The world is witnessing an exponential growth in the amount of data that is being created, captured, copied, and consumed. In 2022, the volume of data worldwide was estimated at around 97 zettabytes (ZB) and by 2025 this figure will reach 181 ZB.
The growing number of Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices is fueling the data explosion. Statista forecasts that the number of IoT connected devices will reach 24.1 billion in 2030, representing a more than threefold increase from 2019.
The ever-growing amount of data and connected devices are pushing the need for greater storage, computing, and network capacities closer to the endpoints.
Not only does this allow for lower latencies when it comes to the transmission of data, it creates the foundation for faster, more cost-effective operations.
As a result, analysts have predicted the steady growth of edge computing for a number of years. A few years ago, By 2025, Gartner predicts that three-quarters of enterprise-generated data will be created and processed at the edge – outside traditional centralized data centres or the cloud.
That’s up from just 10% in 2018. A Forrester survey found that flexibility to handle present and future artificial intelligence demands, avoidance of network latency and allowance for faster responses, and the need to conduct complex processing that cloud can’t support, will drive this growth.
Despite the exponential growth of data and connected devices, edge computing hasn’t become as prevalent as predicted.
Instead, organisations are finding ways to incorporate the edge into their larger tech ecosystems, creating a hybrid model that looks set to become another important link in ever-growing multi-cloud environments.
Craig Allen, Divisional Manager at iOCO, points out that companies need to use the right tool for the job, so integrating the edge into business operations should not be an either-or proposition.
“Regulatory and governance requirements mean that companies still need centralised data storage. The cloud remains the perfect solution for this as well as many of the other functions it performs for companies today like big data analytics,” he explains. Adding, “On the other hand, businesses are starting to see the value of doing a lot of the leg work at the edge, where the data is being generated – and where it needs to be processed. With the high cost of data transmission and the growing demand for near real-time or real-time applications, the edge is finding a vital niche.”