The Future is on the Edge, Survey Predicts

We live in an edgy era. That’s because along with with the IoT capabilities it inherently supports, edge computing is seen as an an enabler of artificial intelligence, and augmented or virtual reality.

That’s the word from a recent survey report out of Schneider Electric, in which a majority of 1,150 IT executives indicated that while they are familiar with and using edge computing, there are still pain points and untapped areas of opportunity. Four in five (80%) report they are familiar with edge computing. Familiarity is more common at those with larger organizations and expansive IT budgets.

The innovations that will benefit the most from edge computing include IoT (61%), AI and machine learning (60%), virtual reality (51%), augmented reality (50%), automation (45%), and smart cities (30%).

The challenges for organizations moving to the edge are the complexities currently being incurred with hybrid architectures, the survey’s authors report. “Managing hybrid IT infrastructure is one of the greatest IT challenges their organization is currently facing, followed closely by cybersecurity threats. As a majority of IT executives indicate their organizations’ IT infrastructure is at least 50% cloud-based and many expect their organization’s IT infrastructure to become increasingly cloud-based over the next two years, the focus on managing IT hybrid infrastructure will only intensify.”

See also: Edge Computing Spend To Reach $317 Billion by 2026

Edge is often seen as a way to offload some of this complexity. The top current reasons for adopting edge computing include optimizing cloud computing systems, enhanced security, and monitoring IoT sensors and devices. Top benefits cited across both industries and organizations include improved speed/reduced latency, enhanced data security/privacy, and enhanced reliability/resiliency.

“Adoption of edge computing is growing quickly across companies of all sizes and IT budgets,” the survey’s authors point out. “As organizations increasingly utilize the cloud and adapt to a hybrid IT infrastructure, organizations are simultaneously facing a variety of complex IT challenges. From improving interoperability across legacy IT and new systems to managing adoption of technology among employees to protecting their organizations from cybersecurity threats, Despite the challenges IT executives and their organizations are facing, they believe edge computing can offer their organizations a variety of benefits, including improved speed and reduced latency, enhanced data security, and enhanced reliability or resiliency.”