Government IT teams are discovering use cases, particularly in smart cities, where transferring everything to a cloud data center is becoming the best solution.
FREMONT, CA: Local government IT managers, are moving applications and data centers to the cloud by utilizing cloud-first initiatives. However, the approach is changing as IT administrators gain experience with the cloud. Local government IT teams are discovering use cases, particularly in smart cities, where transferring everything to a cloud data center isn't always the best solution. Agencies are now talking about cloud-smart rather than cloud-first strategies. Traditional applications like driver's licenses, voter registration, and traffic fines function flawlessly in the cloud. However, various new applications powered by the Internet of Things gadgets, including next-generation video cameras, necessitate a nuanced data gathering, storing, and analysis method.
Determine the availability of storage and network connectivity
The most frequently cited justifications for moving portions of an application to a pure edge or hybrid edge architecture from a cloud data center are network connectivity, bandwidth, and latency. A great example is video surveillance equipment. While consumer-grade security manufacturers embrace cloud-based network video recorders (NVRs), massive structures and county- or city-wide video networks frequently use on-premises edge computing. The teams in charge of these cameras' physical protection are worried about the chain of custody, privacy, and integrity of their data, which frequently leads them to prefer on-premises solutions.
Analyze edge device security
Either total security or data sovereignty may drive IT teams toward edge computing. Even while cloud service providers have made great efforts to ease the security worries of business and government clients, some applications may still need the extra security assurances provided by an on-premises data center. Additionally, some CIOs may feel strongly about moving from cloud computing to edge data centers and edge computing to protect their organization's most sensitive data on-site.
Identifying electrical power needs for IoT
Budgets for electrical usage offer the third factor to take into account. IoT designs can be significantly impacted by the availability or lack of power, which will also affect how IoT device data is gathered and processed. IoT devices and networking go hand in hand, but which computing scenarios are the most believable and trustworthy will depend on whether a device has access to unlimited power and networking via a Power over Ethernet connection or must rely on a battery and Bluetooth connections. Regarding edge computing, local government IT teams don't have to choose between the two.
