How edge computing, IoT and 5G will play a crucial role in revamping hospitality industry?

Hospitality industry is one of the sectors that was worst hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, while the sector has turned towards adopting technology to help it bounce back in the game, edge computing is one of the disciplines that can transform this industry. Edge computing is a distributed computing paradigm that decentralizes data storage and processing, bringing it closer to the data source. Here, data processing occurs near-source instead of a centralized cloud where the data is shipped over long network round trips. It is a variant of cloud computing, corroborating to be an effective runtime platform to help solve unique challenges across telecommunications, media, transportation, logistics, agricultural, retail, and other market segments.

Edge computing offers three key advantages: low latency, low bandwidth, and more security. This means it solves the limitations of the cloud's ability to support requirements for minimal latency, disconnected operation, massive data and computation, and risk of data theft, all while enabling real-time data processing. Global consultancy Bain & Company suggested that COVID-19 lockdowns may accelerate the shift to edge computing since "dramatic shifts in traffic patterns have exposed weaknesses in network infrastructure, strengthening the case for investments in technology that reduces bottlenecks.

Further, edge evolved to be one of the hottest topics in technology today thanks to the increasing number of IoT devices and gadgets. Since IoT devices generate massive amounts of data, and with the surge in IoT devices collecting data growing, data volume is set to continue growing exponentially. Therefore, moving data analytics to the edge platforms can analyze and stream data simultaneously. This enables enterprises in every industrial niche to the insights they need, right where they need them.

Due to the competitive nature of the hospitality industry market, almost every kind of hospitality setting is looking to deploy IoT systems to enhance the customer experience. This is because IoT deployments have the potential to serve as an essential competitive differentiator since it has a broad and easily recognized impact on hotels, restaurants, amusement parks, resorts, and more. Some of the IoT based services include service automation, hyper-personalization, predictive maintenance, and so on. E.g.,  a Room IoT platform could, over time memorize a guest's specific comfort preferences and automatically set up the room for their next stays, such as room and water temperature, lighting, and TV channels.

IoT, coupled with slowing maturing 5G network, could mean improvements in speed, capacity, and latency. So when paired with edge computing, it would mean, provision of better guest and associate experiences. This would imply 5G is the key ingredient to facilitating real-time collaboration between people and devices and between devices. This will further boost service automation and hyper-personalized options based on sensor feedback and preferences in real-time.

So, while IoT can help make the hospitality industry become smart in the digital age, edge computing can help offer streamlined and enhanced customer services in real-time, powered by 5G. And this infrastructure can drive the newest innovations and opportunities for this sector at fractional costs and better ROI.