The Main Trends for Edge Computing

Edge Computing is already being talked about by some of the main technology research and consulting companies, like Forrester and IDC. So what, when it comes down to it, are the likely trends for Edge Computing over the next few years.

Looking back at some of the recently published studies, we can see that there have been a number of predictions on the importance of this technology at this crucial moment in digital transformation.

The minimum expected growth for the Edge Computing market in 2020 is 50%;¹
By 2023 70% of companies will be carrying out some level of data processing at the edge of the network;²
In 2025, 75% of corporate data will be stored and processed outside of central structures;³
57% of the decision makers for organizations dealing in data mobility have already made Edge Computing part of their plans for 2021.⁴

The arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic - and its impact across the market - has led many companies to initiate projects which imply that Edge Computing technology is going to be adopted, so that, as we will examine below, they will be able to develop faster and ensure they remain supremely relevant.

In this post, we will talk about four Edge Computing trends that, more than any other, provide clear evidence of the sort of competitive edge companies can get from taking it on board. Have a look!

The growth in demand for access due to the impact of Covid-19

Socially isolating, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, has had a huge impact on online retailing. In May 2020, for example, Brazilian e-commerce sales were up 166% on the same period in 2019 (Compre&Confie).⁵

This massive growth in the number of accesses and transactions makes Edge Computing platforms essential. At Azion, the use of the Edge Network has increased by 2.5 times, between April and June, ⁶ driven by the huge increase in the use of services such as e-commerce, distance learning and financial and online media services.

Despite the sudden acceleration, the exponential increase in the scale of the infrastructure is unsurprising in these areas for a number of reasons, for example:

67% of millennials and 56% of “Generation X” prefer to shop online;⁷
75% of consumers are looking for shopping experiences using augmented reality;⁸
There are spikes in transaction numbers that are up to eight times higher in periods such as Black Friday; ⁹
and there has been exponential growth in the use of streaming services (such as video conferencing, games and multimedia) due to the social isolation used to combat the spread of Covid-19.¹⁰

The large numbers of accesses to be serviced and the speed in providing digital transformation, make Edge Computing a strategic asset for companies. Naturally, those who can make best use of this technology will gain ground and those who are unable to provide the necessary capacity to keep up with the growing demand, will lose out.

The Importance of the User Experience

Improving the user experience (UX) is a common goal for digital businesses. A relatively small delay in page loading, for example, can cause a falloff in user numbers and lost sales.

Forrester Analytics data shows that: 46% of decision-makers at companies who are implementing Edge Computing consider short response times and latency to be the biggest benefit of this technology¹¹. In other words, two key user experience aspects.

The optimization of the UX, that edge-based solutions provide, is innovative, unlike anything else on the market today, as the connection does not travel long and winding paths across the network. reduces broadband costs and improves the user experience by 200%.¹²

Another feature is the ability to collect real-time navigation information. If a consumer closes the page due to some failure in the purchase process, it is essential that there is a report, so as to diagnose the cause and, the team then can provide some timely improvements.

Expansion of Hyper-automation with Edge Computing

Hyper-automation is about using advanced technology, such as AI and Machine Learning, to automate complex tasks that need human management. It also can include automation sophistication, which makes use of analysis, measurement and monitoring processes, among other things.

It was identified by Gartner as likely to be a strong feature in the coming years.¹³ It encompasses several types of mission critical activities, being performed in real time, such as the automation of robotic safety systems and processes (RPA - robotic process automation) in medicine and in the manufacture of mechanical components, for example.

A key requirement for hyper-automation is the use of technology that is programmable and extendable, capable of completing processes in real time with almost zero latency and response time, which services based on Edge Computing can do.

As we have seen, the potential for Edge Computing over the coming years is quite substantial. The technology meets both the demands for scalability and performance when undertaking highly complex tasks, and whoever invests in adopting it will have invaluable advantages.

If you enjoyed this article, please sign up right now, at the end of the post, and receive our newsletter, so that you can stay on top of whatever is going on with Edge Computing and business!