The processing of data at the edge is a game-changer. It eliminates the need to send raw information to centralized servers for processing and slashes transmission delays.
It also optimizes bandwidth usage by transmitting only crucial insights, alleviating network congestion and reducing costs. This makes it ideal for IoT and remote devices that generate massive amounts of data.
1. Real-Time Analytics
Edge computing enables you to make business decisions faster by leveraging growing in-device processing capability and low-latency connectivity. Combined with 5G, this can improve the performance and reliability of networks and enable new use cases for intelligent autonomous logistics, augmented reality and more.
Edge computing is also a valuable solution for environments where connectivity to centralized computing systems is unreliable or prohibitively expensive. For example, it’s helpful for oil rigs or other remote locations where data needs to be sent back and forth over long distances. With edge/multiaccess edge computing (MEC), the information can be processed locally, bypassing the latency that would otherwise occur when a machine sends the data to a central system for processing. This can save lives and reduce costly downtime.
2. Low-Latency Communication
Today’s organizations produce huge volumes of data with a need for fast processing and immediate responses. Edge computing offloads centralized network servers to provide better connectivity by reducing latency between user actions and system responses.
Local storage and computing servers at the edge process incoming data, minimizing information transfer and energy consumption. Only essential data is sent back to the central data center or cloud. This provides lower latency for applications that require immediate responses such as telcos and autonomous vehicles.
Businesses like manufacturing and warehousing also benefit from edge computing’s low-latency capabilities. For example, warehouses and distribution centers can use ML inference at the edge to monitor production line and inventory statuses identifying quality or material issues immediately resulting in faster response times eliminating costly downtime or rework.
3. Scalability
Scalability refers to the capacity of a system to handle a growing workload. This can be in terms of users, storage or bandwidth capacity. There are two types of scalability: vertical and horizontal.
Traditionally, businesses are unable to use all the data they collect due to network limitations such as bandwidth restrictions, latency and congestion. Edge computing can solve these problems by moving the processing power closer to the source of the data.
It is possible for companies to achieve massive business value by embracing edge computing. By taking a super integrated approach that aligns edge with their digital core, enterprises are four times more likely to accelerate innovation and nine times more likely to increase efficiency and reduce costs. These companies are the ones that will succeed in the future.
4. Security
Edge computing reduces the load on data centers by processing incoming information at the edge of the network, close to the source. This reduces the time it takes to analyze critical data and improves response times.
Companies that deploy edge technologies can leverage the benefits of faster processing to create better customer outcomes. This includes faster, personalized services and greater efficiency for the entire company.
An example of this is a retail business that uses edge computing to instantly process and communicate with customers, enabling personalized offers and improved experience. Another example is a manufacturer that uses edge technology to optimize manufacturing processes, increase worker safety and find production errors as they occur. This helps companies meet regulatory compliance, improve customer experiences and drive new revenue streams.
5. Data Sovereignty
Developing a complete picture of your data’s lifecycle is essential to meeting today’s increasingly stringent data sovereignty requirements. For example, new privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA require companies to comply with the laws of the country where their data is collected. That’s a huge challenge when cloud solutions are used, as the data can be processed or stored in locations outside of your control.
Edge computing eliminates these obstacles by keeping sensitive data closer to home. That means fewer trips over the wire to communicate with far-away servers—which can create noticeable delays, like when coworkers are communicating through an IM platform and each message has to travel out of the building and across the globe to a server somewhere else before it appears on the recipient’s screen.
