On the technology front, we are witnessing a lot of ground breaking developments. The one thing that is taking center stage around most of these advances is data itself. Over just the past few years, the amount of data being generated has rapidly multiplied.
The ability of companies to handle the storage and processing of all this data has become a major differentiator. Whether its business decisions, new products or services, everything is now data driven.
Traditionally, the Cloud has remained at the forefront when it comes to storing, managing and processing this data. However, there are some use cases where the cloud may not be the most optimal choice. This new, but rapidly emerging domain is Edge Computing.
Edge gives enterprises the ability to process the maximum amounts of data in close proximity to where it is being generated. It is estimated that by the year 2024, the total size of products and services being driven by edge computing will be US $250 BN.
In the current world that’s powered by Cloud Computing, where does the edge fit it? Well, the edge, on paper, has a strong ability to overcome challenges such as latency, bandwidth, systematic autonomy and compliance that emerge when data is far off from its source.
Interestingly, one would say that the edge is emerging as a strong contender of the Cloud. Well, the situation on ground is depicting a different set of realities. The world’s top Cloud Service Providers like AWS, Microsoft, Google Cloud and dinCloud are aware of it.
So, are these leading cloud providers doing something about this apparent threat? The answer to this is in the affirmative, as nearly all the top cloud providers have adopted a two pronged approach to embrace this change.
Firstly, cloud providers have started investing in smaller, more localized data centers to tackle the need for data to be stored in close proximity from its source. This is mitigating both latency and compliance related issues to a great extent.
Secondly, Cloud Service Providers are also supplementing the investments being made by telecom giants in the development of 5G network. By doing so, cloud providers will be able to become an integral part of this edge revolution, instead of staying at the sidelines.
In fact, the edge is not a contender of the Cloud, rather both technologies will be complementing each other in the near future. Both the Cloud and Edge, in combination, are all set to bring even more revolutionary changes in our lives.
