Why Aren’t We Putting Our Processing Power Next to Our Data?

In the physical world, industries strategically set up processing centres close to their core resources to cut down on costs and risks associated with transporting large volumes of materials. Think about car making, shipbuilding, or chip manufacturing – they’re placed to minimise logistical hassles. So why should data processing be any different?

The Downsides of Centralised Data Processing

Transferring data across different parts of a cloud or between different environments (on-premises or on yet more clouds) can be a real headache. While a centralised data processing approach might seem easier, it comes with several significant drawbacks:

• Expense: If you centralise your data processing, you have to move your data at least twice: once centrally to process and once to store.  If you’re using the cloud, data transfer fees, bandwidth usage, and additional storage requirements can quickly add up.
• Latency: Centralised data processing can be slower. Delays in data transmission can result in longer response times that impact real-time applications.
• Security: Much like in the real world, data in transit is more vulnerable. Transferring data across networks exposes it to potential hackers, and crossing geographical boundaries complicates regulatory compliance, adding to the overall security and complexity challenges.
• Context: Processing data away from its original environment can strip away the context that gives it value. For example, Azure Data Factory doesn’t like geo-spatial data but removing it may lead to less informed business decisions.

Keep Your Data Processing Close

To avoid these pitfalls, organisations should implement solutions that enable data processing close to where the data is stored. Safe Software’s FME solves our distributed data processing woes.

FME puts processing power exactly where you need it

You can easily install an FME processing engine anywhere – in Azure, AWS, on-cloud, or on-premises – and control it remotely. This means FME’s market-leading capabilities are put exactly where you need them, right next to your data.

You can control up to 1,000 engines from a single, centralised location, making it incredibly easy to deploy, monitor, and maintain your processing power. This saves you time and slashes complexity.

FME offers a comprehensive, secure, and scalable solution that excels with spatial data. So, why not make the smart move with FME and keep your data processing close to home?