Edge architecture moves certain computational, networking, storage, and acceleration elements from highly centralized locations such as a cloud datacenters to “action areas” where fast processing and low-latency data transfer are critically important.

Smart cities, automated manufacturing floors, intelligent transportation grids, and self-driving vehicles are just a few of the areas that will see radical edge-based change.

In some cases, edge will work in tandem with traditional cloud-based systems, while in others edge will have primary or sole computational responsibility. This segmentation will not necessarily be static; rather, dynamic rearrangement based on up-to-the-minute technical and cost calculations will become commonplace.