Edge Computing is an Information Technology modal that strives to process data as close to the source of information as possible. By achieving this, you can expect your data to be as real-time as possible and assist your organisation with crucial business processes. This approach benefits applications with extensive generated data that require the data closer to the source of the IoT devices and low latency. The devices can then share portions or summarised data partitions to data centers where the bandwidth and network constraints do not affect business operations. Cloud computing is complemented by having many Edge Computing built on top of the cloud infrastructure. By having data stored locally, there are security benefits as well as reducing the risk of data breaches. The overall performance will also improve by decreasing the load of constant data transfers and saving on bandwidth. An effective use case could be at looking at AMC Logistics which controls a fleet of transporting trucks and accepts goods in a terminal scheduled to be shipped via Road, Air and Sea. We can successfully implement this paradigm by:
Installing IoT on the frights: These can track the location and calculate vital information about time schedules, fuel consumption and related metrics. Frights will have networking constraints and Edge Computing will allow them to continue with alignment with the business.
IoT Devices at the terminal weighbridges: These devices can calculate the weight of each offload from incoming goods, and then communicate with the warehouse to confirm where items are. Weighbridges will be time-sensitive, not having to deal with high latency, and these processes can proceed as fast as possible.
Warehouse / Terminal IoT Devices: to successfully calculate the space available based on incoming and outgoing goods. The Warehouse / Terminal might have a lot of data, but for the calculations to happen closer to the Edge will ensure that the bandwidth, latency, and time sensitivity do not affect the importance of the insights. We can see that with the above three implementations at AMC Logistics, we can overcome key challenges when having to first communicate with a remote server and await a reply. Business automation and processes can continue even without an active connection or having to wait for communication between remote servers. Edge Computing is quite powerful with many benefits of processing time-sensitive information to boost business insights, these include:
Real-time Analytics: The closer to the source data processing occurs, the lower the latency. Time-sensitive data can thus be accessed by decision-makers faster, and this can lead to more reliable and accurate insights.
Improved Reliability: Edge Computing is not dependent on factors such as network outages, centralised cloud computing, and disruptions.
Improved Risk Management: By having critical information available as soon as possible, risks can be mitigated quicker, which in turn reduces the potential for financial losses or other related damages.
Enhanced Scalability: Without having to invest significantly in the infrastructure, Edge Computing can scale up and down as the needs of a business change over time. Therefore, businesses can easily process and make decisions as the business evolves.
Increased Security: IoT devices reduce the volume of sensitive information moving over the network, thereby reducing the risk of unauthorised data access or a breach occurring If you want to understand fully how Edge Computing can help with extending the harvesting of your data, our experts are ready to provide you with all the advisory, and processes necessary to undertake this transition. Keyrus prides itself on assisting customers with the advisory and practical implementation of technology to build sustainable growth for your business. Our experts at Keyrus have a passion for designing a solution to any business challenges your organisation may face, as we make data matter.
Learn more about Keyrus or contact us directly at steven.hunt@keyrus.co.za.