Modern computing is changing fast, with an ever-growing number of devices filling our lives. You’ve likely gotten used to the concept of saving your documents to cloud storage, especially if you’ve been working remotely. In 2020, 81% of organizations were using cloud computing or cloud-based applications, up from 73% in 2018.
But now you’re hearing talk of edge computing vs cloud computing. Are you aware of the difference? Or is it all just jargon referring to the same technology?
Read on to find out what you need to know about edge computing and how it differs from cloud computing.
Edge Computing vs Cloud Computing
First, what is cloud computing? The COVID-19 pandemic has made the use of cloud infrastructure more important than ever. During lockdowns, employees have been working remotely away from their office networks. But they still need access to their files and applications.
Cloud computing technology sends files over the Internet to servers in a data center for storage and processing. Devices can connect to the cloud to be able to access the files remotely. With the data held in a centralized location, cloud systems are straightforward to keep secure.
So then, what is edge computing? Unlike centralized cloud technology, edge computing technology locates servers closer to the devices that send data at the edge of the network. That reduces the lag time in processing data.
Benefits of Edge Computing
There are advantages to edge-based systems over the cloud. In some cases, cloud data centers can be located miles away from the local network. By using edge infrastructure, there is less of a strain on the network bandwidth from sending data to the cloud and relaying it back to the edge.
The rollout of 5G telecom networks is increasing the use of edge computing. How? The adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) is connecting more devices that generate vast amounts of real-time data.
Wearables, augmented reality, video streaming, and autonomous vehicles all make use of the benefits of edge computing in rapidly processing that data.
How the Edge and Cloud Can Work Together
It may sound like the edge wins in the debate over the use of edge computing vs cloud computing. But, in fact, they can work hand in hand.
Edge computing can gather large volumes of data, while cloud storage allows applications to aggregate and analyze data. So tasks that benefit from running on the local network will use edge resources, while applications like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will continue to run on the cloud.
This does not need to involve building a whole new network. Services like Hivecell edge computing integrate seamlessly with cloud services like Amazon Web Services, making it easy to deploy IoT remotely.
How can this work for your company? Organizations can combine the speed of edge computing with the powerful analytical and storage capabilities of the cloud. They can run their applications and IoT devices efficiently while gaining valuable insights into the data they generate.
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