Despite the advantages that the cloud brings to businesses, like the reduced downtimes and lowering of costs, it has its challenges which have led to the emergence of new alternatives. Some of the solutions known to be the alternatives of the cloud are fog computing and edge computing—these two promise to solve the problems associated with the traditional cloud. With the availability of these three, you would ask which of them is the better alternative that can solve your problems? This article helps you find out the difference between the three then you can answer that question by yourself.

Why do you need these alternatives?

The cloud is a crucial component of modern business that helps reduce the cost of tiring data. However, that does not mean it costs nothing. The cost of using the cloud increases as the storage needs rise. That is why you do not have to store everything on the cloud. The edge computing or edge network can be used to store data that is less useful. This could lead to significant savings in terms of space usage in the cloud and the cost.

Unlike cloud computing, where the data is stored in a server far from the source, fog and edge solutions store data near the source. Another striking difference between the three is the processing power. Unlike fog and edge solutions, cloud computing offers advanced processing power and allows the storage of massive amounts of data away from the source. However, edge and fog store smaller amounts of data and allow processing on the device or sensor.

The two alternatives to the cloud have various advantages. For instance, they are more useful in instances where there is no complete internet connection. They can work without seamless connectivity to the internet. Secondly, since all data is stored in the user’s machines, fog and edge computing offer better security options managed by the user. Furthermore, the alternatives to the cloud are more effective than the cloud because it only takes a few seconds or milliseconds for bi-directional communication between IoT devices to be completed. These alternatives allow companies to cut costs and separate information.

Uses of edge and fog computing

Edge and fog computing can be used in different industries as a new data processing and storage option. However, manufacturing, retail, and healthcare can benefit more from these technologies. In manufacturing, both edge and cloud computing solutions are used today to avoid downtime, improve productivity and increase profitability by cutting down the cost of operations. The adoption of fog and cloud in this industry is expected to grow in the future. Retail also uses edge and fog computing to improve customer experience, allowing retailers to process, analyze and take action on data faster closer to the customer. On the other hand, healthcare providers use fog and cloud computing to track drugs, improve energy management and increase the speed of delivery of services through fast processing.