Abstract
Technology advances are making available huge amounts of processing, storage, networking capabilities at the edge (i.e., up to End-Users premises) of current networks. It is argued that these trends, coupled with new emerging paradigms such as Software Defined Networks, will impact deeply the evolution of future networks, allowing to design highly flexible architectures at the edge capable of creating a galaxy of new ICT business opportunities. This paper presents this vision by proposing a so-called 'manifesto of Edge ICT Fabric': the sheer number of nodes, devices and systems being deployed at the edge, up to Users' premises, will create an ICT fabric offering an enormous processing and storage power. Using this Edge ICT fabric, which is closer to the Users, for executing network functions and services will bring several advantages, both in term of improved performance and cost savings (e.g., determined by the removal of middle-boxes). It is argued that incentives, cooperation and competition at the edge will boost the long-term value of networks: like in ecosystems, where evolution select the winning species, winning services will succeed, grow, and promote further investments, while losing ideas will fade away. © 2013 IEEE.