The widespread availability of IoT devices and the introduction of 5G are taking the world of technology to another level. Fast wireless technology also opens up new avenues for edge computing by bringing computing, storage, and analytics closer to the data source.
Similarly, edge computing could add speed, reliability, and lower costs to data processing as remote work grows and businesses leverage digital platforms and services more than ever. A faster data processing system can either be a luxury or a necessity, especially in times of crisis.
However, because of this rapid growth, the infrastructure of conventional data centres is under great strain. Edge computing can help ease this burden by bringing processing power closer to the equipment creating or consuming the data. So, this post will discuss IoT, edge computing and other key topics like Bigdata and wireless technology.
The Internet of Things, popularly known as IoT, is a network of physical objects integrated with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity. These objects can collect and exchange data, allowing them to be remotely controlled and monitored. The Internet of Things promotes communication between these things and their end-users or customers. This enables direct interaction with daily activities and automated actions in reaction to data collected by sensors attached to these IoT devices. Automation boosts efficiency by reducing human involvement.
Edge Computing
The concept of edge computing is the process by which cloud applications and services are run right at the edge of IoT devices. Because these edge devices are close to people and things, they can process data in real time without latency. This means they don’t have to rely on data sent to the cloud and back down. The main advantage of edge computing is that it reduces network congestion and latency, which are common issues for IoT devices.
How IoT & Edge Computing Work Together?
Edge computing and IoT offer a complete solution for data processing and management. It provides a quicker, more effective method of data collection and processing.
Edge computing provides an IoT system’s local data processing, storage, and computing source. The IoT gadget collects data and sends it to the edge server. Meanwhile, the server analyses data at the local network’s edge, allowing faster and more easily scaled data processing.
In contrast to the usual design of sending data to a central server for analysis, an IoT edge computing system has:
Reduced communication latency between the IoT device and the network.
Faster response times and increased operational efficiency.
The system uses less network bandwidth because it only sends data to the cloud for long-term storage or analysis.
The ability to keep running even if the system loses contact with the cloud or the central server.
Edge computing is a cost-effective and efficient approach to using the Internet of Things at scale without risking network overloads. A business that relies on IoT edge reduces the effect of a potential data leak. If an edge device is breached, the attacker will only have access to local raw data (unlike if someone hacks a central server).
The Impact of Edge Computing On Big Data
Countless businesses today rely on data as the lifeblood of their operations, and they are also confronted with the challenge of increasing data volumes. Edge computing is a computing strategy that brings computing power and storage closer to the source of the data rather than transferring it to a remote central server. Moreover, traditional cloud-based platforms are the standard path for computational data.
Technological advancements are gaining traction in users’ lives, businesses, health, industry, and the military. One of the most futuristic uses of the Internet of things is the ability to connect physical objects to the Internet to generate data that can be used to optimise their performance. It is necessary to handle data efficiently in a world where data is becoming increasingly important, and IT must accommodate the ever-increasing amount of data. This is where Big Data becomes significant.
So, edge computing could solve most industrial data problems. It can change how we plan cities. Learn how this cutting-edge technology can benefit your business and shape the future of society.
The Role Of Big Data In IoT
Big Data should enable real-time analysis of IoT data, thereby optimising the use of this technology. Big Data accomplishes this in four steps:
Using the three primary Big Data principles of speed, volume, and variety to collect data generated by IoT;
Data storage in files within the Big Data database;
Analysis of data using complex and efficient analytical systems such as Spark or Hadoop;
The implementation of the data analysis report.
Big Data will play a significant role in the effectiveness of information processing and will allow IoT developers to optimise these tools to broaden the current perspective.
Need for Data Encryption
Securing big data is difficult for a variety of reasons. Using big data will allow organisations to make better business decisions and provide better customer service by giving them greater insight into their huge amounts of data. Extensive data systems’ data aggregation also makes them an appealing target for hackers. Organisations must handle this data efficiently and safeguard sensitive customer data to comply with several privacy laws and compliance mandates.
Some are listed below:
Multiple real-time data feeds from various sources with varying levels of protection.
There are several types of data combined.
Many different users with various analytical requirements access the data.
Tools that are rapidly evolving and are supported by the open source community.
Data replication across multiple nodes is done automatically.
Edge Computing & Wireless Technology
One of the primary enablers of Industry 4.0 is the development of ever-faster wireless data networks. When combined with new and upcoming technologies such as edge computing and IoT, IoT and edge computing will drastically disrupt every industry sector in the next years. Automation is rapidly increasing in industries such as manufacturing, construction, and agriculture, aided by the era of universal connectivity. We can now envision a period when streaming video will be critical in emergency response. The possibilities are endless.
Wireless data networks have always been plagued by low performance and reliability. Streaming video and large data have long been off-limits, stifling innovation and drastically hampering the development of IoT networks. However, this is rapidly changing thanks to new wireless technologies like WiFi-6 and 5G.
Top 6 IoT Wireless Technologies
The IoT begins with connectivity. Still, because IoT is such a diverse and multidimensional field, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all communication solution. There could be many advantages and a few disadvantages to each solution, and as a result, each is best suited for IoT applications.
