IoT: Power of Edge Computing

The internet of things (IoT) is a concept where embedded sensors present in everyday objects communicate with each other to share data, which when processed in real-time can be used to create solutions that rely on existing networks, like the internet. One of the amazing avenues that may empower the current capacity of IoT applications is the use of edge computing. Here, we describe the power and effectiveness of this method in improving the current usefulness of internet of things:

What is Edge Computing?

It is a computing concept where we may employ the available resources at the edge of a network, near the actual sources that are producing the data, especially in a cloud environment. These resources include laptops, smartphones and other networked devices. The use of the freely available resources may not be necessary in the present IoT application, but with the constantly increasing volume of IoT data, it will be important to find innovative methods for ensuring efficient performance.

The Application

The current cloud computing solutions put a direct strain on the internet resources that you have. Data and other information parameters must get transferred to the cloud and then be processed in real-time, which requires tremendous processing power. While this method is sufficient if we have limited data sources, it becomes exponentially difficult to employ when millions of sensors are integrated into a single system, and require thousands of processing threads at the same time.

Edge computing ensures that most of the data processing is already carried out near the data source and the internet is simply used as a vehicle for communicating that data. The information which is finally transferred to a cloud in an IoT solution will already be in its final form and can be directly used to find out the results that are required for an efficient IoT platform.

The Benefits

There are various benefits of using edge computing in IoT applications. The first benefit is that it certainly reduces the costs of operating a smart solution in a commercial setting. This happens because lower server resources are required to get the same task done in a reliable manner. The data management needs are reduced, producing lower operating costs with consistent use.

Another benefit is that you can analyze data in real-time at a local location. This ensures that your organizational performance speeds up with the use of an IoT application that employs edge computing. The network traffic in an IoT solution is significantly reduces, as most of the data is processed and turned into easier to transmit information.

Edge computing also ensures that you can process information locally and then implement a suitable compression format for sending information across the internet. This way, your internet connection is fully optimized and you can produce the ideal results with as little effort as possible.

Improved IoT application performance is a key benefit that should help you decide the ideal IoT solution for your business. Edge computing certainly allows you to produce IoT platforms that are customized and fully dedicated for your specific use.

With edge computing, the applications for IoT technology are countless!