Cisco Moving Apps to the Network Edge for Internet of Things

Cisco's IOx offering will include a Linux OS to help bring software to the network's edge, where data in the IoT is being generated.

Cisco Systems is looking to extend computing capabilities to the edge of the network, concept company officials are calling "fog computing" and a necessary step given the expected growth of the Internet of things.
At the Distributech smart grid event Jan. 29 in San Antonio, Cisco officials unveiled the networking vendor's new IOx platform, which is designed to bring distributed computing capabilities to the edge of the network by running applications directly on Cisco network devices, such as ruggedized switches,routers and IP video cameras.

The idea is to bring the computational capabilities needed to process and manage the massive amount of data generated by the billions of connected devices.which make up the Internet of things (IoT) out to where the data is being generated, rather than having to bring all that data all the way back into the data center.It also will increase the value of the network to end-user organizations,according to Guido Jouret, general manager of Cisco's Internet of Things Business Group.We believe that this turns the network into the fourth platform for computing (in addition to PCs,mobile and cloud),which will unleash new applications in manufacturing, transportation,smart cities and many other industries.