Software development has undergone a lot of changes in the past few years on the back of agile development methodologies, DevOps, cloud computing, etc. Now, with more and more businesses gravitating towards open source, can edge computing fuel the next big change? Let’s answer this question by examining edge computing’s relevance in software development.
What Is Edge Computing?
Edge computing refers to processing data at the edges of a network, as opposed to a centralized location. Storing data on the network’s edge is feasible as it can be processed faster than if stored in a single central location. This helps reduce latency, improve response time, and limit transmission costs. Edge computing also enhances data security because enterprises don’t have to worry about an entire network being hacked into.
How Does Edge Computing Help Software Development?
With the advent of IoT and 5G, there is a growing need for edge computing solutions.
According to Grand View Research, the global edge computing market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 38.9% until 2030.
As it stands, edge computing is an important concept in software development because it allows for more efficient data processing and secure networks. Edge computing solutions help in software development by offering security, privacy, and speed to the end users. Let’s explore the viability of edge computing for software development more profoundly.
1. Reduces Network Delays
To achieve high performance, software developers must ensure that they build applications that can handle any data processing request at any moment. The best way to do this is by using edge computing solutions near the end user. This means less latency between requests and responses—which means faster response times overall.
2. Costs Less
Software development can be expensive, especially when carried out on a large scale. Edge computing solutions can help reduce costs by allowing companies to use less hardware, which means they don’t have to pay as much on maintenance contracts with third parties. This also means that fewer people are required for these systems to function properly, thus, reducing the costs associated with running them at all times.
3. Improves Security
Edge computing solutions ensure that data is stored on devices close to where it is generated and processed. This allows for the implementation of several security layers characterized by end-to-end encryption, firewalls, access control, etc. As a result, it becomes exceptionally challenging for hackers to access confidential data.
4. Improves Performance
Edge computing improves performance by reducing latency, improving scalability, and increasing the speed of applications and services. Again, the viability of moving the data processing closer to the source comes to the fore since it reduces the time it takes to get information from the source to the end user.
5. Improves Data Analytics and Machine Learning Operations
Edge computing solutions also provide a better environment for performing data analytics and machine learning operations at the edge of the network, where they prove to be most useful. Businesses can use this capability to analyze sensor data and perform advanced analytics without relying on an on-premises server or a third-party cloud provider for processing.
Why Is Edge Computing a Necessity for Modern Software Development?
1. Simplified Deployments and Management
Edge computing is necessary for modern software development because it simplifies deployments and management. It allows companies to store data closer to their users, which makes it simpler to get the information they need from their users and introduce new, intelligent products and services on the fly.
2. Data Processing and Storage
Software applications today require massive amounts of data to be processed and stored, meaning that the business needs to have a vast infrastructure that can handle all this information. However, with edge computing, businesses no longer have to worry about setting up such infrastructures because the application can be processed in real-time on the edge device itself.
3. Real-Time Feedback
By running real-time analytics directly on edge devices, companies can get immediate feedback about their operations without waiting for information from remote locations such as headquarters or cloud servers. This makes it easier for them to identify problems before they become serious issues that may require expensive repairs or replacement.
4. Reduced Latency
In software development, one needs to be aware of the latency of the software. The higher the latency, the longer it takes for the program to respond to user input. On the back of low latency, businesses can build applications that react quickly and are more intuitive to use. Contrarily, high latency can jeopardize user interactions by making users wait forever. Favorably, edge computing can reduce latency by delivering data directly from the source rather than having it travel through multiple networks or servers before reaching its destination.
5. Cost Efficiencies
The cost-efficiency of edge computing is one of its biggest benefits. Edge computing allows for more efficient data processing, which translates to lower costs for software development. In addition to being cost-efficient, edge computing also provides a more secure way to store data. The distributed nature of edge computing ensures that no single server or location has all the information stored. This makes it difficult for hackers to target a specific server because they would have to compromise every single system in order to gain access to all the data they’re looking for.
Conclusion
Edge computing complements the development of complex software systems that can respond to real-world events. At this point, edge computing is still an evolving domain. Various industry verticals are exploring numerous applications that are enabled by edge computing.
With this in mind, software development firms need to pay extra attention to their requirements-gathering phase and prepare client solutions much more cautiously. They must assess their software needs carefully and leverage edge computing solutions, which can improve the safety and assurance of the software systems.
For more information, get in touch with experts at Sagacity today.