Edge computing infrastructure and device connectivity are crucial to drive the success of mobile edge computing (MEC) deployments, as per the latest industry reports.
The rising demand for decentralized computing to reduce latency in decision making is notably driving the edge computing market growth. Key advantages of edge solutions include low latency, high bandwidth, device processing, data offloading, and reliable computing and storage.
The rapid growth of 5G applications and industrial IoT among end-user industries like healthcare, energy and utilities also spur the growth of edge computing. Enterprises across industries are beginning to drive new levels of performance and productivity by deploying different technological innovations, like sensors and other data-producing and collecting devices, along with analysis tools. Also, with new trends like smart manufacturing and smart cities, there is growing need to process data locally, near the user.
Multi-access edge computing, popularly known as mobile edge computing, is a form of edge computing that brings cloud computing to the network’s edge to increase its functionality. According to Mordor Intelligence, the mobile edge computing market is expected to register a CAGR of 30.64 percent during 2022-27.
Edge nodes are usually placed a single hop away from the device node, which can save considerable time in reducing the roundabout time between the device and the edge node.
Many vendors have started to provide edge computing solutions that can operate independently, without the need for full-time internet access. This reduces decision-making time in critical applications. This type of computing environment also leads to the removal of a single point of failure or choke point for internet traffic.
The growing adoption of industry 4.0 practices is driving the growth of edge computing. Industry 4.0-based manufacturing operations and facilities require several IoT sensors, actuators, and communication tools, which constantly generate data. Thus the deployment of Industry 4.0 infrastructure is a key trend influencing the edge computing market growth, says Technavio.
According to Technavio, global edge computing market is estimated to grow by USD 9,928.42 million from 2022 to 2027. North America is projected to account for 42 percent of the growth of the global market during 2023-202. US and Canada are two of the key markets for edge computing in North America. Customers in the US and Canada are keen on switching to edge computing, with many companies giving priority to switching from core-to-network edge systems in the next few years. The growth is primarily attributed to the growing emphasis on improving efficiency in IT infrastructure within commercial and industrial environments and the increasing adoption of big data analytics and IoT by end-users.
In a recently released report entitled Edge Computing Infrastructure: Competitive Landscape Assessment, GlobalData highlighted that device connectivity is essential in the edge computing industry.
Edge infrastructure needs to be able to support a variety of terminal devices and sensors in different scenarios such as manufacturing, energy, and transportation, and ensure the flexible network connectivity of field devices. They will be required to support different communication modes such as wireless, wired, ZigBee industrial interface, and the like.
Further, most edge users need flexible IT resources, which requires vendors to provide rapid and economical scalability solutions. Other key attributes to consider are unified management, security, developer tools, network integration, and flexible resources. Automation of O&M is another major consideration as it will reduce the complexities associated with the operations of the network.
As with any network technology/ architecture, MEC is prone to various threats owing to its lack of security framework. The most common attacks that hinder the market’s growth can be narrowed down to compromised protocols, falsified information and logs, loss of policy enforcement, man-in-the-middle, and data loss, according to Mordor Intelligence.
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