Cloud Computing Relationships with Green IT

Perhaps, I should begin the discussion about cloud computing and green IT relationships with the statement that connection between the two concepts is not well established, and as far as cloud computing goes their is a lot “buzz”, confusion, and soon to come, disillusion. An article by Tom Jowitt in Network World illustrates this situation with the findings of Rackspace's Green Survey of 2009 that discloses skepticism about the green benefits of cloud computing, and demonstrates that cost savings and datacenter consolidation are current issues driving the green IT agenda (Jowitt 2009).

It is reported in the survey that cost savings are proving to be the biggest driver of decisions made about environmentally responsible ICT managers and that companies are still concerned with green initiatives, and are continuing on the track to sustaining and improving their environmentally friendly policies (Rackspace 2009). But in the 2009 edition of the Green Survey, Rackspace added a new question about whether its customers view cloud computing as a greener alternative to traditional computing infrastructure. The result was rather deceptive indicating that only 21% percent agreed that cloud computing was a much greener alternative, against 35% percent that were not convinced on its green benefits, as illustrated in the illustrations below.

Rackspace customer views on cloud computing as a greener alternative to traditional computing infrastructures? (Graphic courtesy of Rackspace)

Rackspace customer views on how cloud computing fit into their environmental initiatives (Graphic courtesy of Rackspace)

Furthermore, only 7% of Rackspace's customers think that cloud computing is critical to their company to become greener, and 46% say that cloud computing is not part of their overall environmental strategy.

Instead, the survey indicates that they are relying on more traditional green initiatives. Seventy one percent have undertaken or are focusing on recycling; 31% on datacenter consolidation; 29% on transportation (car pooling and travel restrictions); 10% on renewable energy; 10% on carbon footprint; and 2% on LEED certification (Rackspace 2009).

In order to better understand why a sizable proportion of Rackspace's customers have the perception that cloud computing is not critical for their company to become greener and that it is not part of their environmental strategy, we need to enter with some detail into what is intended behind the concept of green IT.

Green IT is an umbrella term that Forrester defines in (Washburn & Mines 2009, p.3) as “IT suppliers and their customers reducing the harmful environmental impacts of computing.” Forrester claims in (Washburn & Mines 2009, pp.3-4) that achieving green IT objectives in an organization implies five types of core activities.

Energy efficiency and management: Energy efficiency and management involves reducing energy expenses resulting from the sprawling of server and storage farms, intensive datacenter cooling, and distributed IT assets such as PCs and printers. It is, for most organizations, the major driving force towards Green IT. Energy efficiency can be improved by provisioning more efficient brands of PCs, monitors, power supplies, servers and cooling equipment. Environmental-aware procurement organizations are leaning towards equipment that complies with energy-efficient standards like Energy Star and Electronic, while Product Environment Assessment Tool (EPEAT) helps make the right purchasing decisions. Energy management, in turn, leans towards energy conservation by powering-down IT assets when not in use or by using renewable sources of energy.

Equipment and resource reduction: Reducing the IT equipment footprint by decommissioning and consolidating underutilized equipment reduces energy consumption and proactively curb electronic waste, or e-waste.

Life-cycle and e-waste management: To limit the fast growing proliferation of hazardous materials such as cadmium, lead, and mercury, CIOs should buy less ICT equipment, use less, lengthen the life cycles of ICT assets, and ensure the responsible reuse, recycling, and disposal of IT assets at their end of life.

Support for green corporate initiatives:The new corporate initiatives trend is prompting CIOs to better understand how to provide ICT infrastructure, applications, and expertise to improve the sustainability of business processes and operations outside of ICT, such as support for telecommuting and teleconferencing, paperless billing, building automation, and enterprise wide carbon and energy management.

Governance and reporting: Governance and reporting is viewed as an important process element to green IT, including setting goals, documenting policies, capturing best practices, and reporting progress.