Cloud Computing – Environment
Cloud computing is not only to reduce hardware costs. Danish studies show that significant energy savings are also to be found.
If you read just a little more about cloud computing, you already know that businesses can save a lot of material to move to cloud computing. One thing can be a longer life for old computers, but there are a lot of dollars to be saved on energy (and if it is a great corporation well as CO2 emissions). Recently, the Danish high speed (High Speed Board) issued a report showing that Denmark can save up to 55% on server power consumption.
Indicated by Højhastighedskommisionen savings are based on a report by IDC (International Data Cooperation) and comes with six different scenarios:
Scenario 1: The use of existing servers until 2013, without replacement. In this scenario, energy consumption and CO2 emissions will increase by 34% compared to now. Of course, since there is no replacement costs, hardware costs are reduced by 66%.
Scenario 2: the gradual replacement of old servers more energy efficient by 2013. This will increase energy consumption and CO2 emission 8% and material costs by 21%. Fully that will increase costs by 16%.
Scenario 3: Increased rates of replacement of old servers servers more efficient. This increases energy consumption and CO2 emissions by 6%, and hardware costs by 36%. In this model, we increase the total cost of 22%.
Scenario 4: Servers are virtualized in existing data centers. This will reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions by 33% in 2013 and the costs of equipment, with 14%. The total savings will be 22%.
Scenario 5: Servers are virtualized data center in downtown. This reduces energy consumption and CO2 emissions by 39% and 16% of the cost of hardware. Total savings of 26%.
Scenario 6: All that is outsourced to the cloud services available in the market. This will reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions by 55%.
Given that the Danish servers and data centers consume approximately 864 GWh per year, which is double the street lights all over the country, the adoption of cloud computing will prove to be a huge savings. Given the current prices of energy and hardware, could save 1000000000 DKK Denmark. ($ 182 million.) Year.
Although it is obviously an impressive, several issues must be examined by moving into the cloud. Like many data are collected in one place is more exposed to cyber crime. We have seen accidents and loss of data (eg with servers Irish Amazons). Moreover, since Denmark is a European country, we must also take into account the US Patriot Act. This means that if you put your data with a vendor who has a U.S. headquarters, the U.S. government gets access to your data.
