Innovation & Impact

INNOVATIONS

nCloud and nEdge Solutions: The Enabler of 5G Communications for Smart City

Entrepreneurship

Innovations & Impacts

5G communications, together with artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT), interconnectedly enables the grand vision of developing smart city in Hong Kong and beyond. As one of the key infrastructures in the age of innovation and technology, 5G communications provides network of faster speed which empowers and engenders the wider applications of AI technologies in various areas, such as their uses for remote and robotic surgery in the healthcare sector, the development of self-driving car and smart traffic system, and the like.



Developed by Professor Patrick Pak-ching LEE of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, nCloud and nEdge are network coding-based technology that enables interoperability of all public cloud vendors with the highest-grade security and geo-distribution. As a network coding-based multi-cloud storage system, nCloud significantly enhances the security of data storage by distributing data among cloud storage providers, in turn, lowering the operating costs and streamlining access. On the other hand, by connecting IoT end-points, nEdge has become a key technology for boosting 5G communications and smart city development in Hong Kong.



The two solutions were successfully commercialized by CU Coding Limited, a startup company founded in 2018 by a group of CUHK professors and alumni. On 10 May 2021 the team announced the market launch of its patented technology nEdge and nCloud solutions with the provision of one-stop managed telecom and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services by HGC Global Communications Limited (HGC). The partnership helps the team to advance its platform and improve the data security capabilities across multicloud for enterprises, contributing to the development of 5G communications.


From Research to Market

  • RESEARCH

  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Professor LEE’s research interests include various applied/systems topics on improving the dependability of large-scale software systems, including storage systems, distributed systems and networks, and cloud computing. Before inventing nCloud and nEdge, Professor LEE developed different technologies such as FADE, LiveDFS and NCCloud for mobile cloud computing back when 3G communications was prevalent.

Founded in 2018, CU Coding Limited is a DaaS (Data-as-a-Service) solution provider for enterprises to enhance security and network reliability through multi-cloud service providers. The startup is admitted to the Incu-Tech and Leading Enterprises Acceleration Programme (LEAP) programmes supported by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP). For its contribution to the field of 5G communications development, CU Coding Limited was named by the world’s top information technology research and consulting company Gartner as “the notable player in the emerging Intelligent Infrastructure market.” The company also won the Golden Award for exhibiting the 5G nEdge technology in the 1st Greater Bay Area 5G Application and Innovation Challenge in November 2020. The company has secured more than 300 institutional clients to-date with enriched experience in DaaS solution, and is currently expanding its business to the Greater Bay Area with a grant of RMB 20 million funded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2020.

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