edge computing
Processing data on or near the device instead of sending it all to a distant server.
Edge computing does work on the device or a nearby gateway -- filtering, aggregating, deciding -- to save bandwidth, cut latency, keep data private, or keep working offline.
Examples
A pump's vibration sensor that must stop the pump within 50 ms, even when the internet is down, has to make that decision on the device itself.
A greenhouse node that averages its readings and sends only a summary each minute, instead of every raw sample, is doing edge computing.
See also