Research
Edge Computing
Edge computing is computing somewhere in-between your device & the cloud, hence the name (Miller 2018). Edge computing takes enterprise applications and takes it closer to the data source (Meulen, 2018). This provides a way to minimize some of the problems with cloud computing, like latency and maximize consumer experience (Miller 2018). As the Internet of Things (IoT) devices become more common, think of a smart washing machine or smart fridge. It has led to more data than there are data centers to manage it (What is Edge Computing, 2019). Edge computing helps solve this issue by having devices take off some of that load. In enterprise edge computing can take advantage of a growing number of devices that are capable to provide insights in real-time (What Is Edge Computing, 2019). While from a consumer perspective companies can leverage edge computing to provide the best consumer experience.
In terms of enterprise, edge computing will lead to a substantial rise of insights occurring locally rather than the cloud or a data center. According to Gartner right now around 10% of enterprise is processed outside of the cloud or traditional data center by 2025 that figure will reach 75% (Meulen, 2018). One example of an enterprise application that takes advantage of this is a wearable health monitor. It can analyze health data and provide recommendations without the need to constantly connect to the cloud (Meulen, 2018). While more complex capabilities of edge computing are deployed in 5G networks(Meulen, 2018). Servers deployed in 5G can host applications and have content cached for consumers (Meulen, 2018).
Edge computing in terms of consumer applications or products can be seen in Apple’s iPhone’s and Amazon’s Alexa devices. The iPhone is capable of storing valuable data that is encrypted. While still accessing the cloud so users can take advantage of Apple’s centralized services like health kit. By simply using encryption and keeping the data on the device Apple takes away many privacy concerns plaguing users about the cloud (Miller, 2018). Amazon similarly is interested in placing AI chips inside Alexa devices so more of the information processing occurs on the device itself rather than the web (Miller, 2018). This will lead to faster responses from Alexa.
Some risks associated with edge computing are security and scalability. Due to edge computing’s dispersed nature among multiple different devices if one of the devices were to be hacked that may wreak havoc among the whole network (Meulen, 2018). It will also be difficult to scale multiple IoT devices (Meulen 2018). As multiple endpoints arise each one would have to work properly on the network which may be hard to deploy (Meulen, 2018)
In MIS 3406 Cloud Architecture we gained insight on how to create a cloud network in AWS. We programmed both the back-end and front-end of an application. These skills are the core of edge computing. The difference is that edge computing will serve as a middle ground between the front-end and the back-end where some information does not have to be received from a database but rather locally saved on a device. Through using the skills I gained in MIS 3406 I can create edge computing solutions that will be faster and private than a regular cloud-based application.
Edge computing is not the future of the cloud. It is its present. As faster networks like 5G are being implemented edge computing will start to make more sense as enterprise or consumer solution. It is important to understand the business implications of edge computing to either create better online infrastructure for one’s business and to provide one’s consumers with a better experience. Edge computing will provide real-time insights and better speeds for accessing information online (Meulen, 2018).
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Mobile Cloud Computing
As mobile computing devices have grown more pervasive in society so has mobile cloud computing. The mobile cloud has helped solve many of the problems facing mobile computing. It has done so through mitigating mobile’s problem of constrained resources. As the resources of the cloud can seem limitless. (Hossain,2013). The mobile cloud keeps data processing and data storage outside the scope of mobile devices. This will lead to the following advantages; extended battery life, improvement in data storage, processing power, synchronization of data between devices, improved reliability improved scalability, and lastly ease of integration (Hossian, 2013).
The implications of mobile cloud computing can be seen every day. For example, popular services like Google Photos and iCloud help keeps millions of users data saved on the cloud so users can continue to take photos without worrying about losing space on their device. Another more niche example is Botanicalls which manufactures a device that can be installed in a plant pot that contains a moisture sensor to let owners know when to water their plants and hardware to send an SMS message to an address saved on a mobile cloud (Cox, 2011).
The mobile cloud works similarly to the cloud I created in MIS 3406 Cloud Architecture. The mobile cloud takes information from the client which in this case is a mobile device either on a webpage or app. It then sends that information to the cloud, a server run by the creator of the webpage or app, and sends it back to the device.
HTML5, CSS3, and 4G helped make the mobile cloud feasible. As I learned previously in MIS 2402 Web Application Development. HTML5 allows video to be embedded without the need for a plug-in like Adobe flash. HTML5 also allows for offline support, which makes local storage possible, helping with connectivity interruptions (Cox, 2011). CSS is used to format and style HTML and CSS3 allows one to create more responsive sites for mobile development. 4G helped solve issues regarding latency and bandwidth which allowed phones to access cloud networks that were very far from the device accessing them. Both of these languages and the implementation of 4G helped enable the mobile cloud.
The mobile cloud does have some issues. Computing and storing information on the cloud leads to increased privacy concerns among users. As the number of devices that are connected to the mobile-cloud increases, it becomes harder to maintain enough cloud infrastructure to keep up. This trend is sure to keep up as more people use mobile devices for leisure, communication, or work.
A solution to this may be edge computing. As mobile devices become faster and more powerful computers more information can be handled and processed on the device itself. This data can still be sent to the cloud to receive more information back. For example, a health kit on iPhone encrypts user’s private personal data and stores it on the device while still accessing the cloud to receive health recommendations based on that data that the cloud does not have direct access to. This helps mitigate privacy concerns and because the device is not always connected it helps to solve latency issues.
Mobile cloud computing has served to make all of our lives better. It allows us to have the experience that we currently have on our smart devices while not comprising functionality and maintaining the sleek form factor that we are all accustomed to.
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