For decades, web applications have followed a simple pattern: a user makes a request, it travels to a centralised server (often thousands of kilometres away), gets processed, and the response travels back. Edge computing fundamentally changes this model by moving computation closer to the user, to the 'edge' of the network.
Understanding Edge Computing
Edge computing distributes your application logic across a global network of servers positioned near end users. Instead of a single data centre in one region, your code runs on hundreds of edge locations worldwide. When a user in Sydney requests your application, the computation happens in Sydney, not in a data centre in Virginia.
This isn't just about caching static files (CDNs have done that for years). Modern edge platforms can run dynamic code, query databases, handle authentication, personalise content, and execute business logic, all at the edge.
Why Edge Computing Matters Now
Several converging trends have made edge computing practical and essential for modern web applications.
- User expectations for instant load times continue to rise. Sub second is the new baseline
- Global audiences require consistent performance regardless of geographic location
- Real time features like collaboration, chat, and live updates demand low latency
- Data sovereignty regulations require data processing within specific geographic boundaries
- The proliferation of IoT devices generates data that's more efficient to process at the edge
Edge Computing in Practice
Server Side Rendering at the Edge
Modern frameworks like Next.js can render pages at the edge, delivering fully formed HTML from the nearest edge location. This combines the SEO benefits and fast initial load of server rendering with the geographic distribution of a CDN. The result is pages that load in milliseconds regardless of where your users are.
Edge Middleware
Edge middleware runs before your main application logic, enabling powerful capabilities like A/B testing without client side flicker, geolocation based content personalisation, authentication and authorisation at the network edge, bot detection and rate limiting before requests hit your servers, and URL rewrites and redirects with zero latency.
Edge Databases
A new generation of databases is designed specifically for edge deployment. These distributed databases replicate data across edge locations, enabling sub millisecond reads from anywhere in the world. Technologies like SQLite at the edge, distributed key value stores, and globally replicated relational databases are making it possible to run full stack applications entirely at the edge.
The Performance Difference
The impact of edge computing on performance is substantial. Consider a user in Melbourne accessing an application hosted in the US East Coast. A traditional request might take 200 to 300ms for the network round trip alone, before any server processing. With edge computing, that same request is processed locally, reducing latency to single digit milliseconds.
For an e-commerce site, the difference between a 200ms and 50ms response time can mean a measurable increase in conversion rates. Speed isn't just a technical metric. It directly impacts revenue.
Getting Started with Edge Computing
The good news is that adopting edge computing doesn't require rebuilding your application from scratch. Platforms like Vercel, Cloudflare Workers, and AWS CloudFront Functions make it straightforward to start moving logic to the edge incrementally.
- 1.Identify latency sensitive parts of your application (authentication, personalisation, API responses)
- 2.Start with edge middleware for routing, redirects, and simple logic
- 3.Move server side rendering to edge runtimes for faster page loads
- 4.Evaluate edge compatible databases for read heavy workloads
- 5.Monitor performance improvements with real user metrics
At Encode Digital, we build applications on edge first architectures, leveraging platforms like Vercel and Next.js to deliver lightning fast experiences to users worldwide. If your application serves a global audience, edge computing isn't just a nice to have. It's a competitive necessity.
Cover photo by Taylor Vick on Unsplash
