4 ways to know if you need edge computing

It seems everyone is taking a closer look at edge computing. Enterprise infrastructure is evolving with more cloud, more devices and more data processing requirements at the edge. It’s inevitable that the global market will see massive growth – there are strong indications of more than 5x expansion over the next 5 years.

What is edge computing?

This method of computing brings computation closer to where it’s needed. Instead of sending raw data to the cloud or a data centre for processing, edge computing provides data processing power at the edge of a network – in other words, near where the data is produced and collected. The act of processing data at the edge is sometimes referred to as near-data processing.

Edge computing is a response to the explosion of data produced by “things” in Internet of Things (IoT) applications, as well as sensors, still and high-definition video cameras, actuators and other new digital sources.

Edge computing is not merely the provision of a standard gateway. It delivers intelligence in the form of specialist hardware and software: edge hardware, sensors and actuators, one or more apps, and a management platform.

Who needs it?

There are four great questions to reveal whether your organisation needs edge computing:

1. Does my company need to act in near-real time on data generated by sensors?
   
2. Do we generate data that’s too big to transfer economically and sensibly to the cloud?
   
3. Is the internet link between the digital sources and the cloud unreliable or jittery?
4. Does my company have a privacy or security issue when transferring or processing data in the public/private cloud

If you answered yes to one or more of these, there’s a good chance your company needs edge computing.

Who is using it already?

Organisations in every sector are already using or thinking about using edge computing. The list really is endless, but here are some easily recognised applications:

• Retail stores
• Factory floors
• Smart cities – air quality, traffic monitoring, dynamic lighting
• Cruise ship management
• Robotics applications
• IoT applications
• Big data science applications
• Outpost deployments
• Field offices
• Emergency relief infrastructures

Can we help?

At SixSq, we have experience with these and many other use cases. So please get in touch if you’d like help in assessing the potential benefits of edge computing for your organisation.

We are strong proponents of open source and open systems for edge computing. This means you can count on our honest advice.