Selecting where to process data associated with Internet of Things (IoT) devices

A method comprising the steps of:

• receiving data associated with an Internet of Things (IoT) device;
• evaluating a plurality of processing factors related to the data by
• determining a local cost estimate defined by a pricing factor and a latency factor to have an edge device process the data, and
• determining a cloud cost estimate defined by a printing factor and latency factor to have a cloud computing device process the data, the cloud computing device being in communication with the edge device via the Internet;
• based on the step of evaluating the plurality of processing factors, comparing the local cost estimate with the cloud cost estimate to determine a lowest cost estimate and selecting where the data is processed based on the lowest cost estimate;
• utilizing a message router instantiated on the edge device to deliver the data in an application layer message, the application layer message delivered to a processor of the edge device for local processing or delivered to the cloud computing device for remote processing;
• storing a history of evaluations and selection, the evaluations related to evaluated local cost estimates and cloud cost estimates related to historic data associated with the IoT device, and the selections related to selected processing devices where the data associated with the IoT device is historically processed.

An edge device comprising:

• a message router;
• a processor;
• and
• a memory configured to store a program;
• wherein the program, when executed, causes the processor to
• receive data associated with one or more Internet of Things (IoT) devices,
• evaluate a plurality of factors related to processing of the data by
• determining a local cost estimate defined by a pricing factor and a latency factor to have the processor process the data locally, and
• determining a cloud cost estimate defined by a pricing factor and a latency factor to have a cloud computing device process the data, the cloud computing device being in communication with the edge device via the Internet, and
• decide where the data is processed based on a comparison between the local cost estimate and the cloud cost estimate to determine a lowest cost estimate,
• wherein, depending on the decision of where the data will be processed, the message router is configured to send the data to the processor for local processing or send the data to the cloud computing device for remote processing;
• wherein the message router is configured to deliver the data in an application layer message, the application layer delivered to the process for local processing or delivered to the cloud computing device for remote processing;
• and
• wherein the memory is further configured to store a history of evaluations and selections, the evaluations related to evaluated local cost estimates and cloud cost estimates related to historic data associated with the one or more IoT devices, and the selections related to selected processing device where the data associated with the one or more IoT devices is historically processed.