What is Latency? – Network Latency Explained – AWS

Although all businesses prefer low latency, it’s more crucial for specific industries and applications. The following are example use cases. 

Streaming analytics applications

Streaming analytics applications, such as real-time auctions, online betting, and multiplayer games, consume and analyze large volumes of real-time streaming data from various sources. Users of such applications depend on accurate real-time information to make decisions. They prefer a low-latency network because lag can have financial consequences. 

Real-time data management

Enterprise applications often merge and optimize data from different sources, like other software, transactional databases, cloud, and sensors. They use change data capture (CDC) technology to capture and process data changes in real time. Network latency problems can easily interfere with these applications’ performance.

API integration

Two different computer systems communicate with each other using an application programming interface (API). Many times, system processing stops until an API returns a response. Network latency thus creates application performance issues. For instance, a flight-booking website will use an API call to get information about the number of seats available on a specific flight. Network latency might impact website performance, causing it to stop functioning. By the time the website receives the API response and restarts, someone else might have booked the ticket, and you would have missed out. 

Video-enabled remote operations

Some workflows, such as video-enabled drill presses, endoscopy cameras, and drones for search-and-rescue, require an operator to control a machine remotely by using video. In these instances, high-latency networks are crucial to avoid life-threatening consequences.