What is edge computing?

What is edge computing?

Edge computing is a networking philosophy focused on bringing computing as close to the source of data as possible in order to reduce latency and bandwidth use. Rather than processing data in a centralized data center, edge computing processes data at or near the "edge" of the network, where the data is generated.

How does edge computing work?

Edge computing places compute resources at the network edge — in points of presence (PoPs), cell towers, or even on the devices themselves. This minimizes the distance data must travel, dramatically reducing latency for end users.

Edge computing vs. cloud computing

While cloud computing centralizes resources in large data centers, edge computing distributes them. The two approaches complement each other: edge handles latency-sensitive tasks while the cloud handles heavy computation and storage.