Almost every industry can leverage edge computing to accelerate digital transformation.

The development of edge computing will make a huge leap forward. According to Gartner, 10% of a company’s data is now generated outside traditional data centers or the cloud. But over the next six years, that proportion will rise to 75%.

Much depends on the need to process data from devices, such as Internet of Things (IoT) data sensors. Early adopters of this approach include:

  • Manufacturer: Devices and sensors seem to be specific to the industry, so it’s not surprising that there needs to be faster ways to generate data. A recent study by Automation World found that 43% of manufacturers have already deployed edge computing projects. The most common uses include production/manufacturing data analysis and equipment data analysis.
  • Retailers: Like most industries affected by the demands of digital operations, retailers have had to reinvent their customer experience. To that end, these organizations are “actively investing in computing power close to the buyer,” says Dave Johnson, executive vice president of IT at Schneider Electric. He cited examples such as augmented reality (AR) mirrors in fitting rooms that offer different clothing options without the customer trying them out. Or beacon-based heat maps for displaying in-store navigation.
  • Healthcare organizations: As healthcare costs continue to rise, this industry has been able to innovate to increase productivity and cost efficiency. McKinsey, the management consultancy, has identified at least 11 healthcare use cases that could benefit patients, institutions, or both. Two examples: tracking mobile medical devices that improve care efficiency and help optimize equipment; Wearable devices that track users’ workouts and offer health advice.

While these are obvious use cases, as the edge computing market expands, so will the industry that adopts it.

Advantages of digital transformation

The fast processing capabilities of edge computing perfectly meet the goals of digital transformation: improving efficiency, productivity and accelerating product to market and customer experience. Here are some potential applications and industries that will be transformed by edge computing:

Agriculture: Farmers and organizations are already using drones to deliver farmland and climate conditions to irrigation equipment. Other applications may include monitoring and location tracking of workers, livestock and equipment to improve productivity, efficiency and cost.

Energy: There are many potential applications in this area that could benefit both consumers and suppliers. Smart meters, for example, help homeowners better manage energy use while reducing the need for manual meter reading by grid operators. Similarly, sensors on water pipes can detect leaks and provide real-time data on leaks.

Financial services: Banks are adopting interactive ATMs that can process data quickly to provide a better user experience. At the administrative level, fraud in transaction data can be analyzed more quickly.

Logistics: As consumers demand faster delivery of goods and services, logistics companies will need to transform their mapping and pathfinding functions to capture real-time data, especially for last-mile planning and tracking. This may involve processing sensor data based on streets, packages, and cars.

All industries have transformational potential thanks to edge computing. But that will depend on how they handle the computing infrastructure. Solutions on how to overcome any IT obstacles can be found at APC.com.

Via: www.networkworld.com/article/339…

By Anne Taylor (lujun9972

This article is originally compiled by LCTT and released in Linux China