One of the biggest signs that IT is rapidly expanding beyond the data center is the rise of edge computing.
Companies typically use edge computing in three key scenarios, said Thomas Bittman, vice president and analyst with Gartner. "In essence, edge computing complements cloud computing, extending digital transformation to the edge," Bittman said. It enables companies to capture more data and gain insights more quickly, augment physical interactions with digital information and controls, and put intelligence where it needs to be, he said.
In manufacturing, a key use case of edge computing is for predictive maintenance to analyze and detect changes in equipment, machinery or operational processes before a failure occurs, Pelino said."Edge computing brings data, analytics processing, and storage closer to the equipment to monitor machine health in real time," she said.
Every new network connection, smart device, edge server, or micro data center is an attack surface for hackers, Pelino said.