Edge infrastructure is on track to become a game-changer during 2020. The Internet of Things (IoT), 5G technology, and virtual reality are applying increased pressure on system operators to make significant investments in edge data centers and to deploy IT solutions at the last mile. With several edge data center announcements lately, everyone from large tech companies to startups to ‘the big three’ cloud providers is looking to live life on the edge.
But what is edge computing, and how is it reshaping business operations?
According to Gartner’s definition, edge computing is “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.” Simply put, edge computing moves data computation and storage closer to the data-gathering devices instead of relying on the centralized core location that could be thousands of miles away. In doing so, the data doesn’t experience latency issues that affect the application’s performance.
The development of edge computing was primarily based on the rapid growth of IoT devices that require an internet connection to receive and deliver information to the cloud. Research firm, IDC, estimates that 45 percent of the data created by these devices will be stored, processed, and analyzed by edge computing in 2020. The report also indicates that over 5 billion devices will connect to the edge in 2020, causing many businesses to rethink the way they operate.
This modernized approach to network architecture provides advantages that extend beyond just the IoT market.
Speed – Real-time, low-latency data processing allows applications and devices to respond while data is created instantly. This reduction in lag time results in higher data speeds for end-users, with latency being measured in microseconds instead of milliseconds.
Security – Since edge computing allocates the processing and storage of data and applications across multiple devices and data centers, making it more difficult for a single incident to disrupt the entire network.
Scalability – Edge computing provides a less expensive alternative for businesses to grow computing capabilities by combining edge data centers and their IoT devices, resulting in more efficient support of end-users with minimal latency and physical distance.
Reliability – Better speed and security means improved reliability and a reduced probability of a network problem in another location that disrupts local customers. Edge computing lessens the amount of data running to and from the primary network since it processes the data closer to the source, providing lower latency and faster processing speeds.
The momentum of connected devices isn’t slowing down anytime soon. In fact, forecast estimate that more than 50 billion IoT devices will be connected to the internet by 2030. Talk to LanYap Networks about how edge computing can help your business improve the speed, reliability, security, and scalability of your IT infrastructure.
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