Fog computing is a layer of computation, storage, and networking that can reside between IoT sensors and the cloud to allow for faster response times and improved security, explains Charles Byers, technical leader and platform architect at Cisco Systems (News - Alert).
Cisco is also the Diamond Sponsor of a new and exciting event happening next month in California that offers anyone with an interest in the fast-growing Internet of Things a chance to learn about fog computing and network with industry leaders in this space.
The Fog Computing Conference takes place Nov. 19 and 20 in San Jose.
This event will cater to anybody with concerns about how IoT and the Internet of Everything will work for them. It will address cost profiles, how much network bandwidth sensors will require, and how security can be addressed.
The idea for fog computing came about when Cisco Systems discovered latency and potential security issues with scenarios that included only sensors and the cloud, says Byers, who will provide the opening speech at the Fog Computing Conference.
When sensor data has to go all the way to the cloud to be accessed and analyzed, that can introduce delay, and the longer the path the data takes, the more likely it is to be accessed by unauthorized parties, Byers explains.
That can be a real problem for mission-critical applications like transportation control where fast and reliable information about signaling, for example, can mean the difference between life and death. (Latency and security are also very important for other IoT applications, such as in the oil and gas arena, where slow response times can add up to big bucks.) With fog computing, however, a box could be located near sensors by light rail tracks, for example, to reduce or even eliminate latency issues, he says.
In addition to Byers, whose presentation will offer an introduction to fog computing, the Fog Computing Conference will feature Cisco Senior Technical Leader Rodolfo Milito, who will discuss fog support for emerging IoT applications; Carlos Morales, technical leader of Cisco’s software group architecture team, offering a vision for fog software and application architecture; and Don Banks, distinguished engineer-CTG architecture, presenting information about security considerations and implement for fog platforms.
The Fog Computing Conference, whose other sponsors include PLAT.ONE, WI-NEXT, and Opengear (News - Alert), will also include speakers from a variety of other industry experts.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi
Back to Fog Computing