What the Rise of Edge Computing Really Means for the Enterprise

Edge computing decentralizes networks by leveraging information gathered, stored, analyzed and shared via an ever-increasing array of mobile devices, smart sensors, and IoT devices. As a result, the centralized data center model will forever change. With the rise of edge computing, this distributed computing topology repositions the compute and storage power of the data center much closer to where data is both created and used in order to support the latency requirements of next-generation technologies and applications. The enterprise will still need data centers but, combined with edge computing, the creation, computation, and storage of data will more closely resemble a mesh rather than a hub-and-spoke network model. As devices proliferate at the edge, the enterprise will need to rely on a more distributed, highly available network to relieve bandwidth pressure, decrease latency, and increase the speed at which data can be accessed and used.

Rapid data connectivity is what drives today’s digital business. Enterprises must be able to connect to customers, suppliers, partners, and stakeholders at all times, anywhere in the world. Workloads must be deployed where digital interactions occur to reduce security and compliance risks through improved threat detection, enhance application performance and improve user experience through reduced latency and easy access.

The Need for Speed

Gartner reports that by 2022, 50% of enterprise-generated data will be created and processed outside of a traditional data center or cloud, up from less than 10% in 2019. Processing at the edge allows for near-real-time data acquisition and analysis, enabling businesses to act on data more quickly. Faster analysis and action drives positive outcomes for the business. For many enterprise sectors, like finance and retail, speed serves as a differentiator in a competitive field. Investing in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies can help the enterprise automate their actions based on real-time analysis.

New Tactics to Keep Data Secure

The enterprise will have to take a new approach to security that accounts for widely distributed networks. Enterprises must protect their data and information assets from the center of their networks to the edge. As you access more devices and data sources, you require far more robust security policies. This is an imperative not simply to protect the health of your own business, but to also secure the trust of your customers, vendors, suppliers, and partners. Connected security requires automated threat detection and response across your entire network, proactive threat blocking, constant vigilance for evolving threats, as well as training staff to identify and respond to threats.

Meeting Customer Expectations

As edge computing reduces latency and balances traffic demands, the enterprise may see consumer expectations shift about how quickly a business should react to customer demands. Part of that expectation depends on the enterprise network. Users want immediate access to information and have less tolerance for slow load times and buffering.

Just as users expect your network to operate quickly, they also expect faster service. The 2019 Customer Expectations Report from Gladly found that consumers expect a response to an email in 3 to 4 hours, a text message response in 4 to 5 minutes, and a live chat response in less than a minute. They also expect enterprises to take advantage of the consumer data at their fingertips to provide more personalized service and to better know their customers’ wants, needs, and history with the brand.

As data-intensive devices proliferate, edge computing will gain momentum. Enterprises that can harness the advantages of edge computing to benefit their customers, users, and operations will experience a competitive advantage.

Is your enterprise ready for the expansion of edge computing? Learn how CenturyLink can help enable edge computing for your enterprise.

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