AWS Infrastructure Solutions BrandVoice: How The Edge Drives Innovation In 3 Major Industries

Edge computing systems are managing an increasing amount of data as businesses across industries realize how the technology can drive innovation.

The edge represents locations beyond centralized clouds where data is either processed or analyzed close to where it’s created. In many cases, this data is generated by a device, such as a camera or sensor, that is connected to the Internet of Things.

Edge technology at factories allows data analytics to flag damaged parts before they break. In healthcare, wearables worn by patients package data before sending to an edge server for analysis. The edge also provides immersive, multiplayer gaming experiences that are consistent across the world.

For one industry to the next, examples like these are easy to find.

But for businesses to evolve in these outward ways, technology leaders must have the right IT in place. Otherwise, the potential for innovation might not exist.

In this post, we explore how the manufacturing, healthcare and gaming industries are using edge computing to drive innovation—and how AWS is making that happen with infrastructure solutions and other services.

Putting An End To Emergency Repairs

There are many moving parts in factories that are subject to wear and tear—motors, pumps and values, among them. As parts malfunction, it may take technicians days to isolate, identify and remediate issues. But when intelligence is built into edge systems, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) metrics can quickly reach the right people, enabling them to detect and fix problems before they occur. At the same time, intelligent edge devices can access and analyze data beyond OEE metrics, addressing wider issues that arise in complex environments with many moving and interconnected parts. 

What Else Edge Can Do:

Improved Management Of Chronic Diseases

Patients are beginning to wear monitors in their day-to-day activities that transmit vital signs and other health data in real time to systems used by medical practitioners. Data analytics software that receives the transmissions provides clinicians with updates on changes to a patient’s health, such as the development of abnormal heart rhythms or a change in body temperature. With edge computing involved, clinicians have access to real-time analytics.

What Else Edge Can Can Do:

Immersive Gameplay That Meets Expectations

The vibrant gaming and esports industry sees the low latency enabled by edge computing as a way to provide more seamless and realistic experiences for players. Online gaming is global, and gaming companies typically need to locate their servers as close as possible to their players to deliver immersive and interactive experiences. With the rise of multiplayer gaming, the need for a level playing field becomes more critical. With edge computing, compute resources can be positioned as close as possible to gamers and other kinds of end-users.

What Else Edge Can Do: