Latency Now is Just One Value of Edge Computing

Time, money, safety, workloads, volume or privacy can be reasons enterprises and organizations can gain value from edge computing. Staff workload reduction, as always, is a key driver. There is little point in forcing operations staff to spend lots of time monitoring spurious events, routine events or normal conditions. 

As sensor and transaction data increase, it often will be the case that much of the data is low value, or close to no value, while a small number of instances are really important. In other words, it is efficient and useful to focus operations attention only on the events that drive action on the part of the operations staff. 

One example is variance, where significant implications and action might flow from any reading that is outside the nominal or intended range. All the data showing conditions are what they are supposed to be is helpful, but also not data that needs to be transmitted. Instead, it often makes more sense only to send reports of variances from nominal. 

So one instance when edge computing is useful is as a means of locally processing irrelevant or low value data, culling and sending only the “something has changed and conditions now are out of tolerance” messages. 

Ultra-low latency often is cited as the unique capability edge computing provides for applications that require extremely low detection and response time. When delay times are significant enough to cause danger or inefficiencies in command, control or actionable intelligence needs, edge computing makes sense. The classic cases are when human life and safety require split-second response, as when people are in autonomous vehicles or surgery is being performed. 

In other cases, bandwidth costs are the rationale. When huge amounts of data are generated, but much of the data is routine, it might not make sense to send all the raw data over the wide area network. Instead, data might be processed locally, sending only information about exceptions to distant data centers for action or review. That might frequently be the case for video surveillance footage or heavy sensor data at a factory, for example. 

In other cases, the device or premises edge might be advantageous if a function, at a particular location, cannot be interrupted by temporary loss of network connectivity, or where interruptions are expected.