Embracing the trends: What can edge computing do for your business?

So what actually is edge computing? By focusing on the technology used by IoT to control devices used every day, edge computing generates data on the edge of the network, rather than relaying it back to a central data centre or server. Ultimately, by putting more processing power at the point data is collected, edge computing makes slow data transfers a thing of the past, opening up a number of far-reaching possibilities for your business.

Tying in with the trends: How edge computing can impact the working world

Whatever industry you’re in, it’s clear that speed in any shape or form has become a priority when it comes to first targeting, and then keeping your customers. Whether you’re a retail firm looking for new ways to entice shoppers to come to your stores or a small business beginning to use IoT on a regular basis, edge computing gives you the ability to process data quicker than ever before, meaning you can reach more people in a more timely fashion than has ever been possible.

In today’s constantly connected world, taking advantage of tech-connected devices is the most logical way to keep your business moving forward; new breakthroughs in the tech world like edge computing are the perfect stepping stone for new possibilities to be reached in your day to day working life as well as your future planning. In this way, edge computing should be seen as the latest breakthrough in the tech world, with real power to alter the way you handle every single one of your data transfers.

Find out more about the ways IoT can revolutionise your working life here.

One step ahead: Processing data in real time

A recent study found that 65% of data processed is at least 5 days old by the time it reaches a database; in the working world, that’s 5 days for another business to be using that data to their advantage. That’s where edge computing comes in. By only processing the most important or necessary data to a central data storage unit, edge computing removes the need for time-consuming and energy wasting data transfers.

An additional benefit of edge computing is the potential capital savings it could bring to your business. While more traditional cloud computing solutions have transformed the way we store, handle and send data, edge computing drastically reduces the cost of storing that data within the cloud. Because you’ll only be sending the data you want to back up within a central location, or the data that is needed within that central location, across the cloud, edge computing allows you to save bandwidth and server space. In terms of GDPR, this also goes some way to taking away the risk of your data being hacked; storing your information only where it is needed makes for easier security than tracing each of your data transfers across the cloud.

Edge computing is also beginning to make waves in the consumer world. Think about how many people around you have a Google Home or Alexa in their homes. Voice-activated machine learning apps like Alexa work by processing soundwaves into useful data, all in real time. The speed of these interactions shows how useful edge computing can be to our everyday lives, and how much more reliance will be placed on data transfers that are faster than ever before.

Who’s got their eyes on you? Staying aware of ultimate control

As with every innovation that uses the Internet to store data, it’s wise to approach edge computing with one eye on your business’s security measures. Almost 9 months on from GDPR enforcement, organisations are learning how the rules and regulations can affect their business continuity – as Internet trends develop, it’s important to stay aware of the potential threats growing alongside them. However, with wide-ranging benefits from improved latency to bandwidth, cost efficiency and revitalised customer experience, edge computing is the most innovative way to manage your data transfers, and so shouldn’t be disregarded.

Don’t let uncertainty surrounding new trends like edge computing hold you back from reaching your business goals. At CIS, we keep one eye on the trends, and one on your security, to make sure you can tackle the growing digital landscape with no fears. Take a look at flexible infrastructure solutions for computing that works wonders for your business’s needs.