What is edge computing, and why does it matter?

The answer

Edge computing processes data near its source - on the device itself or at nearby servers - rather than sending everything to distant cloud data centers. For applications requiring real-time responses, like autonomous vehicles or industrial robots, even the few milliseconds of round-trip delay to the cloud can be too slow. Edge computing reduces latency, bandwidth costs, and privacy risks by keeping sensitive data local. By 2025, Gartner predicts 75% of enterprise data will be processed at the edge rather than in centralized data centers, reversing the cloud-first trend.