The Green Cloud: Grounded Reality or Smoke and Mirrors?
January 12, 2012
Cloud computing is making broad strides across the technology industry as more small and midsize businesses (SMBs) find benefit in having their data stored off-site and in getting infrastructure, software, and even platforms delivered on demand. While the concept of the cloud is not new–Hotmail was one of the first widely adopted pieces of software-as-a-service (SaaS) back in 1997–what is new is the way the cloud is being sold. According to providers, this technology is naturally energy-efficient, inherently a "green cloud" that can save on energy expenditures. But is this the real deal or just greenwashing hype?
What’s Behind the Cloud Curtain?
A recent article at Enterprise Irregulars discusses a presentation given by Tom Raftery, in which he argues that cloud computing is not as green as SMBs are led to believe. While the technology expands on the data center concept that’s been around since the 1960s and certainly improves on its efficiency, Raftery’s contention is that very few providers are "chasing the moon" (i.e., actually making sure they take advantage of things like low-cost power at night or moving their services from data center to data center as power rates fluctuate across the globe and over the course of a day)…
Raftery is also of the mind that the term "green cloud" doesn’t apply simply because SMBs are saving money–most providers are not releasing data about their energy usage, and it is difficult to know where savings are actually coming from. For a small business IT manager or CEO, green or not isn’t really a performance issue–it’s always great to reduce energy use, but not at the cost of a bottom line. For those in charge, the issue is knowing exactly where dollars are saved. For SMBs, the real question is whether money saved in telecommuting and local office server maintenance will truly be sustainable, or will the rates of cloud provision slowly creep up as use becomes widespread?
Changing the Game
Even if the green cloud can’t live up to its current hype, that may not be a problem for SMBs. Cloud providers are rapidly expanding their purview, and even "old school" companies like IBM are getting in on the game. According to a recent press release, Big Blue recently bought out Platform Computing, a Canadian company that develops cloud-based environments for global enterprises. What this kind of tech-giant move means is that the cloud really will be the next big thing for business computing of all sizes, and once enough diversity is present in the industry, calls will come for greater transparency in energy management.
Simply put, eco-concerns typically come in at the bottom of what’s important for an SMB using any new technology, so long as it doesn’t cost them more to use. Once the number of cloud computing providers grows enough to make competition more cutthroat, those that aren’t green, be they mainstream or outliers, will be forced to conform and get on the eco-friendly bandwagon if they want to see success.