Dave ChaffeyEdge computing in Retail
Cloud computing has become ubiquitous over the past 10 to 15 years, but according to this article on Edge Computing in Retail, there a new recognition that investment in Edge computing is needed since, for brick and mortar retailers, with almost 90% of global retail sales occur in physical stores
Edge Computing is where:
Computing power is located closer to the buyer in Edge of cloud IoT connected devices and servers’ to give an improved experience. Computing ‘closer to the edge’ ensures that information processing, content collection, and delivery are placed near customers and store operations to make them more responsive.
In a physical retail storefront, the network is usually comprised of a small server room and cash registers with individual backup power systems attached. New in-store edge environments focus on the digital experience of the customer – this requires new edge applications that support local devices such as digital mirrors, smart dressing rooms.
Edge computing is able to filter information locally and only transfer data that is required for analysis in the cloud. However, this move doesn’t mean that individual stores become isolated, rather, retail stores can now be treated as an entire ecosystem rather than just a collection of individual stores.
