Cloud, fog and edge: Cooperation for the future?

Traditional cloud-based infrastructures are not enough for the current demands of Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Two major issues are the limitations in terms of latency and network bandwidth. In recent years, the concepts of fog computing and edge computing were proposed to alleviate these limitations by moving data processing capabilities closer to the network edge. Considering IoT growth and development forecasts, we believe the full potential of IoT can, in many cases, only be unlocked by combining cloud, fog and edge computing. This paper discusses four possible approaches for distributing workload among these levels. We also highlight developments and possibilities as well as consider challenges for implementation in the areas of hardware, machine learning, security, privacy and communication.