There is power at the edge

Electricity was used to only light lamps when it was introduced. Nowadays, electricity is so integral to our lives. What about the Internet? It was once used only by government and educational institutions. The internet has become so ubiquitous nowadays that going without it for just a few hours is impossible. The two have become essential utilities in modern life.?

As with electricity and the internet, edge computing will affect every industry and become a part of our everyday lives.?

Increasingly, our smartphones are capable of packing significant computing power. Your mobile phone has more power than the computer that launched man to the moon. Should we send the data generated at Chandigarh to a server in London or even to Mumbai for computation and decision-making when such power is available on the move??

Edge computing reduces the distance between the point of data generation and the point of decision.?

Imagine an ambulance that was called to transfer a heart-attack patient. In cities where the edge computing paradigm is implemented, traffic lights and ambulances will be fitted with sensors. As the ambulance approaches the traffic light, it can capture the ambulance signal and turn green. There is no need for traffic cops at every signal to direct traffic. Nor is it necessary to hold traffic for the whole trip.?

Perhaps in the future, buildings will have sensors that control the lighting based on the amount of daylight available. We might even soon see dust-deducting curtains. Edge computing has a variety of applications, which is why it could become a utility similar to electricity and the internet.?

Whether you are a programmer, an architect, or a fashion designer, you need to start thinking about the impact edge computing can have on your field. Ask yourself this:?

What decisions can be made in real-time locally if we have computing power at our fingertips??

Think back to the days when Apple introduced the app store and its present state. There were only productivity apps and games available when the store was first introduced. As of 2020, app stores have apps for practically everything and have facilitated $643 billion in sales and billings. Likewise, we may not comprehend all the applications to come from edge computing, but its effects will likely outweigh not just sales numbers but its reach in our lives as well.?

You should listen to my discussion with Manish Kumar on Edge Computing 101 if you are intrigued by this emerging trend.

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