Why companies care so much about edge computing

Do you know what edge computing means?

It’s a phrase I have seen often, but until digging into it, I had no idea how important this trend is.

What

Edge computing brings computation and data storage closer to the devices where it’s being gathered, rather than relying on a central location that can be thousands of miles away. This is done so that data, especially real-time data, does not suffer latency issues that can affect an application’s performance.

Why

Edge computing emerged from IoT devices, which create huge volumes of data. Think of all the connected devices like sensors, smartphones, cameras, etc. Instead of sending all that data to the cloud for processing, why not do it locally?

How

Edge computing is being made possible by 5G wireless connections.  Verizon and AWS recently announced a partnership to make edge computing a reality. It is a major focus for Verizon. It will help many traditional retailers turn their brick and mortar locations into mini data centers.

Real-World Examples

• Walgreens is rolling out 5G at 9,000 of its stores for next-gen in-store experiences.
• Chick-fil-a deploys K8s at its stores to create smart-restaurants to get customers their food faster.
• Carnival cruises turned each of its ships into floating data-centers to improve the passenger experience.

In summary

Edge computing is a new trend to bring data insights to where the data is being generated. It’s a huge initiative for many traditional businesses looking for creative ways to leverage their existing infrastructure to compete against digital-first companies.