DALLAS, TX – Compass Datacenters has published an article clearing up the confusion around seemingly interchangeable terms like fog, cloud, and even edge computing. While the ambiguity associated with new technologies can be frustrating, the article, entitled “CLOUD COMPUTING VS. FOG COMPUTING: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?” helps to explain the differences, as subtle as they might appear. The article states: 

“Edge and fog computing are often used interchangeably as both move computational processes and data storage closer to end users. It’s the subtle distinction in where the intelligence and computing power reside which serves as the primary difference between the two. In the fog architecture, the LAN is the home for these functions. Connected devices transmit data to a gateway where it is forwarded for processing and return transmission. In the cloud model, these computational and storage resources are anywhere but local. The distinct advantage here is that in the fog model, your latency is significantly reduced, as are transmission and backhaul costs associated with longer transmission times and distances. In short, if you need instant, you need to get out of the cloud.” 

But it isn’t that cut and dried. When you start talking about edge computing, things get a little murky. Is the edge the fog? The article continues:

“If you think that the fog and edge are terms of distinction without a difference, you’d be mostly correct – which also means you’d be partially wrong… Edge supporters see a structure that has fewer potential points of failure since every device operates autonomously to determine which data is processed and stored locally or forwarded to the cloud for more in-depth analysis. Fog enthusiasts (Foggers? Fogheads?) believe that the architecture is more scalable and provides a more comprehensive view of the network and all of its data collection points.” 

So the terms merit their existence and do represent a modicum of distinction – once you dig down into their meanings. In short, don’t sweat the terms too much, at least for now: 

“New terminology will continue to arise in an attempt to put a name to a new mode of operation or application. However, if we are destined to remain “too clever by half” then it’s better that we apply said cleverness towards the development of the actual supportive architecture rather than what we choose to call it.”

Founded in 2011 by CEO Chris Crosby, Compass Datacenters is a worldwide leader in core and edge data center solutions for companies of all sizes and offers scalable data center solutions.

For more information, visit compassdatacenters.com/solutions or follow @DataCenterFairy on Twitter.

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