Smarter, more secure industry on the edge

It feels like everybody’s talking about edge computing. Many believe – and so do I – that edge computing is the key to the future of smart industry.

In fact, edge technology is poised to help facilities accelerate their digital transformations and increase connectivity, providing better data-driven insights faster, and saving money.

So, how does edge computing work?

Edge computing brings digital intelligence to the factory floor

Edge computing brings cloud capabilities to your factory floor, uniting both operations technology (OT) and information technology (IT), to execute data processing, communications and analytics locally.

Using any local internet protocol (IP) system, edge connects your assets, so that they can share data with each other within a protected factory ecosystem. Edge computing processes data first within your factory devices themselves, or using a local computer or server, rather than by transmitting raw data from internet-of-things (IoT) sensors to the cloud first.

Only after the raw data has been analyzed and packaged into operational insights, does edge computing send those individual, organized packets of information to the cloud. This saves a lot of time in processing, reduces data transmission latency, and also reduces potential equipment damage and downtime.

Edge computing also eliminates the need for a constant internet connection, or multiple direct connections, which vastly reduces the opportunity for cyberattacks. Edge keeps your raw data off the cloud, and acts as the secure – and only – gateway to the Cloud. Reduced bandwidth and cloud storage also saves you money.

“By 2025, companies will process 75% of their data outside centralized data centers.” Gartner, 2018

Unlock long-term business insights with the cloud-edge partnership

Edge computing offers the most effective way to get the maximum actionable data from an asset without connecting to the cloud. It is an extremely powerful tool, but it’s not the whole story. You can start with local edge data processing and analytics, and then easily and quickly connect to the cloud to get insights across multiple sites, at a pace that makes sense for your business. Understanding and leveraging the cloud/edge relationship offers long-term business insights, unlocking another degree of safety and intelligence that optimizes performance, saves money, and ultimately boosts ROI.

Edge computing provides local control and intelligence and the cloud provides access to advanced analytics and data at scale, driving predictive maintenance and more. The cloud-edge partnership lets you take control of your assets and data, get more efficient, and save money now, while you make smarter decisions about the future.

Learn more about the ABB Ability™ Edge Industrial Gateway here.

More information

A Solution for 360-Degree Industrial Internet Security (whitepaper)