From enterprise connectivity to smart buildings and spaces, today’s world is dominated by digital programs and applications, and as “things” become increasingly digitized and connected, businesses are looking for new ways to connect their digital and physical environments. To do that, edge computing is required. But, what exactly does that mean, why should organizations consider edge computing, and how can edge native applications boost success on the edge?
The idea of edge computing is to enable faster response times in accessing, analyzing and acting on data, improve efficiencies and reduce costs. It’s based on a distributed computing approach to bring data storage and analysis closer to the source of the data, and while edge computing is not a new concept, historically, adoption rates have been low.
All that is now changing with the rise of edge-native applications, which use an application architecture designed to run on the edge in a distributed computing environment. Quite simply, as the edge becomes the focal point for data processing, edge-native applications that are purpose-built will enable organizations to take advantage of the low latency, scalability, and real-time responsiveness made possible when processing occurs nearer to the action.
Why organizations need edge-native applications:
- Real-Time Processing and Analysis of Data – Computing is done closer to the source of data creation, resulting in a faster response time
- Improved Resiliency – Because processing is distributed across multiple edge nodes, if an edge node fails the system can continue to run, even after losing cloud connectivity
- Increased Performance and Scalability – Edge-native development platforms can enable dynamic deployment to optimize use of resources across the system
- Dynamic Deployment – Organizations need to add or change system components of applications and easily move data locally, to the cloud, or to the edge as needed, resulting in greater freedom of cloud-to-edge data migration
- Reduced Data and Privacy Risk – Edge-native applications result in decreasing the amount of movement of sensitive data in the network since it can be handled locally
The use cases for edge-native applications are boundless – from retail for electronic shelf labels and smart shopping carts to the automotive industry for autonomous vehicles monitoring battery performance and the shipping industry to monitor conditions within containers for environmentally controlled goods. Looking ahead, those organizations that invest in edge computing and edge-native applications will gain a competitive advantage.
Want to learn how you can improve your organization’s processes through edge-native applications? Download our new whitepaper Enterprise Guide to Edge-Native Applications, What it means to be Edge-Native. You’ll discover why organizations need edge-native applications to boost their success on the edge.