Overview
ISO/IEC TR 23188:2020 - Information technology - Cloud computing - Edge computing landscape is a technical report from ISO that surveys the landscape of edge computing, its relationship to cloud computing and IoT, and the key technologies and design considerations for implementing edge systems. Rather than prescribing mandatory requirements, the report describes concepts, architectural foundations, terminology and practical technologies used at the edge, emphasizing how cloud technologies (virtualized compute, storage and networking) support distributed, low-latency and bandwidth-sensitive applications.
Key topics and technical coverage
The document explores a broad set of technical topics relevant to edge deployments:
- Concepts and architecture: definitions of edge computing systems, architectural foundations and tiering between device, edge and cloud.
- Terminology: consistent terms for edge, IoT devices, real-time systems and management planes.
- Software classifications: firmware, platform software, services and applications - and their roles at the edge.
- Supporting technologies: virtualization, containers, serverless computing, microservices, and virtual machines as enablers of modular edge services.
- Networking: proximity, access, services and user networks; and virtual networks for flexible connectivity at the edge.
- Data: data flow, data storage and data processing patterns, plus metadata and virtual placement of data and software.
- Management and orchestration: management plane, control plane and data plane concepts; orchestration, resource and QoS management.
- Security and privacy: secure nodes/devices, connectivity and organizational security elements; privacy considerations for PII at the edge.
- Real time: latency and determinism factors, and design approaches for real-time edge systems.
- Mobile edge computing: edge interactions with mobile devices and mobility-related considerations.
Practical applications and users
ISO/IEC TR 23188:2020 is useful for:
- System architects and cloud/edge architects designing distributed, latency-sensitive systems
- IoT solution designers integrating sensors/actuators with edge nodes
- Network and telecom engineers planning edge-enabled virtual networks and MEC (mobile edge computing)
- DevOps and platform teams adopting containers, serverless and microservices for edge deployments
- Security, privacy and compliance teams assessing edge-specific risks and controls
- Product managers evaluating edge use cases (industrial IoT, autonomous systems, AR/VR, smart cities)
Practical benefits include guidance on placing compute/storage near data sources, selecting supporting technologies, and understanding trade-offs in latency, bandwidth and security.
Related standards
- ISO/IEC TR 30164 (edge computing from IoT device viewpoint) - recommended companion reading
- Produced by ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 38 (Cloud computing and distributed platforms)
Keywords: edge computing, cloud computing, IoT, containers, serverless computing, microservices, virtual networks, data flow, data storage, security, privacy, real time, mobile edge computing.