Defining Edge Computing: Why & How It’s Fundamentally Different From The Cloud

By Glen Liccketto 2 years ago

Introduction

Edge computing is the newest buzzword in the world of data and IT. It’s changing how companies handle their data, and it’s already being used by some of the most successful companies in the world. But what exactly is edge computing? We’ve got all the details you need to know about this emerging technology.

Edge Computing Defined

Edge computing is a type of distributed computing. It’s the process of storing, processing, and analyzing data on the network’s edge–in other words, close to where it originates or is used. Edge computing is not the same as cloud computing; rather than storing data in large data centers (like in cloud infrastructure) or moving it there for analysis (as with serverless applications), edge solutions keep all their information locally on devices such as sensors and smartphones.

Edge solutions are not new; they’ve been around since before we even had Internet connections at home! But now we have more powerful computers with better storage capabilities that can handle complex tasks like image recognition or video processing without needing access to large amounts of information stored elsewhere over an internet connection. This means that developers can create apps using less energy than before–which means better battery life for users’ devices–and businesses can save money by avoiding expensive hosting fees associated with cloud solutions like AWS’ EC2 service

The Benefits of Edge Computing

Edge computing is a new way of thinking about data processing and storage. It’s a way to process data closer to where it’s generated, instead of sending it to the cloud or another centralized location.

Here are some benefits of edge computing:

How Edge Computing Works

Edge computing is a subset of cloud computing, which means that it’s not a complete replacement for the traditional cloud infrastructure. It does, however, allow data to be processed at the network’s edges (as opposed to being sent back to the data center).

This can be done via a dedicated edge computing platform or by leveraging existing cloud services like Amazon Web Services (AWS) Lambda and Google Cloud Functions. At its core, however, this approach still relies on sending information back and forth between your devices and servers in order to process it locally before sending any results back up through an API call or another form of communication channel.

An edge computing platform is one that allows you to store, process, and analyze data on the network’s edge.

An edge computing platform is one that allows you to store, process, and analyze data on the network’s edge. This can be done in real time or near-real time–a key difference from cloud computing.

Edge computing has several benefits over traditional cloud-based solutions:

  • Data can be processed at its source instead of being sent over a network first. This makes it faster than sending information across long distances before processing it.
  • It’s more efficient because it uses fewer resources than sending everything through a centralized server farm (which often means less power consumption).
  • When combined with other technologies like IoT sensors, edge computing allows companies to make better decisions based on real-time insights from their employees or customers rather than relying solely on historical data from previous interactions with those individuals

Conclusion

The edge is the next frontier of computing, and it has the potential to transform the way we use and interact with technology. As we’ve seen, this concept is already being implemented by companies like Microsoft and Cisco who are working on developing their own edge computing platforms.