Pair edge computing with hybrid cloud

In today’s modern and fast-paced world, consumers and businesses are looking to realise hyper-connectivity, enabling use cases that require real-time data streaming and processing. The powerful combination of hybrid cloud and edge computing solutions enables just this.

Edge computing is proven to be an integral component of a modern IT strategy, proving to make computing faster, safer and cheaper. Edge computing describes the ability to process data at the ‘edge’ of a network, either by a device or local server, and should a central data centre be required, only the most important data is transmitted. The overall effect is reduced latency, immediate data processing, greater adherence to data sovereignty, and improved communication between devices.

It’s no surprise that more businesses than ever are investing in the technology. In fact, Deloitte Global predicts that the enterprise market for edge computing will grow at 22% in 2023, compared to 4% growth in spending on enterprise networking equipment and 6% on overall enterprise IT for the same timeframe.¹

As the market grows, the way businesses establish and build their IT infrastructure morphs and evolves. Highlighting this, IDC finds that by 2023, more than half of new enterprise IT infrastructure will be at the edge, up from less than 10% in 2020.² In addition, according to Gartner, by 2025, 75% of enterprise-generated data will be created and processed outside a traditional data centre or cloud.³

As public cloud services improve and proliferate, enterprises are increasingly turning to a hybrid cloud approach, that allows the company to leverage the best of private and public cloud architecture.

In a McKinsey report published in August 2022¹, the analysts found 90% of cloud users have a multi-cloud strategy, with over 80% having a hybrid mix of private and public cloud. Reflecting the upswing in interest in public cloud, the worldwide market was flagged at $300 billion, driven by growing interest in IaaS, PaaS and SaaS solutions.

Researchers, analysts and real-world use cases have all shown that a hybrid cloud architecture improves scalability, security, cost, speed and control of data. Overall, it makes it easier to provision, deploy and scale resources to meet demand as required. An integrated, advanced hybrid cloud approach also enables edge computing, opening up a whole new level of functionality for businesses.

When combined, hybrid cloud and edge computing allows organisations to store and process data both in centralised cloud environments and on local edge devices. This setup optimises resource usage. Sensitive data can be stored securely in the cloud, while edge devices handle real-time processing, reducing latency and improving response times for applications that require immediate actions.

On top of this, managed services remove the heavy investment of time and resources into systems management, and allow IT teams to turn their attention instead to strategic imperatives that will improve the business’s offerings for customers, users or employees.

A common barrier for both hybrid cloud and edge computing is data security and privacy, especially as regional laws and regulations become more strict. However, direct data transmission and faster access to a smaller, more relevant set of data, helps companies comply with data residency laws and build applications where they are used. Essentially, the business can build an application in one place, but run it directly from anywhere that it’s needed.

For enterprises to realise the power of real-time data processing and be able to establish functionality at the network edge, they first must look at their cloud architecture and work to rectify poor implementations. A modernised, streamlined architecture will lend itself to a cohesive data and cloud strategy, and this in turn will enable edge computing innovation that can scale as needed.

Managed service providers can help a business kick-start or complete a modernisation and transformation process. They can provide expertise and guidance around best practices and the best delegation of resources. Once the infrastructure is established, they are also able to support ongoing management, including provisioning, deployment, monitoring and maintenance, so the enterprise team can focus on their core mission, continuing to build on innovation now and in the future.