News | 16 Apr 2021

‘Come and have a go if you think you’re smart enough!’ Vodafone tells developers

Scott Petty, Chief Digital and IT Officer, Vodafone Group, sends out a clear challenge to software developers at Nvidia’s annual five-day technology festival, GTC21.

The combination of ultra-fast 5G mobile connectivity and Multi-access Edge Computing, which brings cloud computing power closer to where it’s needed, is the moment developers have been waiting for, Scott argued.  

Working in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Vodafone is the first technology communications operator capable of offering this combination in Europe, he said.

“It’s all about latency for the Edge. It’s a game-changer.”

Living on the edge: What exactly is Multi-Access Edge Computing? 

And some developers are already putting those capabilities to the test. Scott showed the audience a case study of Vodafone’s work with Dedrone, a drone surveillance company which protects the airspace of sites such as airports and shipping ports, where tight security is essential.

Dedrone’s counter-drone platform runs from the Edge, enabling businesses to connect this detection technology to their security systems – an important capability given what happened at London’s Gatwick Airport in December 2018, when unidentified drone sightings brought planes to a standstill.

Developers keen to test this new tech for themselves can enter the Vodafone Edge Innovation Programme, a competition which offers access to 5G and Edge technology in the UK and Germany, along with expert support.

GTC21 made headlines in technology magazines across the world as CEO and founder of Nvidia, Jensen Huang, unveiled the company’s new DRIVE Atlan system-on-a-chip’, which the California microchip titan claims is a “data centre on wheels”, essential for the self-driving cars of the future. 

How data is helping us drive towards a cleaner, greener world. 

In his own presentation, Vodafone’s Scott Petty reminded the virtual audience that while 5G won’t drive the car, it will connect it and the infrastructure around it, playing a vital role in road safety. 

Other cases studies showed how the combination of 5G and Edge can improve public transport networks, manufacturing plants, mining sites and even Formula 1 pits. 

With that in mind, he said, now is the time for developers to get to grips with these new technologies. 

Follow Scott Petty on LinkedIn. 

Follow @VodafoneUKNews on Twitter.