What’s the big deal about edge computing? Does it have an advantage over cloud computing? Can it offer anything that the cloud can’t? What’s the point of having an edge when you already have a cloud? These are just some of the questions we will answer in this article.
Edge Computing Goes Mainstream in 2022
Edge computing is gaining traction as a powerful addition to cloud computing. Unlike cloud computing, where all data processing takes place in centralized servers, usually in a different location from where the application is being used or accessed, edge computing brings all processing closer to users.
It can be applicable in several different use cases. Still, its main advantage is that it allows users to process data closer to the source without being dependent on the cloud.
Everything from IoT devices to self-driving cars uses edge computing to identify and respond quickly to certain events.
What Is Edge Computing?
The term “edge” refers to any location outside traditional data centers in which data processing occurs. It features low latency, closer proximity to users and devices, and local processing capabilities for IoT applications.
Edge computing environments can be on-premise or smaller regional data centers located nearer to end-users. They can process data in real-time without relying on centralized cloud platforms for resources.
As per Gartner’s prediction, “75% of enterprise-generated data will be processed outside the cloud or traditional data centers by 2025.” This means enterprises should prepare for a decentralized IT environment with distributed computing power across multiple locations.
Keep reading: The Differences Between Cloud and Edge Computing
Top Edge Computing Trends That Will Dominate in 2022
The amount of data generated worldwide is growing exponentially. The IDC predicts that within the next few years, there will be 175 zettabytes (175 trillion gigabytes) of data created every year. This growth is driven by the rise of IoT devices, providing businesses with more data and insights than ever before. This data helps organizations improve their processes and customer experiences.
While cloud computing has helped companies benefit from the power of this data, it’s not enough. According to NVIDIA, sending all this data to the cloud takes too much time — up to a tenth of a second. A tenth of a second might not seem like much, but autonomous vehicles need to make decisions within milliseconds if they want to avoid crashes. That’s why edge computing is growing in popularity: It enables businesses to quickly access data from IoT devices without relying on cloud computing alone.
The Internet of Things (IoT) has been the defining trend of the last decade. Gartner predicts that by 2025, there will be 75 billion connected devices in use worldwide. This effectively means that everything from our streetlights to our cars to even our fridges will soon be connected to the internet.
The edge computing market is the best way to handle this massive expansion of connected devices. Edge computing allows for data processing at the source, reducing bandwidth requirements and ensuring faster network speeds for billions of users. This is especially important as more and more devices are added to the IoT networks every year.
5G and Edge Computing
With every new generation of mobile technology, data speeds increase exponentially. According to Nokia, 5G networks are 100 times faster than 4G LTE networks and can simultaneously support ten times more devices. In a nutshell, 5G will connect everyone on the planet and make lightning-fast data transmission possible for all devices.
Suffice it to say, edge computing will be instrumental in making this a reality. With more users connecting at once, it’s going to be essential that we have distributed cloud platforms available for processing data at the source.
Edge computing is already seeing massive growth in the automotive industry. The tech will fuel the rise of autonomous vehicles (AVs).
The reason for this lies in AVs’ need for a low latency connection. They will also require real-time insights into their surroundings. These include road conditions and other vehicles on the road. All of this can only be achievable with edge computing.
As a result, edge computing will help make AVs a reality by 2022. It will ensure that the vehicles are safe and efficient on the road.
Read more: The Shift to Digital-First Retail
How Can Edge Help Businesses?
Edge computing is the future of data centers. It enables real-time analytics, increases speed, and reduces latency. The technology is already in use across several industries, such as retail, healthcare, and finance.
For example, it can help retailers in the following ways:
Real-time analysis – Edge computing allows stores to capture customer data and analyze it on the go. This information can serve to improve product selection and inventory management.
Speed – Edge computing allows retailers to process data faster than ever before. This helps them streamline their operations and offer customers a better shopping experience.
Latency reduction – Edge computing reduces latency by routing traffic from central servers to local ones or even directly through the cloud. This ensures that customers have access to the information they need when they need it without delays or interruptions due to congestion on the network (which helps reduce costs).
Challenges to Edge Computing
Here are the top challenges of edge computing and how your organization can overcome them:
Edge computing requires a greater focus on security than most organizations are used to. The more places you have data, applications, and hardware, the more potential points of vulnerability there are to hackers. In other words, security becomes even more important with edge computing than before. Organizations need to prioritize security at every step when implementing edge computing, including in their vendor contracts.
For some applications, network latency — the delay between sending and receiving data — doesn’t matter much. For others, it’s critical. Suppose an application will be used at the edge of a network. In that case, it’s important to understand how that application will be affected by inevitable delays in transmitting data over long distances.
Some applications that work well on the cloud might not work as well at the edge because of latency issues. Until 5G equipment becomes available for everyone, this will be an ongoing problem for any organization attempting to create applications for the edge of networks.
Edge computing is going mainstream, and discussed above are the top trends, opportunities, and challenges to watch out for in 2022.