Five areas Edge computing gives a competitive advantage in privacy, communications and innovation
Edge computing has emerged as one of the most important trends in IT since the advent of ChatGPT and LLMs. By 2029, more than 15 billion IoT devices will be connected to business infrastructure, predicts Gartner, and by mid-2025, 69% of CIOs will have deployed edge technology already.
Within the continuity of cloud-edge applications, distributed architecture is opening up a brand-new world. Resources can be placed anywhere within this distributed fabric depending on latency, cost, or carbon footprint considerations. The edge has many different characteristics: the near edge is often entirely on-premises and nearest to the client; the far edge is closer to centralised data centres.
The near edge, in my opinion, represents where most innovation is happening at the moment. This is due to a number of factors, including the immediate, measurable advantages for businesses. I think there are three main factors that influence why customers choose edge every day and why they will keep doing so, writes Chris Gehlen, founder and CEO of Neutroon.
Data privacy + cybersecurity
The advantages in terms of data privacy and cybersecurity come first. One of the better instances is the implementation of a cutting-edge mission-critical application, such as AI quality inspection employing real-time UHD video. Enterprises don't want to take the chance of having sensitive image/video data leave their walls, and since low latency is a crucial component of the process, edge computing is the only viable solution. The AI app operating on the edge, however, requires regular updates to be truly effective. Only a cloud-native dev-ops strategy that continuously develops and delivers the app makes this possible.
Simplicity and effectiveness
The ease and simplicity with which edge computing makes it possible to experiment with novel use cases and foster creativity is its second advantage. An overlay network can be provided via edge computing in conjunction with a personal 5G/LTE network to facilitate experimentation. The deployment of new apps can be greatly accelerated by streamlining networking and reducing connectivity hurdles and bottlenecks without having to worry about network settings for every new use case. In order to streamline application deployment, I believe integrating the 5G and edge/cloud worlds is the key to realising the full potential of edge computing.
Cost and carbon footprint reduction
The advantages of lower costs and carbon footprints are the final two of my five picks. Compared to latency in 2021, bandwidth cost will be the primary driver of edge computing by 2025. This is a result of the massive volumes of data that the cloud is receiving from metaverse and AI applications. The globe could save an estimated US$13 billion in energy expenditures annually if only 25% of all data centres worldwide were replaced with edge nodes. Moving data to a central place is comparable to daily commutes into the city. The same is true of the cloud; it causes congestion and pollution.
The widespread adoption of edge as a replacement for the voluminous traffic to and from data centres can and will have a significant influence on emissions as well as operating expenses. I believe the advantages listed here will also be advantageous as the field develops, and further advantages for IT specialists, users, consumers, and clients will also become apparent.
