Key Takeaways:

• Internet of Things (IoT) devices can all be edge devices if they compute locally and talk to the cloud
• Edge computing allows your business to bring the digital realm into the physical world
• IoT edge computing processes data at your network’s edge to speed up the performance of your IoT system
• Edge computing serves as a local source for the data and computing needs of IoT devices

You may be hearing the terms “Internet of Things” (IoT) and “Edge Computing” everywhere, but what do these terms mean? How can these two simultaneously provide timely insights from your device data to make your company stand out in this internet age? Get answers to these and more in our insightful guide.

The cloud and AI were historically our promise of automation and expedited innovation by driving actionable insights from data produced. The complexity of the data produced has outpaced network and infrastructure capabilities, however, and you now have a great deal of data, but you are not situated in a way to get the most out of it.

A study by Gartner predicts that by 2025, about 75% of data will be processed outside the traditional data center or cloud. Now is the time to employ the combined efforts of IoT and edge computing to navigate the internet age. This guide will walk you through IoT and edge computing details and how these two can work collectively to impact your business. 

What is IoT?

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of intelligent devices (computing devices, mechanical and digital machines, objects, animals, or people) that sends and receives large amounts of data to and from other devices. It produces a large amount of data to be processed and analyzed.

The intelligent devices have unique identifiers (UIDs), which allow them to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. 

A “thing,” in the context of the Internet of Things, includes any physical object that can connect to the internet, intranet, or other devices. An IoT thing could be an automobile with built-in sensors to monitor tire pressure, a person with a heart monitor implant, or even smart household appliances such as your washer and dryer, refrigerator, or cordless vacuum – essentially, any system that can house an Internet Protocol (IP) address and transfer data over a network is an example of an IoT device.

You can use IoT in your business to reduce costs, increase efficiency, discover new opportunities, minimize vulnerability and improve security, better understand your customers and satisfy their needs, improve your decision-making process, and drive business growth, among its countless other benefits and applications.

IoT has evolved from the convergence of wireless technologies, microelectromechanical systems, microservices, and the internet. The intersection has helped tear down the silos between operational and information technology, enabling unstructured machine-generated data to be analyzed for insights to drive improvements.

Intelligent devices are web-enabled in an IoT ecosystem. They use embedded systems like processors, sensors, and communication hardware to collect, send, and act on data they acquire from their environments. They share the sensor data they receive by connecting to an IoT gateway or other edge device that analyzes the data.

Why is IoT important?

The Internet of Things can help you automate your home, live, and work smarter, and chances are it has already been implemented in some areas. In your business, IoT provides you with an in-depth look into how your systems function and enables your company to automate processes and reduce labor costs.  

IoT enhances your employees’ productivity, saves time and money, and improves the overall customer experience – simply put, IoT aids you in enhancing your business strategies which roll in more revenue for your company.

IoT can be immensely helpful in any industry, from manufacturing, finance, automation, and healthcare to retail and infrastructure, leading these organizations toward digital transformation.

What is Edge Computing?

Edge computing refers to a range of networks and devices at or near the user; here, data is gathered and processed at the edge instead of being transferred to a data center or cloud. Putting computing at the edge allows your company to improve how it manages and uses physical assets and creates new interactive human experiences.

Self-driving cars, intelligent equipment data, and multi-camera video analytics are examples of devices that do edge computing. Edge computing has the potential to transform business across every industry and function, from customer engagement and marketing to production and back-office operations. 

Edge computing, in other words, makes your business proactive and adaptive, translating into new and optimized experiences for your team. When this happens, your company innovates faster, stems up unique products and services, and opens up possibilities for the creation of new revenue streams.

Using edge computing in your business means you can enjoy benefits such as cost sensitivity, where your data processing is optimized to minimize the total cost across your system. Another advantage is that your system yields better predictions and more relevant information, commencing a cycle of continuous improvement.

What is IoT Edge Computing?

The basic idea of edge computing is connecting your devices to a nearby edge module for easy processing. In IoT edge computing, sensors and devices communicate real-time data to a network, which will solve latency issues associated with the cloud as your data is processed closer to its point of origin. 

Edge computing in IoT can be used for developing security networks using facial recognition, industrial environment monitoring in real-time, and machine fault detection and prevention. The many benefits of IoT edge computing include reduced costs, faster data processing with reduced communication latency, on-site security, and improved communication between sensors and devices.

You will need devices to receive, process, and output your IoT data if you’re considering using IoT edge computing. These devices are called IoT edge devices – they are internet-enabled and composed mainly of sensors. Examples of IoT edge devices are IoT servers and self-driving cars.

IoT vs. Edge Computing

IoT devices run single-purpose single-process software, whereas edge computers run natural, modern operating systems. Edge computers can multitask, manage multiple applications simultaneously, and support many popular networking protocols.

An edge computer today can run almost anything a server computer in a data center can. They can run multiple applications simultaneously because of their powerful hardware that can perform highly complex tasks. 

IoT benefits from its data processed close to where the data source exists; however, for the data produced by IoT devices to be helpful, it needs to be analyzed at the edge instead of being transferred back to a central site.

What is Edge Data?

Edge data are embedded in edge data centers, which are small data centers close to a network’s edge. An edge data center provides you with a high-performance and cost-effective way to provide your customers with content and functionality.

Contact the Experts at Techcromatic

Techromatic is committed to helping you navigate through all aspects of information technology. Our professionals understand the ins and outs of IoT and edge computing technologies and can help you integrate them into your existing system.

The experts at Techcromatic are also consistently available to answer your questions and ensure that you understand how to apply the internet of things and edge computing in your company. You’ll never be left guessing, and your employees or clients will be satisfied to have the information and resources on hand to help streamline their needs.

Learn more about what Techromatic can do for you, including helping you better understand how your business can benefit from IoT and edge computing, and discover how to get the best of our services – just contact us today.