K
Kathleen Martin
Guest
Edge computing may be a relatively new technology term, but it has not taken long for businesses to understand the benefits of locating their compute and storage resources near the user or the source of the data. By processing information right where applications are running without having to travel back to a data center located miles away, software works faster and so can do more.
The difference is especially noticeable for businesses where every millisecond matters, such as high-frequency financial trading, automated vehicles and equipment safety monitoring. But it’s also highly appealing in contexts where latency isn’t mission-critical, such as content streaming, manufacturing and smart utilities, since today’s users expect near-instant reaction times and an exuberance of capabilities from their applications.
In a recent survey of 1,470 IT professionals, Red Hat found that 72% of the respondents ranked the combination of Internet of Things and edge computing as a priority emerging tech workload over the next 12 months. The range of applications for edge devices is vast – whether it be IoT sensors, internet routers, wearable tech, or factory floor robots. By 2022, there will be an estimated 55 billion edge devices on the market, and by 2025 this is expected to grow to at least 150 billion.
However, the clear benefits of edge computing need to be balanced with perceived risks. Historically, cybersecurity for businesses has been about centralizing operations, meaning that for some, the distributed nature of edge seems a riskier choice. Having more devices can increase the attack surface, and given that edge devices need to be able to send information to and from their data centers, there are possible connections that could be exploited.
Continue reading: https://www.techradar.com/features/edge-computing-a-balance-of-risks-and-benefits
The difference is especially noticeable for businesses where every millisecond matters, such as high-frequency financial trading, automated vehicles and equipment safety monitoring. But it’s also highly appealing in contexts where latency isn’t mission-critical, such as content streaming, manufacturing and smart utilities, since today’s users expect near-instant reaction times and an exuberance of capabilities from their applications.
In a recent survey of 1,470 IT professionals, Red Hat found that 72% of the respondents ranked the combination of Internet of Things and edge computing as a priority emerging tech workload over the next 12 months. The range of applications for edge devices is vast – whether it be IoT sensors, internet routers, wearable tech, or factory floor robots. By 2022, there will be an estimated 55 billion edge devices on the market, and by 2025 this is expected to grow to at least 150 billion.
However, the clear benefits of edge computing need to be balanced with perceived risks. Historically, cybersecurity for businesses has been about centralizing operations, meaning that for some, the distributed nature of edge seems a riskier choice. Having more devices can increase the attack surface, and given that edge devices need to be able to send information to and from their data centers, there are possible connections that could be exploited.
Continue reading: https://www.techradar.com/features/edge-computing-a-balance-of-risks-and-benefits
