Introduction 

Modern computing systems are much more advanced than we could have imagined. Gone are the old days of having to rely on everything on-premises. There is a chance that a lot of your systems are operating with almost little to no hardware support on-site too! 

Computing in the 21st century is rapidly progressing. For those businesses that are venturing into the world of eCommerce or those that are ascending rapidly, the choices can be many. And each choice that you take can determine the growth of your business. One of the most important ones is what sort of system you will use for your company. 

In the present day, there are mainly 4 main systems for computing: On-premises, cloud, fog, and edge. On-premises and cloud computing are perhaps the most important ones. Edge computing has an equal level of importance. Fog computing is an intermediary system that has relevance but its utility might be limited. We at Teckea believe that all computing systems have their own advantages and disadvantages. We cannot directly pit edge computing vs cloud computing or on-premise vs cloud or even cloud vs on-premise computing for that matter. Each system comes with its own merits and demerits. Today, we will take a closer look at each one and then determine which one is the right solution for your business. 

What is computing? 

Before we describe each one and break them down, let us first understand what computing systems are. 

A computing system can be described as the process of executing commands to achieve a specific goal by computing devices. A computing device can be both software and hardware. The differences between the types of computing systems mainly have to deal with location and the amount of control you can exercise over it.   

On-Premise computing 

On-premise computing or “on-prem” as it is referred to colloquially, is a system wherein the resources required to operate are located on-site. By resources we mean the servers and the hardware. This sort of system is the most robust and lightning-fast. However, it isn’t easy to scale. When you are considering whether to opt for cloud vs on-premise always factor in the scalability. If your business is growing, consider the cloud as it allows for room to expand.

The main advantage is that you will have complete control over the system.  

Cloud computing 

The most popular form of computing in the 2020s, cloud computing is when organizations and businesses do not have full control over the computing system. They also take place on resources such as servers outside your premises. Generally, when businesses operate more than a local scale, cloud computing is key. 

The biggest difference when it comes to on-premise vs cloud is that your business can still exercise a certain level of control over things, however, if anything goes wrong your business operations and computing systems will be at the mercy of the cloud provider. In most cases, your business can determine the type of software the computing systems will be running and when to deploy it, however, it may not be able to do anything in case of a power outage. 

The other forms are fog and edge. When we take a look at edge computing vs cloud computing we will see that both are similar and yet, edge computing is even more nuanced than cloud-based systems. We will dive into that later, but first, let’s see what fog computing is. 

Fog computing 

The intermediary systems, fog computing is for businesses that have scaled up considerably and are trying to reach customers who are far out. Fog computing systems are closer to the customer and are designed to deliver the end user enough computation power required to execute tasks. This could be something as simple as viewing your business’ website. Fog computing is used to trim down latency issues. It is very good to use when the data usage for computation is less and where speed is a priority. Click on this link to understand how fog computing can save time.    

Edge computing 

Now we come to edge computing, which is the final piece of the puzzle. Edge computing is useful in systems that are the farthest away from the source, i.e. your business. It is most useful when systems are running on the client’s device. Perhaps the most simple example of edge computing would be a mobile app running on a client’s device. Edge computing allows for more instantaneous decision-making when the on-premises systems are far apart. Refer to this link to understand the differences between edge computing vs cloud computing vs fog computing. 

Frequently Asked Questions on the topics 

Now to help you understand the topic further, some broken-down FAQs. 

What is the difference between cloud and edge and on-premise? 

Each system represents the distance from the organization. When we compare on-premise vs cloud we are comparing the robustness of the system and how close it is to the source. On-premise systems are the fastest and the easiest to scale. It also has the highest latency. 

Cloud computing is equally fast and scalable if not better and it has a much lower latency. Cloud computing also offers you much higher computing power. 

When we look at edge computing vs cloud computing, the key differences lie in scalability and speed. Edge computing is the hardest to scale as it is closest to the end-point user. Its computing power is also highly limited by the user themselves. However, it has the least latency. Any decision-making can be done almost instantaneously.  

Which is better cloud computing or edge computing?

This a tough question to answer. Each system has its own advantages and disadvantages. A classic breakdown would be that edge computing is best for cases when you need low latency between the user and your business. It also helps when there is a need for a faster connection. Cloud computing is more useful if you are processing huge amounts of data. Each system has its own merits, if you ask us edge computing vs cloud computing is dependent entirely on what utility it serves to you. 

How do I choose between on-premise and cloud? 

If there is a need for more security and control over the data, on-premise is the better solution. If you need more workload on the systems to be done regularly, the cloud is the optimal solution. 

What would be an ideal solution for using edge computing solutions? 

The ideal scenario for edge computing solutions would be when there is a need for the data to be processed in real-time, i.e. instantly. There can be no delays. Edge computing is ideal for reducing latency. 

Conclusion 

Now that you are well aware of the kinds of computing systems that your business can utilize, you can choose the optimal one. Remember that each system has its own distinct advantages and disadvantages. We at Teckea can help you understand each system thoroughly and aid you in making informed decisions.