LPWANs
Standardisation is another important factor in ensuring reliability, security, and interoperability in the long run. In the Internet of Things world, low power wide area networks (LPWANs) are a relatively new idea. Small, affordable batteries that can provide long-range communication for years to come are also included in these technologies to support large-scale IoT networks.
cellular networks support numerous voice calls and video streaming applications, which offer reliable broadband communication. Most Internet of Things applications don’t perform well on cellular networks, but some use cases, like connected cars, do. 5G will enable mobile medical data delivery and real-time video surveillance for connected health.
Zigbee and Other Mesh Protocols
By distributing sensor data among many nodes, the wireless Zigbee standard (IEEE 802.15.4) is frequently used in mesh topologies to expand coverage. Zigbee has a higher data throughput than LPWAN but significantly lower power efficiency because of its mesh configuration.
Bluetooth and BLE
BLE and Bluetooth A short-range communication technology with a strong consumer market position is Bluetooth. It falls under the category of a Wireless Personal Area Network. Smartphones are the most common electronic devices that use BLE-enabled devices as a hub for data transfer to the cloud.
One of the many new service innovations made possible by BLE beacon networks, which provide flexible indoor localisation features, is in-store navigation. Other innovations include personalised promotions, content delivery, and personalised advertising.
There is no need to explain Wi-Fi, given its critical role in providing high-throughput data transfer for enterprise and home environments. Wi-Fi doesn’t require an introduction, given its key role in enabling high-throughput data transfer for office and residential settings. However, the technology is much less common in the IoT space due to major limitations in coverage, scalability, and power consumption. Wi-Fi is frequently not a practical solution for large networks of battery-operated IoT sensors due to its high energy requirements, especially in industrial IoT and smart building scenarios.
RFID
TheRFID or Radio Frequency Identification technology uses radio waves to transmit small amounts of data from a tag to a reader. By connecting an RFID tag to various products and equipment, businesses may track their inventory and assets in real-time, allowing for better stock and production planning and optimised supply chain management.
Real-Life Use Cases for Edge Computing
The global reach of IoT devices is likely to reach 30 billion by 2022. It will make us managing the influx of IoT-generated data nearly impossible.
Here Traditional cloud computing has a few significant drawbacks, such as data security threats, performance issues, and rising operational costs. Because most data saved in the cloud is insignificant and rarely used, it wastes resources and storage space.
Edge computing has many benefits, including:
Increasing data privacy and security
improved, responsive, and reliable application performance
lowering operating expenses
Increasing business reliability and efficiency
endless scalability
conserving computing and network resources
decreasing latency
Now let’s briefly take a few use cases of edge computing.
A Few Noteworthy Use Cases of Edge Computing
Autonomous Vehicles: Autonomous vehicles (AVs) must stop pedestrians from crossing in front of them. It is unfair to rely on a remote server to make this judgement. Edge computing can be useful here. Furthermore, vehicles can interact more efficiently since they can speak first rather than sending data about accidents, weather conditions, traffic, or detours. Edge computing can be useful here.
Healthcare Devices: People can keep tabs on chronic diseases with the assistance of health monitors and other wearable medical devices. In an emergency, it can quickly alert caregivers to the need for their assistance. If these devices rely on sending data to the cloud before making decisions, the results could be tragic.
Security Solutions: Because security surveillance systems must respond to attacks in seconds, edge computing technologies can help. Security systems can detect possible dangers in real-time and warn users of unexpected activities.
Retail Advertising: Targeted adverts and information for retail enterprises are based on essential factors specified on field devices, such as demographic information. Edge computing can help secure user privacy in this scenario.
Smart Speakers: Smart speakers can learn to recognise voice commands locally to conduct simple tasks. Turning on and off lights or adjusting the thermostat would still be possible even if internet access is lost.
Video Conferencing: Poor video quality, speech delays, and frozen screens—a sluggish connection to the cloud can cause numerous video conferencing issues. Users can reduce quality issues by bringing the server-side of video conferencing software closer to the participants.
Answer: Edge computing, an on-premises data processing strategy where data is collected or used, allows IoT data to be collected and processed at the edge rather than sending the data back to a data center or cloud. IoT and edge computing provide a powerful way to analyze real-time data quickly.
Question: Why is it called edge computing?
Answer: So, what exactly is the ‘edge’? In this context, the term edge refers to literal geographic distribution. Edge computing is done at or near the source of data rather than relying on the cloud at one of a dozen data centers to do all the work. This does not imply that the cloud will disappear.
Edge is the Future
Edge’s capacity to spur so many rapid technological advancements excites me. It’s nearly science fiction material. Because of this, you probably believe that your business is not even close to being ready to consider the edge.
Here’s the good news: Today, it’s a practical idea, and it’s possible.
You can undoubtedly start picturing how edge computing can help your business run more successfully. It will also help you innovate more quickly and add more value to your ecosystem partnerships with the help of IoT, XR, 5G, and other technologies, enhancing the power of edge computing. By integrating edge computing solutions and IoT services into your business, you can accelerate your success journey. Get ready and start; the future is yours!
Author Bio
Vishnu Narayan is a dedicated content writer and a skilled copywriter working at ThinkPalm Technologies. More than a passionate writer, he is a tech enthusiast and an avid reader who seamlessly blends creativity with technical expertise. A wanderer at heart, he tries to roam the world with a heart that longs to watch more sunsets than Netflix!
Vishnu Narayan
September 1, 2022
