Whether you’re in tech, media, retail, or any other business with or without a digital presence, the biggest challenge you are facing is how to deliver something to the last mile. If I own a grocery store, while it’s easy for me to have a big warehouse where I store and sell goods, no one will drive there if it’s not convenient. This is the reason why stores are located close to their customers — so anyone can stop on their way home and pick up their weekly groceries. The biggest challenge for everyone has been how to deliver any product or service as conveniently and as fast as possible to the end user.

Amazon has disrupted the retail industry with its “same day” delivery, setting a very high bar for “last mile” delivery. Along the same lines, their acquisition of Whole Foods Market shows that they see a big opportunity in disrupting the perishable goods industry by streamlining its delivery chain and offering a more convenient experience for getting weekly groceries. Given the above examples, it is apparent that “edge” is not just a term for the computing industry — the concept is applicable to all customer facing industries.