Our tech-filled world is driven by data or information, and modern businesses use this information to make important business decisions, often in real-time. However, the process of collecting data, transmitting it to data centers or enterprise applications, processing it for useful information, reporting results, and sending them for crucial business decision-making is not ideal for rapid response. Here, edge computing can help. Let’s discuss how it works, and its benefits for your business to understand this new technology better. As always, remember to consult expert professionals like those at Communications Solutions Inc. in Jacksonville, Florida, for all your business network, tech, and communication solutions.
That being said, let’s dive right in.
What Is Edge Computing?
Edge computing provides an excellent solution for businesses because it affords them the power of real-time decision-making. Most businesses prefer this as it lets them move partial data storage and computing power closer to the source of the data.
As a result, you face fewer network issues and disruptions, better latency, and fewer bandwidth restrictions. Edge computing allows businesses to process collected data at the “edge” of the business network, closer to the source and typically within the premises, like a retail store or manufacturing floor.
With such a model, the data does not have to be transmitted far through the business network for processing, which provides obvious speed benefits. With faster data processing, you get an almost instant data analysis, quick response, and real-time decision-making for your business.
How Does Edge Computing Work?
As mentioned previously, edge computing processes collect data at the “edge” of the network, closer to the source of the data. Data processing occurs closer to the data-collecting instruments and sensors you use for your business.
Intelligent devices are used for edge computing, allowing quick data processing of collected data before connecting to the Internet of Things (IoT). The purpose of the entire edge computing process is to increase efficiency significantly.
It achieves this purpose by outsourcing computing to intelligent edge devices that only transmit crucial data to the enterprise applications for further processing, analysis, or storage, instead of transmitting all the collected data.
Edge devices can compute or process the collected data using artificial intelligence at the edge, or “edge AI.” Once the collected data is computed, the results are typically separated into three basic categories inside the devices.
- Data that calls for urgent response.
- Data that requires further processing, analysis, or storage for record-keeping purposes.
- Data that requires no further processing, analysis, or storage, i.e., bad data.
It is the responsibility of edge computing to accurately determine which category the collected data belongs to and act on it accordingly. The action or response depends on the complexity of the collected data and the computational power of the edge devices.
It may provide an immediate real-time response or transmit the data to enterprise applications for further real-time computation, retrieval, and immediate response. The latter is possible because only crucial data is transmitted over the business network.
Transmitting crucial data this way requires less bandwidth and helps get real-time responses. It also means significant savings for your business, especially if you use cellular networks for data transmissions.
Benefits of Edge Computing for Your Business
The numerous benefits of edge computing make this technology the preferred choice for enterprise or business computing. These benefits are the drivers behind the rising popularity of edge computing for business.
· Business Savings
Business IoT devices produce large volumes of data, creating problems for a shared computing and storage model. It can cause network disruption, strain resources, or cause system congestion that may result in system damage, business downtime, loss of revenue, and costly repairs or replacements.
With edge computing, you have a distributed storage and computing model. Much of the collected data is processed and stored at the edge, limiting the strain on resources and systems, resulting in significant savings for your business.
· Time-Sensitive Business Intelligence (BI)
Modern businesses, large or small, rely on data-driven Business Intelligence (BI) to make important, time-sensitive business decisions. Crucial processes depend on large volumes of collected data, such as data analytics, automation, predictive maintenance, and AI solutions.
Hence, edge computing is crucial for industries where collected data can become irrelevant in minutes or seconds.
· Improved Network Latency
Delay in business communications or data transmission between devices and the business network slows decision-making, especially for time-sensitive functions. Edge computing can solve this issue with a distributed network that prevents real-time data transmission and processing disruptions.
It helps improve your network latency by providing you with a more consistent and reliable business network.
· Reduced Bandwidth Usage
Like any other network, business networks have limited bandwidth, especially when they utilize cellular networks for wireless data transmission and communications. Edge computing allows your business to reduce bandwidth usage by processing large amounts of data at the edge.
It only transmits the most important and relevant data through the business network, efficiently minimizing bandwidth usage.
Conclusion
By now, you should understand what edge computing is, how it works, and how it can benefit your business. While it is a powerful technology for any business, it has its unique set of challenges as well.
The most common ones include data storage issues at the edge and business network limitations that require a well-designed business network. However, these issues can be easily addressed with the right professionals deploying and maintaining your business network and edge computing.
Therefore, we strongly recommend consulting the expert professionals at Communications Solutions Inc. for all your business network and edge computing solutions in Florida. A well-designed and deployed business network and edge computing model can provide several benefits for your business, regardless of your industry.
Contact Us today to learn more about best business network solutions in Florida.