Whether or not to incorporate edge computing into your IoT architecture is an important decision. As I have referenced in another article, not only do IoT architects and designers need to consider sensor device and protocols but also the connectivity between these connected devices and the computing power that captures and analyzes the data. Plenty of layers exist within the IoT ecosystem where one poor decision could cause the whole project to struggle to gain positive outcomes.
Edge computing offers three major benefits over cloud computing:
(1) Real-time performance: data can be captured and analyzed more quickly than a cloud option. For certain use cases, the difference in speed could make or break the success of the project.
(2) Eliminates latency concerns: because most connectivity to cloud computing occurs via the public internet, latency can become a real concern. Edge computing removes the connectivity since the compute power is closer to the connected devices and connected via a private network.
(3) Better security: similar to latency, use edge computing removes security risks associated with the public internet.
Ken Briodagh wrote an insightful article describing the upside value of edge computing over at www.iotevolutionworld.com.
