Companies quickly moved to the cloud in response to the pandemic. This allowed them to continue to work and maintain business continuity. But is the cloud always the right solution? However, it is not always the best solution.
Internet of Things (IoT), which now numbers in the millions, can generate enormous amounts of data in real-time. They also suffer from slow performance when sending the data back to the clouds. This leads to decreased agility, increased costs, and latency in computation.
This led enterprise IT teams at large to adopt the Edge, a distributed, digital architecture that moves computation and storage near end-users in order to improve app performance.
What is the Edge?
There are two possible ways to think about it. First, there is the far edges, where enterprise IT staff perform edge computing at-premise. These can range from brick and mortar retail stores to autonomous vehicles, and many other locations. These different locales share a common factor: They’re computing at the end-users’ location, where data was originally collected.
What’s the real advantage of edge computing? Because the data is localized, it doesn’t have to travel. This increases data speed, lowers latency, and decreases network bandwidth. Edge computing is fast becoming a key component of enterprise IT teams.
In fact, over 40% of cloud rollouts for companies in 2022 will use edge computing. With the global market expected to grow to nearly $250 billion in 2024, this is a significant increase in efficiency.
What about edge computing at the near-edge?
Alternately is the near edge which offers multi-access edge computation, and is poised to create $23 Billion by 2028.
MEC empowers enterprises to use real-time cloud service powered off-premises by the service provider’s network Edge — which can occur at base stations, data centers of telcos, or points (PoPs). The cloud services are always available to users. This results in faster processing speeds, improved data performance, and better storage capabilities.
Near edge and far edge computing both offer the same services
No matter what definitions you use, the far and near edges both provide the same service. They offer secure, reliable and performant network connectivity. This can only be achieved through secure access service edge (SASE), which delivers SD-WAN and security-as-a-service to both near and far-edge sites via a global network of PoPs.
Here’s how edge computing (SASE) and MEC can transform the end-user data collection.
Edge computing’s power can be harnessed
As connectivity requirements increase across industries and become more complex, 30% of all data can be created and collected in realtime by 2025. This data must also be processed at the far end, where resources (including storage, computing, networking) are placed as close to the end-users as possible.
This will help customer networks significantly reduce latency, speed up data processing, increase bandwidth savings, and accelerate data processing.
Who can benefit from edge computing?
The possibilities for anyone — from manufacturing, farming and healthcare to network optimizations, workplace safety and retail — are virtually limitless.
Edge computing can solve network congestion issues and bandwidth limitations. In addition, it provides autonomy where reliable connectivity may not be possible. Also, data sovereignty is achieved that allows sensitive data to local processing and encryption before it’s sent off to the cloud.
Augmented Reality Computing
Imagine you’re a retail store owner. Your customers can have a better experience by providing interactive digital content. Edge computing allows for augmented reality-powered shopping apps, such as smart mirrors which require real-time human feedback.
And what about autonomous cars? Edge computing is required for your vehicle to process, analyze, and ingest data from many sources. This information must then be aggregated and processed immediately, empowering your car’s artificial intelligence to make instant driving decisions and keeping everyone safe.
SASE offers flexible, affordable solutions to protect data
An increase in mobile augmented reality app users and the popularity of remote work, together with increasingly complex security threats, has led to enterprises looking for ways to securely connect users to business resources and apps, regardless of device or location.
While SD-WAN can be effective, it is limited in its ability to connect branches and certain home workers. This is not efficient with the growing number of remote devices or services. SASE combines SDWAN’s benefits with a more efficient and cost-effective way to provide on-demand security services wherever you are. It works in the same manner as other cloud services.
SASE allows networks to send and retrieve real-time data via cloud locations. It automates the process for protecting data and devices. The global network of PoPs serves as a gateway to many cloud services. Each PoP is able to apply the full range of enterprise security functions no matter where, when, or how users connect.
SASE technology quickly becomes a vital asset for enterprises who want to enhance their network security.
SASE tech is a cost-effective and simpler option for IT teams. It also reduces the number vendor requirements. SASE is also more performant for companies that often use real-time latency-sensitive collaboration software, thanks to its ability route through multiple PoPs.
SASE’s distributed architecture is ideal for remote work. IT can perform security functions easily for the end-user.
The market is still working out the details of an effective SASE technology solution, just as with any other new technology. Innovation must continue to be sought by innovators in order to offer flexible solutions that aren’t compromised on simplicity or scalability.
MEC: Restoring data speed and reducing latency
It is expected that 175 zettabytes per year of data will be created by 2025. Companies are responsible for 60% of this. What’s 175 zettabytes worth of data? Clear your calendar, you would need to download it all in 1.8 billion years.
MEC can help prepare you for this major shift in big information.
MEC processes huge amounts information in real-time and performs data analysis, processing, storage, as well as data storage. Instead of operating these tasks in distant cloud locations, they are carried out at base stations or telco data centres, or PoPs located near the edge — via Radio Access Networks — with SD-WAN providing enhanced security and connectivity.
MEC powers ultralow latency
How does it change the game of business? MEC powers lightning-fast data transmissions, ultra-low latency and an improved quality of experience (QoE), for your customers. The MEC drastically reduces the traffic offloaded to the core network and backend servers, making these assets available for other business-critical purposes.
MEC can be used in infinite ways across different industries, just like edge computing. MEC is used by manufacturers to support agile, smart factories. MEC allows for the detection of even the smallest flaws and defects instantly via video. Engineers can then analyze them, helping to avoid costly problems.
MEC has a positive impact on law enforcement.
British police use dash cams to record their movements and carry body cameras. They have yet to be able to move all their imagery data from one location to another. They installed ruggedized UCB devices in the trunks of police cruisers to solve this problem.
The officers then exited the cruisers to broadcast their cameras over Wi-Fi from their cars. After the VPU processes and stores the data, it is transferred over the dual LTE using SD-WAN technology to improve connectivity to a nearby base station.
Conclusion
Edge is being used by enterprises all over the world to increase app performance. The far edge is where data is processed in real-time. It’s also very close to users. This drastically reduces latency.
MEC, located at the near edge, does the heavy lifting. It handles large data volumes in real-time, performs data processing at warp speed and delivers improved end-user QoE. IT teams: What’s the endgame?
Reduced cloud dependence can help them speed data transmission, improve agility, and cut costs. This will allow them to support next-generation innovation that is only possible with imagination.