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Businesses Reconsider the Role of Edge Computing And Prioritize Data First

By Heath Thompson, President & General Manager for Information & Systems Management, Quest Software

With 2022 behind us, and edge computing touted as a pivotal computing paradigm for nearly a decade now, it's time to evaluate the traction of edge computing - or lack thereof - except for specific, well-known use cases. Edge computing works by processing data closer to its source, where it might not be feasible or desirable to move data centrally for processing.  It makes sense to do this with use cases that need fast response times, like responding to real-time alerts from IoT devices, for example. In general, edge computing provides benefits such as better response time, data aggregation, and can sometimes also better support privacy and sovereignty requirements.

However, it edge computing is not the be-all end-all computing solution for data.  Edge computing doesn't come for free:  it might add to the complexity of networks impacting cost to manage, can increase the attack surfaces for higher-value data, and require consideration in data pipeline and governance architectures.  Businesses are already right-sizing their use of edge computing, and 2023 will see that trend continue, and certainly the focus and prioritization of edge computing.

Organizations should put data-driven outcomes at the forefront when considering edge computing

In order to get the maximum value out of edge computing, businesses will need to make sure they embrace data governance and consider how edge computing "nodes" play into the overall data fabric of their organization.  In fact, organizations will need to focus on the strategic outcomes they want to achieve, and then the data architectures and governance needed to realize those outcomes.  Edge computing is one of the means to those ends.

Economic uncertainty will bring focus to initiatives that drive business growth and reduce risk

With a 2023 recession becoming ever-more likely as growth slows and layoffs increase, businesses will be expected to practice fiscal restraint. This means business leaders will be looking for a tangible ROI from each data initiative, forcing them and their IT leaders to be discerning about their cloud and compute spend. As businesses continue to adapt to the changing business climate, and look to do more with the same or less, outcomes that drive growth or reduce corporate risks will get priority.  Ready access to high-quality, consistent data will be essential to these outcomes - and companies will chose readily available and proven solutions that can deliver these outcomes in the shortest time frame.

Expect the data mesh to hit peak use and business impact

Over the past two years, the data fabric held significant sway when it came to enabling interoperability, and in 2022, we saw the data mesh emerge to overtake it. In 2023, we'll see data meshes rise to become the default nervous system of data in the enterprise. Data meshes will make data more accessible and available to users, directly connecting it to data owners, data producers and data consumers. They will also resolve data bottlenecks across hybrid infrastructure, and can do so from anywhere, in a decentralized manner.

Businesses will recognize that the data mesh can deliver on four key principles that edge computing can only do in limited cases: decentralizing data ownership by domain, making data a key product, enabling self-serve data infrastructure as a service and federating data governance. All of these will help businesses deliver on the promise of putting data where it belongs: at the center of business growth strategy.

Data will become more the focus than compute

All of the benefits of data mesh will help businesses deliver on the promise of putting data where it belongs: at the center of business growth strategy, especially as businesses shift away from thinking of compute as the way to architect for growth. Rather, in 2023, organizations are envisioning future outcomes based on their use of data and how well it is able to drive business operations within a hybrid, multi-cloud infrastructure. Shifting the focus from compute to data is essential right-sizes the extent to which edge computing is relied upon. In 2023 and beyond, edge computing can continue to provide its benefits in discrete use cases, without misdirecting the resources of organizations.

Looking ahead

None of these points are meant to spell demise for edge computing, but rather to call out the transformational focus that has been going on for many years now around data, and this is only accelerating.  In harsher economic climates and uncertainty, businesses will employ a "hunker down" approach, and the focus will be on those initiatives that can shore up revenue gaps or reduce risk.  Data will be at the center of each of these, and the underlying data infrastructure becomes the focus.  Edge computing will definitely play a role, but will be a supporting detail behind that data and the outcomes that data can enable.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Heath is Quest's President and GM of Information and Systems Management (ISM) and joined the company in November 2020 to drive sales and execution of the business. Heath is passionate about creating and executing a vision that ensures Quest is the trusted partner to help customers bridge the gap between where they are and where they are going. Previously, Heath served in senior leadership positions in technology organizations including AudioEye, SANS Institute, Forcepoint, Landis+Gyr, IBM and Internet Security Systems.