Edge computing is one of the new buzzworthy phrases of the tech industry. It fits into the same category as “going to the cloud” or the “Internet of Things” once did.
This technology uses computers that are at the source of data, or close to it, instead of relying on dozens of data centers or the cloud to do the work. In a sense, one could say that this means the cloud will now come to you instead.
Why Is Edge Computing a Better Option?
When data travels from one computer to the next, then physics gets in the way of speed.
Imagine that you’re sitting at a computer in your home. The data that you want to retrieve is on equipment on the other side of the world.
There is a short delay in the communication link because of the time it takes to process the request. Your computer must seek permission to obtain the other, and then the device with the data must approve it.
Even though this delay is often measured in milliseconds, it is latency that slows down how fast you can take care of your needs.
We don’t really notice this issue from a desktop or laptop. The reason why we’re moving toward edge computing is due to the need for speed with the emerging field of voice assistants.
How Secure Is Edge Computing?
We already accept the privacy and security features of mobile devices as an example of edge computing. When you encrypt and store biometric data on a phone or tablet, then it isn’t the cloud’s responsibility to maintain that information anymore.
The next level of security for edge computing is facial recognition software that works locally.
These benefits work in the same way for the data that we transmit from each vocal assistant device.
If you speak to Alexa, then your Amazon device must first process your speech. Then it sends a compressed version of that information to the cloud. Once it reaches this stage, then the data must go through decompression to resolve the request you made.
That means your device will likely ping an API somewhere to let you know the answer to the question or request you made.
How is Edge Computing Possible with the Cloud?
We are firmly in the era of cloud computing right now. Most people work with Office 365, Dropbox, or Gmail in some way. It’s an efficient way to move data.
It might seem like cloud computing is vast and spread out, but this process is remarkably centralized. Only a handful of providers maintain the infrastructure, machine learning, hosting, and computing power that everyone uses.
The companies are instantly recognizable: Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, and IBM.
Because the amount of growth in the cloud is limited at this point, the advent of edge computing is where most of the new opportunities for development exist. You’ll notice speed improvements without experiencing the same levels of latency as this tech continues to evolve.
When the tech industry reaches this level of speed, the world will have an opportunity to unlock a new level of productivity.
Disclaimer: The author of this text, Robin Trehan, has an Undergraduate degree in economics, Masters in international business and finance and MBA in electronic business. Trehan is Senior VP at Deltec International www.deltecbank.com. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this text are solely the views of the author, and not necessarily reflecting the views of Deltec International Group, its subsidiaries and/or employees.
About Deltec Bank
Headquartered in The Bahamas, Deltec is an independent financial services group that delivers bespoke solutions to meet clients’ unique needs. The Deltec group of companies includes Deltec Bank & Trust Limited, Deltec Fund Services Limited, and Deltec Investment Advisers Limited, Deltec Securities Ltd. and Long Cay Captive Management.
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