Having servers at the edge is nothing new. IT leaders recognise that while they may want to centralise IT as much as possible to improve efficiency and reduce admin costs, there is a need to put systems, services and data closer to where they are required.
A content delivery network (CDN) uses a network of servers to cache data closer to where it is being consumed in order to speed up access. In 2020, James Staten, vice-president, principal analyst at Forrester, blogged that CDNs offer a way to pair endpoint-deployed applications with endpoint device content analysis. “Rather than simply enabling clients to push their apps and data closer to the customer, these edge technologies are collecting data from internet-of-things [IoT] devices and end-user mobile devices,” Staten wrote.
