What does 'Edge' mean to you?

[MarjorieFreeman]

At this point, I think everyone knows what Edge means, but few know of actual edge use cases. 

How would you describe Edge technology in layman's terms? 

For instance, Chick Fil A deploys Kubernetes at the Edge to run its internet-independent applications. Many people have had Chick Fil A or at least been through a drive-thru or two in their day!  

What are some everyday use cases of it that people may not think about? 

[Rajanikanty]

Edge is about processing data closer to where it's being generated. Edge computing enables connectivity between plethora of devices (usually called User Equipment UE in 5G terms) and core of telecom datacenter by moving the computing closer to end user. example :factory sensors, connected cars, drones etc

[MarjorieFreeman]

It sounds like Edge is currently taking place all around us in more ways than we think! It sounds like IoT devices are where the "average person" can interact with Edge technology (though they may be unaware), and Edge helps the organizations behind this technology collect and process the data that powers these IoT devices

I'm not a technologist, so is my thinking correct in this?

[tkonto]

At the pace CPUs change (not just enchance) in philosophy, design and production, in short time even our mobile phones will be doing hardcοre edge processing...

[MarjorieFreeman]

This is incredible!

[abregman]

The philosophy behind Edge is bringing computing and networking close to the end-user instead of centralizing everything in the data centers which has the price of high bandwidth costs and high latency.

The need for Edge is rising over time due to many modern applications such as IoT (Internet of Things) and also applications that will become more and more common over time such as autonomous vehicle systems, which require minimal latency. Such latency is possible only if processing and communication are done close to the users who use these applications.

[abregman]

Please remove. Pasted twice accidently.

[MarjorieFreeman]

No problem! It doesn't look like I can delete, but it's not hurting anything  

[jashan777]

If I would have to describe Edge technology in simple terms, i would say this

Edge computing is about processing data closer to where it’s being generated hence enabling processing at greater speeds and volumes.

how it's different from traditional computing?

The traditional computing is built on a centralized data center and everyday internet isn't well suited to moving insanely large chunks of data because of Bandwidth limitations, latency issues and unpredictable network disruptions, so to overcome this problem Edge computing is being adopted.

[MarjorieFreeman]

We hear about traditional computing just as much, if not more than edge, so thanks for explaining the differences. 

[Trevor]

When I see "Edge" all by its lonesome, with no other context, I automatically think about the network edge.  However, glancing at the label for the discussion, I noticed a reference to "Edge Computing", and I thought, "which direction do I want to go, left or right?"   As we all know, the "network edge", and "edge computing", are two different animals.  So, back to the orginal question, "What does Edge mean to you (me)?", without any context, I'm thinking network edge - maybe that's because I'm a lot more "connected" to networking side of IT.