While transitioning to the cloud could be the end goal for your company, there's another trend that driving the way workplace data is accessed and structured: "fog computing." There are many similarities between these two terms, but as a recent Information Week piece by Andrew Froehlich explains, the fog is more focused on disseminated communication between devices, away from a "hub" data center.
One of the trends driving the growth of fog computing is the Internet of Things, an increase in the number of devices used to gather data from specialized sources. Edge devices and routers are also a key component of the fog: according to Forelich, a "wireless mesh on the edge" promotes network connections between devices that are physically close together.
The term "fog computing" seems to have come from Cisco, which is using it to spotlight a more selective approach to managing data in a decentralized environment. BizTech recently quoted Todd Baker of Cisco, who parsed out why the "fog" represents an important IT trend.
"Fog distributes enough intelligence out at the edge so we can manage this torrent of data," Baker said. "So we can change it from raw data into real information that has value that then gets forwarded up to the cloud. We can then put it into data warehouses; we can do predictive analysis."
Taking advantage of massive amounts of available data is a priority for many enterprises, no matter how it manifests itself. A portal integration system setup makes it easier to manage different functions and expand the scope of information included in regular processes through an inclusive means of access. Businesses have the option to customize the portals they use for older application integration to make sure they maintain use of functions in all screen-based settings.