Auston Matthews is a fog node. So are Tom Brady, Steph Curry, Cam Newton, Mike Trout and Jake Arrieta. But what's a fog node?

Fog nodes are a key element of fog computing, also known as edge computing, which is a relatively new concept in the technology industry. Simply put, fog computing allows companies to collect and act on data received from a sensor (or machine)as close to that sensor (or machine) as possible.

Fog computing is especially useful in manufacturing, where hundreds of machines and sensors on a plant floor are generating data about machine health, production status, and inventory levels. Rather than send all that information to your data center for analysis and instruction, fog nodes -often an industrial switch on your network -analyze and act on the dataright there. This decreases the time it takes to act on the information and frees up valuable resources in your data center.

What does this have to do with Auston Matthews and Tom Brady? Well, think about your factory floor as if it were a playing field. Your players are the fog nodes on your network, taking in data as-it-happens. The coaching staff is the data center, responsible for the season strategy.

Now imagine the Patriots are playing the Bills, and Buffalo's defensive line rushes towards Brady. But instead of reacting to the play, he looks to the sidelines and waits for Belichick to tell him what to do.

While he is waiting, Buffalo sacks him for a loss.

Or on the ice, the Maple Leafs are playing Chicago and Auston Matthews is forechecking near the Blackhawks goal. The puck gets away from the defender and lands on Matthews' stick. But instead of shooting, he skates to the bench to ask his coach what to do.

He doesn't score on the play.

The ability for players to take in their surroundings -data -and make split-second decisions based on those surroundings is what makes sports exciting. It's also what makes them fog nodes. If coaches are the data center, players are the nodes closest to the action (where data is being created) ... and they need to act on that data as quickly as possible.

Being a fog node is what makes Tom Brady pass out of the blitz and Auston Matthews take that shot. And it's what makes Steph Curry shoot the three when a defender steps back. Why? Because certain data needs to be processed immediately for the team to be successful.

Your plant floor is no different. Stop asking your players to check with the coach before every play, and read this whitepaper to learn more about how fog computing can improve your operations: