From Cloud to Edge

 Considering a major rework of smarthome.

How The Migration From Cloud to Edge Powers Tomorrow’s Smart Homes

Carsten Gregeren  in Datanami

The edge is here to stay. The next generation of data processing is growing from strength to strength – reaching $274 billion in value by 2025 – with major benefits including better data management and security, lower connectivity costs, and reliable, uninterrupted connection. Edge computing, in my mind, is the logical successor to cloud computing, and it’s especially exciting to consider the implications for the Internet of Things (IoT).

As devices more often process data at the edge rather than in the cloud, experts believe the evolution will pave the way for increased artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics. The one-two punch of smarter devices with faster edge connections looks set to change our interactions with devices entirely. Consider, for example, door locks with instant facial recognition or smart induction stoves that automatically change cooking temperature. Increasingly, more autonomous devices will be able to make decisions on the behalf of users.

Let’s look at how the great cloud to edge migration powers the smart homes of tomorrow.

Smarter Devices, Smarter Homes

The concept of smart homes has always captured the popular imagination. However, it might not be the stuff of science fiction for much longer. Devices like Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Home have grown rapidly in just a few short years and consumers are becoming more accustomed to smart devices within the modern home.

Smart home or home automation is the process of automatically controlling different appliances or devices and programing them to replace several human interactions for handling essential functions. The connected sensors and devices are operated via IoT supported platforms, providing connectivity and control to them worldwide.

By 2025, IDC estimates that there will be more than 55 billion connected devices, with 75% of them connected to an IoT platform. And more of these devices are finding their way into the home. However, with more devices comes more data. IDC estimates that connected IoT devices will soon generate up to 73 zettabytes of data. Today’s centralized cloud networks may become overloaded with traffic due to such a spike in data. Therefore, edge computing’s distributed IT architecture may help to combat the impending data rush by transferring information to the network periphery.

In addition to storage benefits, smarter devices are also driving this migration from cloud to edge. Consider that devices are more often loaded with AI-optimized chipsets. These chips are smaller, more economical and less power-consuming. As a result, they enable devices to handle far more processes internally rather than externally, reducing the need to offload unnecessary processes to the cloud. ... '