With Internet of Things (IoT) devices now being deployed into more environments and 5G wireless technology becoming more widely adopted, there is a growing need among some enterprises to adapt what is called edge computing.
What is edge computing and how does it work?
Edge computing has been defined as “a part of a distributed computing topology in which information processing is located close to the edge—where things and people produce or consume that information.” This means that tasks such as computation and data storage are being delivered directly to the devices rather than the devices needing to access a central location in order to perform such tasks.
This is done by having specific hardware and software that have edge computing capabilities act as a local source for processing data from an edge device and then sending the information to the cloud and vice versa. This helps address latency issues in transmitting data to and from devices within the network which would have affected the application’s performance.
Edge devices can include various hardware or devices from an IoT sensor to a laptop computer, to the latest smartphone, the security camera, or even an internet-connected microwave oven. Edge gateways themselves are considered edge devices within an edge-computing infrastructure.
The benefits of edge computing
One big benefit of edge computing is that it saves businesses money as the processes involved are done at a local level rather than in a centralized location which would have incurred additional costs. At the same time, it provides a value-based alternative, providing lower bandwidth costs for businesses that are seeking to build and/or expand their cloud infrastructure but have limited resources at the moment.
Another benefit of edge computing is the faster timeframe involved in the processing and storing data than traditional computing methods. This allows for a more improved, real-time performance of applications that are critical to companies. Such efficiency allows businesses to upgrade processes and technologies that can accelerate their growth.