The structure of compute is changing. It’s no longer necessary or viable to process data solely through centralized data centers or public clouds. Edge computing is changing the way information networks are organized—by employing computers and smartphones closer to where data is produced, DevOps is increasing computational efficiency and building networks with greater capabilities.

On October 20th, SUSE organized a panel of leading DevOps and network experts to speak at Achieving Fast, Scalable Innovation with Edge Computing and Open Source Technologies, a roundtable event. The conversation centered around the future of edge computing and the role open source technology can play to further innovate network speed and scalability through widespread collaboration.

Here are a few key takeaways from the conversation:

1. The power of devices has increased

Brent Schroeder of SUSE described how edge computing has become more powerful due to rapid increases in smartphone and desktop computing power. “Just 10 or 15 years ago, the compute power that would take up a small corner in a lab or even more [is] now in our hands,” he emphasized.

2. Open source is the key to future innovation

Chad Thompson of JPMorgan Chase and Co. argued for the use of open source technology despite the difficulties that may come with it. “The community will out-innovate any single company over time,” he stated.

He encouraged companies to take the best parts from open source software and let their security teams normalize and adapt the rest.

3. Too much data

Robert Schmid of Deloitte Digital spoke to the necessity of edge computing as data increases exponentially. When it comes to the overflow of video data, edge computing can alleviate some major concerns.

“Video is just one of those where there is so much data flowing that would like to be analyzed,” he said. “Even with the best network, analyzing every frame is just not possible to do on the cloud, and so we really want to get [our computing] as close to the data as possible.”

4. Proprietary software has its own risks

Vassilis Varveropoulos of Schlumberger described how much had changed in the last seven or eight years with the adoption of open source technology. Before, he said, “we did not touch open source. It was a liability, the licensing was a nightmare.”

“But things have changed significantly,” he continued. “The technology innovation is so fast that locking yourself in with a specific, proprietary technology—it’s simply too risky.”

5. Trust the community

With a reliance on open source technology, it’s more important than ever to trust the partners you work with. Kelly Dittmann from Hitachi Vantara outlined her ethos for prioritizing security while working with the community.

“There has to be trust and transparency,” she said. “Not to sound too high-level, but we are in this together. We have to have the right partners, the right roles and responsibilities, and the right ability to architect who is doing what and how.”

Want to hear the rest? Check out the full panel discussion and more topic-based video clips from the event by filling out the form at the top of this page.