The Impact of Edge Computing on Mobile App Development

Edge computing has revolutionized how people use mobile apps and how those offerings function. It has also increased opportunities for application development professionals. How does edge computing support their work and broaden their ability to meet consumers’ needs?

1. Enhanced Privacy

Since edge computing enables data processing closer to its source, user information travels shorter distances and may not leave a person’s device. Those advantages significantly reduce the chances of malicious parties compromising it. Using edge computing to strengthen cybersecurity is an excellent way to build people’s trust and position app developers at the forefront of proactive measures to protect user details. 

Research shows more people are concerned about what happens to their data when they use mobile apps, so an elevated focus on security could increase their confidence and make them more likely to download and engage with specific apps. 

According to a 2024 survey, 71% of respondents worried that their digital activities could increase security incident risks. Additionally, 69% felt concerned that people or organizations could track them through their devices. 

Although edge computing does not eliminate data security risks, app developers can make specific functionality decisions that minimize data traveling distances and processing methods.

Those changes could reassure current and potential app users that the developers care about privacy-centric practices and uphold them when possible. 

Tightened privacy is even more important when the data contains confidential or personal information. That type is the most enticing to cybercriminals because they can sell it on the dark web or manipulate breach victims into taking further actions that benefit those who stole the data. The breach of more than 51 million healthcare records in one year shows the problem’s magnitude. 

2. Updated Artificial Intelligence Development Opportunities

App developers work in a fast-paced world and must adapt their efforts to meet user demands and expectations. Edge-based applications that feature artificial intelligence (AI) represent an emerging trend. People are rapidly exploring how AI can improve their business and leisure activities, whether to categorize and find photos taken on a recent trip or analyze large quantities of data from an industrial plant to pinpoint process inefficiencies. 

Low latency is a much-discussed edge computing benefit, and it explains why many people believe such applications can help them work with critical data faster, extracting valuable insights from it. Analyses indicate computing costs will decrease as compute demands increase. Although AI applications are intensive, they could become progressively less so if more processing occurs on users’ devices. 

For that option to become widespread, people responsible for designing and manufacturing new products must stay familiar with app-related trends and how hardware will support them. Some forward-thinking tech executives have already responded by forming relationships with companies specializing in AI chips. These components can support artificial intelligence workloads, including those associated with edge apps. 

Consider when then-CEO of Intel, Pat Gelsinger, attended a 2024 company event and spoke positively about AI becoming a significant disruptor. He mentioned how, although only 5% of edge computing deployments involved AI and machine learning at the time, this number could increase to 50% by 2026. 

3. Increased Innovation

App developers can also position themselves as enablers of business innovation by releasing edge apps that meet identified needs and increase companies’ competitiveness. For example, many edge apps support real-time information analysis, allowing leaders to monitor activities occurring in multiple locations or remote areas. 

Since edge apps enable few or no delays in information processing, they can assist executives in making faster, more confident decisions to support the bottom line, increase productivity, and release cutting-edge products. When a 2023 survey encouraged C-suite executives from 16 countries to envision the next three years, edge computing formed a significant part of their plans. 

For example, 83% viewed it as essential to future competitiveness. Additionally, 81% of respondents recognized that they must act quickly to harness the technology’s full benefits. However, since 65% of respondents were using edge computing at the time of the study, more people still need to investigate how it fits into their businesses. 

Suppose app developers familiarize themselves with some of the most pressing business applications and make solutions to address them. Then, those offerings should encourage leaders to use apps as central pieces of their innovation goals, especially if they give them increased visibility through up-to-date data. 

App Development’s Future Includes Edge Computing

These are a few of the many ways edge computing advancements influence app developers’ work and impact related areas, such as hardware and cybersecurity. Tech professionals must stay abreast of these changes to assess the most effective responses that give them job security while improving their output and customer satisfaction rates.