Our thoughts on the future of digital innovation and the cloud.
The environmental benefits of cloud computing are many. There are simple ways to have a big impact on carbon reduction and regenerative practices, just from the way we do business today.
We live in a world where everything we do now can be done in a better way. From a young age, we are taught to share, and that sharing leads to caring. We now see that sharing resources helps impact the environment in a positive way, while opening up new economic opportunities. The Cloud is no exception.
Cloud computing offers exciting possibilities for helping the environment while improving your business practices and outcomes. Using a network or remote server hosted on the internet – rather than a physical server – to store, manage and process data, opens capacity and flexibility. Many companies still use local servers to manage their data. However, servers age or reach capacity. This means companies have to choose between investing in new hardware, or shifting to the cloud. Now looked at as a better alternative, the Cloud allows users to share resources in a secure environment, while maximizing the use (and cost) of a server.
Here are three ways cloud companies are helping the environment.
- Reducing the amount of waste
- Promoting remote work
- Using renewable power to run infrastructure
Reducing the amount of waste
Server space is finite. When capacity runs low, companies must purchase additional hardware. As companies grow, their need for more space can start to add up, physically and financially. Moving to the Cloud allows companies to manage their usage and be able to increase space when needed. This means that companies no longer need to pay for physical servers and the high maintenance fee to manage and upgrade their on-prem software every few years.
Promoting remote work
Creating a Cloud environment allows easy access for workers to retrieve files from remote locations. This benefits the environment by decreasing emissions, paper waste and energy consumption. Whether remote workers care if they are helping the environment is beside the point. Remote working conserves resources, and overall reduces greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel consumption, and energy usage.
Using renewable power
Cloud providers are using renewable power to run their infrastructure. Self-replenishing sources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat power the Cloud. These sources are eco-friendly and replenish on a human timescale. Companies drawing on the Cloud can feel good knowing that these Providers like Microsoft are using renewable energies to power their infrastructure, and increasing their consumption through renewable energies with milestone goals year after year. Overall, Microsoft has a goal to have a 75 percent reduction in their carbon emissions by 2030, relative to their 2013 base year.
Clients are pressing for innovations in the technology world to help the environment. As a result, companies are now making more decisions based on environmental implications due to evolving consumer buying habits. One sure way to innovate and move your company ahead is to digitally transform into the Cloud. This will not only help your business, but will reduce waste, decrease emission and, drive innovation in your industry.
