industry in, most likely, the last century,” Crumley said. But, if there is one silver lining, the pandemic is fast-tracking some banking payment modalities, such as contactless transactions, that may have taken years to catch on in the United States.

According to Crumley, the top three focuses for bank branches are modernizing and transforming bank design, increasing the number of assisted self-serve devices and terminals, and cross-channel integration from an on-premise technology, as well as a mobility technology.

There are several in-demand use cases where a conversational AI is targeted and delivers an excellent solution in self-service kiosks. From opening a new account to bill pay and check-in appointments, there are many ways this new technology is helping consumers do more.

How are these kiosks, and the data provided from these interactions, enhancing the customer experience?

“Indicators are showing that customers are using the kiosks as another tool in their toolbox,” Milhoan said. “With more data, we’ll be able to understand each customer better, and we can provide more tailored solutions on what they can do at the kiosk. We can also evaluate those kiosk services being used less.”

There are plenty of opportunities to add, change and improve kiosk services with more accumulated data.

Learn more Intel-based banking solutions by connecting with Kathy Crumley and Vicki Milhoan on LinkedIn or visit https://www.intel.com/banking.

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The banking industry has always been one of reinvention. It’s an old industry, but not one slow to evolve. As banking meets a new chapter post-COVID where digital channels are outperforming traditional ones, the industry will meet new challenges and pain points. Dr. Seong Boon “SB” Ngoo, Global Banking General Manager for Intel’s Internet of Things, provided an update on the future.

“The banking industry is familiar with disruption. However, it is one of the first to innovate in technology transitions,” Ngoo said. Financial institutions, hit hard by the 2008 economic crisis, had to reinvent their playbook. The pandemic is different. It’s a global health crisis with a significant financial impact.

Ngoo spoke about the areas where banking is making strides with technology. “There are more digital channels for onboarding customers, mortgage approvals, and other activities. These are meeting the new expectations of customers. Banks are adjusting sales models and leveraging data, AI, and IoT to improve processes and delivery.”

How exactly is banking using these innovative technologies? Ngoo shared, “AI is in use in banking from digital signage that can personalize messaging to smart ATMs. In branch usage of cameras can analyze flow and queues and provide recommendations for staffing.”

The branch banking experience is evolving as more customers have shifted to digital channels. “We want to make branch technology easy to deploy and useful. It’s not enough for banks to replace a few things. They need to rethink their business architecture, how they meet customer demand, and comply with regulations in every medium,” Ngoo commented.

Connect with Dr. Seong Boon “SB” Ngoo on LinkedIn, or visit http://www.intel.com/banking.

Drive-thrus have been a staple of the quick serve restaurant (QSR) industry and have been increasing in popularity over the years. With the pandemic, the drive-thru has increased in importance even more, and the application of data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) has incredible opportunity.

Host Daniel Litwin joins Ravi Sirigineedi, Global Restaurant Lead for Intel's Internet of Things Group, and Luke Irving, Founder and CEO of Fingermark, to discuss drive-thru trends, the application of AI and analytics, and where the industry is headed.

“The basis of success in this industry is all around convenience and customer experience,” Irving said.

One of the biggest challenges since the onset of the pandemic has been capacity. Before COVID, the utilization of drive-thrus for QSRs was between 50-75% of a store’s revenue. Now, that number is 90-95% and, in some cases, the drive-thru is now the only source of revenue.

Curbside also has a large opportunity. Parking lots can be turned into ordering bays as customers can order from their phones.

Sirigineedi noted that this change in customer behavior of using drive-thrus and curbside services is likely to continue.

Drive-thrus have often been a bottle neck and it is critical, now more than ever, to improve efficiency.

Data is providing insights to improve traffic velocity and help the restaurant utilize capacity to the fullest extent. For the customer this translates to personalized, accurate and quick service. This technology can also be used to detect customers who have left as a result of constrained capacity to understand lost revenue.

Sirigineedi adds that from an operator’s perspective, AI can improve operations by automating mundane tasks which allows staff to focus on better service and value directly with customers.

“It’s beyond restaurants, as well,” said Sirigineedi. The drive-thru can be applied to convenience stores, supermarkets, big box retail, and other retail formats.”

Learn more about hospitality and restaurants by connecting with Ravi Sirigineedi on LinkedIn or visit https://www.intel.com/hospitality. To learn more about Intel’s partner Fingermark, connect with Luke Irving on LinkedIn.

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The future of retail is being built daily, but one thing is practically certain – as a continuation of pre-pandemic trends and in the wake of COVID-19, consumers will be on the lookout for frictionless experiences.

In this episode of To The Edge and Beyond, the host Tyler Kern explores the use cases Intel’s Internet of Things Group brings to frictionless retail and the solutions that are powering it with Intel’s Christie Rice, Retail Business Development Director, and Samir Sandesara, Platform Architect for Retail.

Frictionless retail is a hot topic in industry outlets. Frictionless includes a wide range of solutions, such as self-checkout, grab-and-go stores, kiosks and more. Technology building blocks needed include artificial intelligence, IoT sensor data, and a range of components depending on the shopping format and context.

“Retail establishments view frictionless retail as a value for customers,” Rice said, adding that customer experience should be any company’s primary focus. “People today want service options that are fast and convenient.”

Whether in a retail store or a corporate environment, people want products quickly without waiting in lines and any unnecessary interactions. Having access to technology that makes the retail experience quicker is crucial and will ultimately lead to higher sales.

Intel’s role in frictionless retail is in designing technology that is adaptive to different environments. Visual processing is becoming more intricate, and Intel can provide adaptive technology in the form of both hardware and software for any frictionless retail environment. Real sense cameras also help with collecting depth data and assist in machine learning.

The capture of data is foundational. For example, if a store camera is mounted too high or is too pixilated, useful data will not be able to be extracted. Sandesara understands that the fundamental needs are simple – customers want a quick retail experience, and the technology can be adapted to meet specific needs. And gathered data provides a better understanding of the need and helps identify which solutions are best.

Although not a new conversation in retail, transaction security and customer privacy are primary to any frictionless experience. Intel and ecosystem partners work in context of the retail format to ensure compliance and that standards are met.

“Once you’ve implemented these systems, you can extract ever increasing amounts of decision-making information out of them. You do not have to redo sensor implementations over and over again if implemented right,” Sandesara said. “The same set of cameras can help you with not just frictionless, but also inventory management, food safety compliance, and employee assistance. It’s an investment for the future.”

Learn more about Retail with Intel by connecting with Christie Rice or Samir Sandesara on LinkedIn or visit http://www.intel.com/retail.

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