VDC Research Blog




Hardware Accelerators Raise the Ceiling for Edge Servers

by Jack Watchmaker, with Dan Mandell | 07/09/2024

High-end edge servers are revolutionizing operational environments and creating substantial value for both OEMs and end users. Most notably, this includes their ever-growing capacity to process large volumes of data locally… Learn more

AI-Accelerated Automation Surges in SCA

by Joe Abajian & Dan Mandell, with Chris Rommel | 07/02/2024

AI integration has emerged as an avenue for competitive differentiation across the software world. Large Language Models (LLMs) have demonstrated their ability to effectively produce and augment code. While still imperfect and known to ‘hallucinate’ in response to open ended prompts, many AI models can write code with high levels of confidence… Learn more

Apple Intelligence and VisionOS 2 Highlight Apple’s 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference

This week, at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), the company announced several new developments, led by their anticipated entrance into the Artificial Intelligence space… Learn more

The Future of Enterprise Technology Innovation: A Day at Zebra

by Rowan Litter | 05/23/2024

Zebra Technologies held its 2024 Innovation Day on May 14th, giving partners and analysts a dive into the company’s latest innovation roadmap and goals for the future. The event began with a highlight of key ‘megatrends’ that Zebra believes will support long-term growth, including IoT, automation, mobile/cloud computing, rising eCommerce demand, and of course, Artificial Intelligence… Learn more

Enterprise Mobility Trends: The In‑Vehicle Office

by Elliot Mintz | 04/29/2024

We live in a dynamic era where the traditional office setting, complete with desks and computers, is no longer the exclusive setup for many workers. Frontline mobile workers in industries like transportation, public safety, utilities, and manufacturing, spend their days entirely in vehicles or rely on them for most of their operational workflows. Replacing a standard office with an in-vehicle workspace poses unique challenges that various OEMs have tackled by offering vehicle‑based solutions catered to mobile workers and their industries. These solutions include rugged computers, vehicle mounts, mobile routers, power cradles, accessories, and telematics software that all come together to create a space in which workers and fleets can operate successfully. Learn more

Claroty, Competitors Continue OT Cybersecurity Arms Race

by Jared Weiner | 03/12/2024

Last week, Claroty announced it had raised $100 million in strategic growth financing. Building on $635 million in previously-raised funding, Claroty will use this new round―led by investments from Delta-v Capital, SE Ventures, and Rockwell Automation, among others―to scale the company’s solution offerings, expand in emerging regions, develop core and adjacent technologies, and strengthen its partnership ecosystem. Learn more

Automating the Manual: AI-driven Requirements Management

by Brendan Bradley | 03/11/2024

While ambitious goals to utilize generative artificial intelligence (AI) to automate the writing of code have gained popularity with recent advancements in AI, engineering functions elsewhere within the software development life cycle (SDLC) may prove to be better suited for near-term deployment of AI. User competency issues and security vulnerabilities remain considerable barriers to widescale use of generative AI coding tools. Learn more

Scalability Will Enable Next Wave of IIoT Platforms Market Growth

by Jared Weiner | 03/11/2024

In recent years, growth within the market for Industrial IoT Platforms has been driven in large part by the increasing availability of affordable processors, sensors, and other hardware components. This, in turn, has lowered IIoT adoption barriers for small to midsize industrial organizations. Initiatives driven by economic- and labor-related factors have contributed to a growing interest in automating various operational processes―such as those for quality assurance and remote monitoring―further fueling market growth. Learn more

Key IoT & Embedded Takeaways from Intel IFS Direct 2024

by Dan Mandell | 02/24/2024

The first Intel Foundry Direct Connect event took place this week and VDC Research was on hand to learn about the biggest implications to the IoT and embedded market. There were several key announcements made during the event on February 21st including the launch of Intel Foundry – Intel’s System Foundry approach to enable full-stack optimization for the AI era. Bleeding-edge process technologies are typically most focused on datacenter/hyperscalers, HPC, digital models, and enterprise AI applications. Learn more

The Drive to Standardize Automotive Software Updates

by Brendan Bradley | 01/30/2024

With the growth of the software-defined vehicle (SDV) and advancements in electrification across the mobility space, over-the-air (OTA) updates have emerged as the go-to method for both the maintenance and enhancement of in-vehicle software and features. Both innovators such as Tesla and NIO, as well as their legacy counterparts in GM and Honda, have adopted OTA as a way to remotely improve customer satisfaction, delivering new capabilities and features to vehicles as well as carrying out critical functional fixes or security patches to vehicle drivetrains and infotainment systems. Learn more

Proceed with Caution: The Need for Careful Automotive OTA Update Management

by Brendan Bradley | 01/24/2024

Initially adopted within the mobile phone industry and spreading across the consumer electronics market, over-the-air (OTA) updates have emerged as an effective solution to maintaining IoT systems and devices in the field, enabling the remote deployment of feature enhancements and patches to device firmware, software, configuration, and operating system (OS). Learn more

Securing the Road Ahead: Self-Driving Cars & Cybersecurity

by Joe Abajian & Dan Mandell | 01/03/2024

By nature, autonomous cars amplify cybersecurity stakes. If hackers compromise a self-driving car’s internal computing network, its safety critical components (brakes, gas, transmission, headlights, etc.) can become exposed. Fully automated fleets will be prime targets for ransomware hacks. In the future, crucial freight and trucking infrastructure will depend on automated systems. Learn more