The use of Edge Computing to push applications, data and services away from centralized nodes to the logical extremes of a network is on the rise. The Edge is where users and their devices meet the network that connects them.
Edge on the Rise
Enabling analytics and knowledge generation to occur at the source of the data, the overall Edge Computing market is expected to
grow to $6.73 Billion by 2022. From a growing load on cloud infrastructure, to an increase in the number of different applications, there are many drivers contributing to the rise of the Edge.
The dawn of ubiquitous connectivity, delivered by emerging standards, such as Wi-Fi 6, 5G or long range / low energy networks and the availability of a wide range of applications is encouraging organizations to adopt and implement Edge Computing solutions. Industries such as manufacturing, legal and healthcare are finding that enables autonomous operational decisions to be made while providing savings on bandwidth volume and costs. Latency and issues such as poor or unreliable networks no longer impact business processes.
Embrace Apps
Applications are everywhere and can seemingly do everything. From chatting to translating, budgeting to banking, booking a holiday to virtual reality tourism; you name it, there’s an app for it. Edge Computing offers a new model for running apps outside of the cloud because it is great for apps which require speed, reliability and security.
The internet of things (IoT), along with other technologies used at the edge of the network, will leverage this capability to enhance the use of apps and enable high performance. With near real-time speeds and having the data and processing close, we can reclaim the user experience and make it bearable again, without suffering from long round trip times between user devices and the cloud. A solution, which is delivered by no amount of JavaScript frameworks or HTTP/2 optimizations alone. In a recent
Gartner survey, it was revealed that 66% of organizations plan to deploy 5G, the Edge being vital to its success.
So, with all of this technology available and the rise of 5G connectivity, what are the killer uses of Edge Computing?
Apps in motion
Examples of apps to make the most of edge include moveable items, such as boats, things that are remote, such as oil platforms or mines, or in situations where interruptions cannot be risked, such as autonomous vehicles, manufacturing, fulfillment centers, healthcare and – surprise – printing.
Autonomous vehicles
Generating a huge quantity of data, connected autonomous vehicles (CAV) are a prime example of how applications may benefit from the edge data being processed closer to where it’s created, such as the motor, generator, pump and sensors. The need for constant connection and reduced latency is apparent, just imagine what would happen if a CAV lost connection on the highway. According to
Gartner, 50% of motor vehicle manufacturers will apply advanced analytics to CAV data to identify and correct defects by 2020.
Manufacturing
Edge Computing can improve existing manufacturing processes by making them more intelligent and autonomous while providing responsiveness and agility. From increased reliability, providing real-time insights, to minimizing failure and costs for storage and bandwidth, edge can improve the efficiency and use of IoT in manufacturing.
Healthcare
From gathering and analyzing data from patients locally to patients wearing devices to diagnose certain conditions, healthcare is embracing technology enabled by edge computing. As resources become more stretched providers are looking to technology to deliver services to patients. For example, wearable devices that diagnose or monitor conditions can reduce the number of GP appointments required and given that appointments are often in short supply, this is invaluable.
Printing
By using Edge Computing for print jobs, organizations can securely solve issues of lag and bandwidth cost while ensuring continuous business critical operations. Latency is eliminated as printing is processed on site, with total bandwidth reduced. Print jobs are processed locally with all data remaining on the company’s network so only metadata is sent over the network. With continuous connectivity there is no risk of down time, data loss or printing errors.
Y Soft on the edge
Here at Y Soft we have long been aware of the problems of latency as well as the need to manage the cost of servers and improve efficiency. We have been developing and using print servers on the Edge since 2008.
YSoft SafeQube is our lightweight server alternative which carries out authentication, use analysis and system state monitoring at the print site. Having a low impact on network performance, SafeQube protects critical print management systems from network outages as well as having quicker user interface interactions.
The future of the edge will come with many apps, but with printing used across industries such as healthcare, manufacturing and education, the impact of this change will indeed be killer.
Are you ready to take your print management to the Edge?