Edge computing

Edge computing means processing data close to where it is generated or consumed — at the "edge" of the network, near the user or the device — instead of sending it to a distant central data centre. By shortening the distance the information has to travel, it reduces latency (the delay) and everything responds faster, which is crucial for time-sensitive applications like self-driving cars, the internet of things or cloud ✕ "The cloud" refers to services and storage that run not on your device but on external servers on the internet. You can access them from anywhere. More in the glossary → gaming. It also eases the load on the network and the central server ✕ A server is a powerful computer that provides data or services to other devices — for example serving a website or storing your cloud files. More in the glossary → . It is closely related to content delivery networks (CDNs), which already bring files closer to users; edge computing goes a step further by also running logic and calculations at those nearby points. It is a growing trend as connected devices multiply.