Several issues that companies need to consider in advance when planning edge computing

In IoT applications, data processing, analysis, and storage are increasingly happening at the edge of the network, close to where users and devices need to access information. Therefore, more and more companies are considering edge computing as an important development direction.

A recent report from market research firm Grand View Research predicts that the global edge computing market will reach $3.24 billion by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 41% during the forecast period.

The rapid development of the Internet of Things is one of the biggest factors driving the rise of edge computing. Grand View said that the large amount of data generated by IoT devices may cause delays, and edge computing solutions can help enhance data processing capabilities, thereby further helping to avoid delays. Data processing occurs at the closest place to the data source, making it easier for users to monitor and gain insight into the operation of IoT devices in real time.

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Edge computing is used in several industries including manufacturing, IT, telecommunications and healthcare. Grand View said the healthcare and life sciences sector is expected to grow at the highest CAGR between 2017 and 2025, as the storage capacity and real-time computing capabilities provided by edge computing tools enable reliable medical services to be delivered in a shorter time due to avoiding network failures and delays.

Supporting edge computing is a challenge for enterprises. Here are some issues that enterprises need to consider when building edge computing.

1. Establish a long-term edge computing vision

Edge computing involves many different things, and it requires building an infrastructure with the capacity and bandwidth to ingest, transform, analyze, and process large amounts of data in real time. While enterprises may want to upgrade their edge infrastructure as quickly as possible to support IoT and other remote computing efforts, it can't be done overnight.

Kimball, senior analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, said that the speed of edge technology introduction depends on the type of industry, deployment model and other comprehensive factors. However, he said that considering the rapid pace of innovation in the frontier market, many new technologies may not have any actual demand for enterprises, so enterprises need to practice on a small scale when planning.

“Most companies say cost is the most important consideration, even more than data security,” said Jennifer Cooke, research director for data center trends and strategies at research firm IDC. “Getting the budget is difficult and requires a rigorous plan to determine how it will deliver value to the business.” With cost being a high concern, pay-per-use services will grow in popularity.

2. Edge computing will involve everything from software to operations

Transferring data processing capabilities to the edge will involve the company's internal operational management model. Both the IT department and the operations department will have to adapt to this new model. These two business departments generally have different ideas and operating methods, which makes it more difficult for them to cooperate.

Connecting the two to work together is a huge challenge, but it is a problem that needs to be solved. If an enterprise cannot achieve the convergence of IT and OT at an internal level, then the convergence of technologies will fail.

Daniel Newman, chief analyst and founding partner of research and analysis firm Futurum Research, said IT and operations teams must be equal partners. Newman pointed out in a 2018 research report that while edge computing is currently driven primarily by operations teams, IT teams are responsible for managing more than two-thirds of the systems.

For edge computing to grow and increase its overall business value, it must become more of a strategic partner with operations teams. This goes beyond just managing edge computing resources, Newman said, and involves long-term strategy, budgeting and procurement to ensure these edge computing systems fit into the larger enterprise development plan.

3. Find partners to help deploy edge computing technology

Jennifer Cooke, research director for data center trends and strategies at research firm IDC, said many companies currently lack the internal skills to support IT at the edge, so collaboration with vendors and system integrators in vertical industry solutions can complement each other's strengths.

IDC found that many enterprises are looking for a "one-stop solution" to deliver IT services at the edge. "We will be looking for systems integrators with vertical market expertise to help enterprises along their edge," Cooke said.

“In addition to software tools to analyze data, solutions require connectivity as well as compute and storage infrastructure,” Cooke said. “Things like controlling the physical environment (including temperature and humidity), physical security, and equipment protection are also important considerations. A dedicated partner can help with all of this.”

4. Don’t forget edge computing security

Like other aspects of IT, edge computing has its own cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities. The InfoSec Institute, an organization that provides training for information security and IT professionals, pointed out some security issues related to edge computing in August 2018.

These risks include weak passwords to access devices, which makes them easy targets for attackers; insecure communications, where data collected and transmitted by devices is mostly unencrypted and unauthenticated; physical security risks, as security is often considered a lower priority in the development of IoT and other edge devices; and poor service visibility, where security teams are unaware of the services running on certain devices.

“This is a very important issue,” Kimball said. “It’s not just the security of the device, it’s the security of the servers at the edge that are doing the data transformation and analysis, and the security of the data being transferred from the edge to the cloud to the core data center.

The InfoSec Institute recommends taking steps such as testing and strengthening passwords that extend corporate passwords to edge devices; encrypting data sent by devices or using a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt traffic between devices and their destinations; taking steps to provide physical security for devices; and identifying and protecting the services provided by devices, including analyzing network logs to identify traffic from unknown devices within the organization's network perimeter.

Companies need to have a security strategy in place to properly protect IoT and edge computing systems from both a physical and logical perspective, Newman said.

5. Edge computing flexibility is essential for IoT

For some industries, such as manufacturing, healthcare, utilities, and municipalities, IoT growth is likely to accelerate over the next few years, both in terms of the number of devices and the volume of data, so companies will need flexibility built into their edge computing plans.

According to a 2018 report on edge computing by Futurum, as edge computing expands to support actionable IoT devices and data, the implementation of edge computing will make it easier to extract value from new iOS-based data sources. Without planning for flexibility in storage, data analysis, network connectivity and other functions, companies will not be able to reap the full benefits of edge computing or the Internet of Things.