IEEE Access Special section Editorial: Mobile edge computing and mobile cloud computing: Addressing heterogeneity and energy issues of compute and network resources

Abstract

Mobile applications are advancing toward higher network and compute requirements, which are similar to the requirements of server applications. Users prefer to perform their tasks on the go from mobile devices instead of stationary desktop and server systems. Modern mobile applications limit mobile battery times as charging is lost quickly due to high processing and data demands. Resources other than energy are also limited in mobile devices (memory, CPU millions of instructions per second, etc.).Mobile edge computing (MEC) technologies facilitate resource-scarcemobile devices to enhance their capabilities and execute data/computeintensive applications while collaborating with resource-rich network servers to enable ubiquitous computing. On the other hand, mobile cloud computing provides higher resources for applications that have low response requirements (noninteractive applications). Bothmobile edge computing andmobile cloud computing enable technologies for Internet of Things (IoT), smart grids, and e-health applications.