As the Internet of Things and associated devices becomes more prevalent in our discussions around digital transformation, there are a lot of solutions being brought forward for how and where these IoT devices will be hosted and stored. While cloud computing is often recommended as a good solution, there is a new infrastructure concept that is proving as a better choice, called edge computing. These two solutions are sometimes discussed interchangeably as if they are exclusive to one another but utilizing one does not preclude the other as they function in different ways. The current impression is that edge computing is likely to replace cloud architectures altogether, however, it is more like that edge computing will be utilized in specific use cases where it delivers superior results.
Edge computing is a solution that facilitates data processing at the source of data generation. Integrated with the internet of things that is IoT, the possible sources of data generation are things with the sensors or other embedded devices. Edge computing is a decentralized extension of campus, data center networks or cloud.
With the general forecast of 30 billion IoT devices, the total amount of data stored in the cloud will be difficult to imagine. For improving the performance and reducing the overall operational costs, there has to be a way out. The best solution for handling the data outside is through the cloud or the edge.
