Over the last decade, the way organisations and individuals interact with media and data online has completely changed. We have seen a global shift to cloud computing with hyper-scale facilities housing, tens of thousands of servers and transferring data all across the world, has become an everyday feature. Edge computing is more than just a buzzword. To put it simply, Edge Computing is the idea that proximity affects performance. The more physical distance you put between the device and the servers storing its data, the longer you have to wait for the data to be accessed. By reducing the physical distance, you not only improve the application performance, but also reduce latency and bandwidth usage creating a better experience and reducing costs for companies as well.

So how does this work?

By adhering to the simple laws of physics, in theory, the physical location matters. This is because, currently, data transfer cannot exceed the speed of light which equates to 299,792 kilometers per second. If data transfer takes even a fraction of a second longer, this can make all the difference in highly competitive sectors such as online gaming and stock trading.

One of the main advantages of edge computing is the reduction of bandwidth usage. To further understand this let’s use an example related to security cameras. A single-camera with a single stream of data is not really putting a strain on your network. But what if you had ten or a hundred cameras, how would this affect your network? As the number of devices in constant communication with the central storage server increases, their resource demands increase accordingly. Not only does this have an impact on your network’s efficiency, but it can also play a role in your company’s finances. To put it simply, reducing the strain on your network can also reduce the strain the network has on your budget. Your network runs better, your company’s costs go down, and these savings can be passed along to the consumer, making your product more competitive in the marketplace. 

Some companies are taking it a step further by placing edge solutions into their loT devices. With computing technology shrinking in both price and physical size, it has never been more common to install processors into everyday objects. Devices now have the power to process data before sending anything out this is just one way in which the companies are using the edge computing mentality to save costs and resources.

What are the benefits?

If your organisation already uses cloud solutions, then the addition of edge computing can offer you: Reduced costs, greater network stability and improved performance for your customers and users.

By utilising edge computing, you minimise the effects of latency and resource usage, providing the consumers with the best experience possible by reducing the final strain of new technology’s on your businesses’s budget.