Do you remember the innovations of the Windows Server 2019 that we explained in the previous post? We are sure!
In this posts, we will learn more about the Edge Computing. Do you know what it? Well, go for it!
In recent years, industrial companies have begun to drive further improvements in their performance and productivity through the use of technological innovations. Although recently developed Cloud technology is one of the main reasons for this industrial transformation, Edge Computing is fast becoming a key part of the Internet of Things (IoT) equation in the acceleration of the digital revolution.
In the context of the IoT, "Edge" refers to the computer infrastructure that exists near data sources, for example, industrial machines such as wind turbines, magnetic resonance (MR) scanners, underwater explosion prevention devices, industrial control systems such as SCADA, etc. Allowing the analysis and collection of data to be carried out at source. These edge computing devices are located away from the centralised computing available in the cloud.
The cloud continues to be crucial when it comes to enabling new levels of performance through the industrial IoT, where significant computing power is required in order to efficiently manage large volumes of machine data.
To date, Edge Computing has mainly been used for storage, filtering and sending data to Cloud systems. However, we are at a point where edge computing systems are accumulating more computational, storage and analytical power so as to consume and act on data at the machine's location. This edge computing capacity will be highly valuable and will be essential for industrial companies in the coming years.
While Edge Computing isn't new, there are several key factors which make this technology a more viable reality today. The cost of the computing and sensors continues to fall, as the computing power run on smaller devices increases. This is in addition to the continual increase in the volume of data from machines and the environment, for example, weather or market price data.
These factors merge to help companies convert massive amounts of data into smart and successful actions within a time limit.
Data is processed closer to where it is generated, achieving very high speeds and quality and attaining low latencies thanks to Edge Computing. This translates into a significant saving over time for many industries and the benefits will be much in demand in order to achieve greater speed in the services and applications of the future.
Some examples of potential uses are: in virtual reality, streaming such as video games or direct via the Internet or autonomous vehicles where it will be necessary to analyse the information in thousandths of a second in order to deliver assisted driving.
Although the edge computing system is suitable for most industrial organisations, we may encounter implementation and execution problems if our company finds itself in certain situations.
The business implications of Edge computing are compelling. Although the results this system can bring to industrial organisations are various, numerous benefits are assured:
Another term, related to Edge computing and which continues to be used, is Fog Computing. This platform allows us to extend the cloud so that it is located closer to where the action is generated through data from IoT devices. Through Fog Computing, data centres in the cloud delegate a part of their responsibilities to Edge Computing devices, determining the requirements of that ecosystem. Fog Computing and its role in the Internet of Things (IoT) has objectives similar to those of edge computing: moving intelligence and computing power closer to the data source.
Unlike Edge Computing, which refers to the specific way in which computational processes are carried out in IoT devices with analysis and process capabilities, Fog Computing refers to the network connections between these Edge devices and the cloud. Major brands such as Microsoft, Intel, Cisco and Institutions are working together to implement systems where Edge computing, Fog Computing and Cloud Computing work in tandem.