QxEDGE
Overview
Unsung is a Crypto4A Bronze Partner, supplying and implementing QxEDGE, Crypto4A's "HSM as a Platform" that combines a quantum-safe HSM with general-purpose and confidential compute in a single appliance. It suits UK organisations in critical infrastructure and defence that need cryptographic services at the edge or in the data centre.
Buying QxEDGE through Unsung
Before you buy, we provide independent advice on the right licensing model and product mix for your use cases, so you get value for money from Crypto4A.
Buying through Unsung also gives you:
- Integration with your security stack, including your CA platform (for example EJBCA or DigiCert), key management and existing HSMs.
- Partner pricing through our Crypto4A partnership.
- Specialist support, with first-line triage from our PKI consultants and escalation to Crypto4A where required.
The Challenge
In a traditional set-up, the HSM and the applications that rely on it run as separate infrastructure. PKI, signing, key management and secrets management each sit on their own servers and reach the HSM over the network, adding integration effort and attack surface.
That model is hard to replicate across distributed sites. Transport networks, defence installations and edge locations often have latency, space and connectivity constraints that make separate HSM and application infrastructure at every site impractical. These environments need a self-contained platform that delivers both cryptographic hardware and compute in one unit.
What It Does
QxEDGE converges HSM and compute in one appliance. Crypto4A's patented Trusted Communication Matrix (TCMx) provides software-defined, hardware-enforced confidential compute environments, so security applications run on the platform with secure, low-latency access to the integrated HSM.
The platform is programmable, running virtual machines, containers and applications without modification, and includes a development environment and partner integrations with DigiCert and Keyfactor EJBCA. Use cases include edge PKI, device identity provisioning, firmware signing, data-at-rest encryption, secrets management and DNSSEC, all on quantum-safe foundations.
How Unsung Helps
We help clients decide whether a converged HSM and compute approach suits their environment, then design and deploy QxEDGE integrated with their existing PKI and security tooling. For distributed estates, that includes the architecture and roll-out of edge PKI and cryptographic services across sites.
QxEDGE is not always the right choice. If you need a dedicated quantum-safe HSM without hosted applications, QxHSM may be simpler. For conventional data centre deployments, Thales Luna Network HSM 7 or Futurex CryptoHub are well-established alternatives. As we supply all of these, our advice is led by your requirements.
Related Unsung Services
- Hardware Security Modules: HSM platform selection, supply, deployment and integration.
- PKI Design & Build: design and implementation of distributed and edge PKI.
- PKI Consultancy: advice on quantum-safe infrastructure and converged security platforms.
