Why Advanced Hardware Still Matters

Vehicles are becoming more autonomous. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are driving new insights and enabling better services. Cities are becoming more intelligent, using the data from devices and sensors to manage transportation, power and water.

When people think of innovations like these, they often imagine new software as the driving force. But, as Celestica’s Director of Technology and Innovation, Irene Sterian, recently noted in an article on Techvibes, software cannot advance without improved hardware.

Take AI for example. AI solutions need the ability to process large amounts of data in order to make accurate decisions quickly. As demand for AI grows, so will the need for faster processing times, requiring more powerful chips with stronger computational capabilities.

Another example is data storage. Demand for faster storage platforms is increasing as the amount of data organizations generate grows exponentially. Companies need new hardware to handle higher data transaction volumes in markets such as the financial industry, where even a few milliseconds can mean the difference between a profit and a loss. 

Celestica is a leader in design and manufacture of advanced hardware platforms that underpin many of today’s most exciting technologies. Our insight and expertise across a range of industries, including aerospace and defense, enterprise communications, healthcare and smart energy, help our customers innovate and get to market faster.

Our membership in ReMAP, a Canadian organization dedicated to accelerating the commercialization of made-in-Canada innovations, is an example of Celestica’s commitment to hardware and advanced manufacturing. Founded in 2014, ReMAP has taken advanced hardware concepts created in 46 labs and factories across Canada, and helped turn them into valuable commercial products for the global market.

ReMAP participant 7D Surgical exemplifies the potential for success when advanced hardware is combined with software. 7D created an operating room light that combines MRI data with live surgical data for patients undergoing cranial or spinal operations. The solution provides surgeons with a real-time 3D image of the surgery location, so the operating team can be infinitely precise, ensuring they don’t touch anything vital, such as a nerve, during an operation. This clearly improves patient outcomes yet, without advanced manufacturing and reliable hardware, the 7D solution would not be a reality.

The pace of change is accelerating faster than ever before. Sensors and software connected to the cloud are generating immense amounts of data. Software and services are key to today’s transformative technologies, but they cannot meet their full potential without new hardware and platforms that enable faster, more intelligent and more secure processing of data.