Edge computing is a rising topic of discussion in the tech industry. Mentions of edge computing technology in company filings have risen every year for the past five years, with 2021 H1 discussions surging by 17% compared to H1 2020, according GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Vishwas Vyas, Analyst at GlobalData, says: “The COVID-19 pandemic has not dampened the growth potential of edge computing, with companies repeatedly mentioning ‘Investment’ as a keyword in H1 2021 within ‘Edge Computing’ discussions. Companies are moving towards implementing edge computing systems in their distributed networks and the technology is touted to transform the tech industry along with 5G and artificial intelligence.”

As identified by GlobalData’s Filing Analytics Database, companies that are discussing edge computing are based in either the Asia-Pacific (APAC) or Europe regions. The need to accelerate digital transformation among APAC-based enterprises will provide a much-needed impetus for the technology. In 2020, GlobalData reported that the APAC region was set to be the second largest market, behind North America, for edge computing adaptation by 2024, with the growth primarily fueled by China and Japan.

Edge computing is expected to register double digit cumulative growth rates with an impressive rise in the total market value. Verticals such as energy and the utilities sector, healthcare, retail banking, and transport and logistics are likely to be the top beneficiaries of the technology.

Vyas concludes: “As different verticals realize the potential for edge computing, a 3% rise in sentiments around the technology has been witnessed in 2021* as compared to 2020. Sentiments are also expected to rise further in the future, as multiple industries adapt to data processing at source to increase customer satisfaction levels.”

* Until 31 August 2021