Premium Essay

Computing Goes Green

In: Business and Management

Submitted By Lod15
Words 1092
Pages 5
CASE STUDY QUESTIONS

1. What business and social problems does data center power consumption cause?

Excessive power consumption uses vast amount of electricity that must be generated through hydroelectric plants or coal-fired power plants. While hydroelectric generation plants are less stressful on the environment than coal-fired, nevertheless, they do pull resources from more useful purposes. Coal-fired power plants generate huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere which some scientists and politicians claim is a major cause of global warming. Social implications of increased power consumption point to global warming.

2. What solutions are available for these problems? Which are the most environment-friendly?

Some of the solutions to cut power consumption discussed in the case study are a good beginning. Building data centers that take advantage of hydroelectric power generation rather than coal-fired power plants; renewable energy projects; alternative energy; employee telecommuting; thin client computers, software that automatically turns computers off; more efficient chips. Perhaps the most environment-friendly solutions are those that control the hardware and software, thereby controlling the problem at its source. Virtualization holds great promise as a way to reduce power requirements by reducing the number of servers required to run applications.

3. What are the business benefits and costs of these solutions?

Even though it may cost a business up-front money to install hardware and software that reduces power requirements, it will save a business a lot of money in the long run by reducing the amount it pays for electricity to run the equipment and cool it at the same time. Businesses that reduce their power needs help the environment and can promote themselves as environment-friendly.

4. Should all

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Computing Goes Green

...convening high-level negotiations on how best to address the rising threat of global warming, and public apprehension about the phenomenon at an all-time high, it's encouraging to note several recent developments coming from the high-tech sector. It's about time. Our ever-shrinking world is abuzz with activity attempting to address the manmade rise of greenhouse gases. Eco-visionary James Lovelock published a radical idea in Nature to increase ocean uptake of CO2 through giant ocean tubes. New Zealand has kicked off an ambitious plan to get 90% of its energy from renewable sources by 2025. JC Penney, Office Depot and Kohl's have announced green building plans. In May, General Electric said it had doubled sales from environmentally friendly products, to $12 billion over, in two years. One need only take a look at any online discussion thread of green issues to see anxiety, and often outright ridicule, about the sizable ecological impact so many of us Web surfers are having. Computers are hard to (and rarely) recycled, and when they are, it's typically in developing nations by people without proper training or safety gear. Often they are children. That's distressing, because today's computers are made with a sizable amount of lead, cadmium, brominated fire retardants and plastics that can leach toxic breakdown products. While processor speed has faithfully followed Moore's Law, energy use has also swelled, as more and more people are able to afford hardware, and mobile devices have...

Words: 953 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Computing Goes Green

...Introduction – This assignment is done on the basis of finding of ratio of three companies and interpreting the ratios of the three companies of last five years. Financial ratio analysis is the selection, evaluation and interpretation of financial data in easier ways to understand ratios which have been identified as critical indicators of financial performance of the business and can be used for strategy and decision making. Basically financial analysis is popularly used to compare a firm’s financial performance over a period of time. The advantages of ratio analysis are – 1) Ratio analysis helps in knowing the efficiency of the business. 2) It helps in knowing the profitability of business 3) It helps to compare the performance with previous years and see whether there is improvement or reduction in performance 4) Ratio helps in comparing the rivals or industry standards to see comparative performance. Here the ratio of three retail giants have been analyzed for past five years, the three giants are Pantaloons, Westside and Shopper’s Stop, the balance sheet and P&L account is taken into consideration from the year 2007 to 2011 and based on those information ratio has been calculated and interpretation is made on that basis of the data collected from source. Retail sector as we know is quite challenging and dynamic sector and in this sector the companies which are been chosen by me as – Pantaloons, Shopper’s Stop and Westside are all renowned retail...

Words: 3584 - Pages: 15

Free Essay

I Nformation Technology

...campus. The discussion starts off with a background and purpose of the research project, and then it explains the research focus and gives a brief overview of the project‘s approach towards a literature research. History of Green computing In 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launched Energy Star, a voluntary labeling program which is designed to promote and recognize energy-efficiency in monitors, climate control equipment, and other technologies. This resulted in the widespread adoption of sleep mode among consumer electronics. The term "green computing" was probably coined shortly after the Energy Star program began; For a PC disposal, it is necessary to know everything there is to know in order to be involved in green computing. Basically, the whole green aspect came about quite a few years back when the news that the environment was not a renewable resource really hit home and people started realizing that they had to do their part to protect the environment. Basically, the efficient use of computers and computing is what green computing is all about. The triple bottom line is what is important when it comes to anything green and the same goes for green computing. This considers social...

Words: 2205 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Mr. Na

...Green Computing Research Project – Part 1 CIS 517 – IT Project Management Green Computing Research Project Computer science educators are uniquely positioned to promote greater awareness of Green Computing, using the academic setting to encourage environmentally conscious use of technology. This paper reports on practical techniques that can engage faculty and students, enabling Green Computing to be integrated into the classroom and research laboratory. Analysis and empirical evaluation of each reported technique is given, comparing the efficacy of each in terms of energy, environmental and financial cost savings. These results are provided as technological and economic evidence for the benefits of “Going Green,” and to promote education in Green Computing in the classroom, department and research lab (Shen, W, 2005). We Are Big, Inc. is an international firm with over 100,000 employees in different countries. The goal of the project is to find environment friendly energy resources to reduce cost and increase energy efficiency. Green Computing Research Project has been authorized on January 24, 2013 as the date of authorization. Project Name: Green Computing Research Project Date of Authorization: January 24, 2013 Project Manager: Hatem Numan 1-320-761-8787 Hatem@wearebig.com Project Start date: January 24, 2013 Project End: July 24, 2013 Project budget: $500,000 Project Objectives: The objectiveof the project is to preparea detailed...

Words: 714 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Green Computing

...Green computing, green IT or ICT Sustainability, is the study and practice of environmentally sustainable computing or IT. In the article "Harnessing Green IT: Principles and Practices", San Murugesan notes that this can include "designing, manufacturing, using, and disposing of computers, servers, and associated subsystems—such as monitors, printers, storage devices, and networking and communications systems — efficiently and effectively with minimal or no impact on the environment."[1] The goals of green computing are similar to green chemistry: reduce the use of hazardous materials, maximize energy efficiency during the product's lifetime, and promote the recyclability or biodegradability of defunct products and factory waste. Many corporate IT departments have green computing initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of their IT operations.[2] Green ICT and its services present opportunities to deliver low carbon footprints and mitigate carbon emissions because of the unique ability to make energy consumption and green house gas emissions visible through its products and services.[3] Definition - What does Green Computing mean? Green computing is the environmentally responsible and eco-friendly use of computers and their resources. In broader terms, it is also defined as the study of designing, manufacturing/engineering, using and disposing of computing devices in a way that reduces their environmental impact. Many IT manufacturers and vendors are continuously...

Words: 512 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

It in Business

...Case study 1 IT – Indistinguishable from Magic University of Illinois Abstract The objective of this paper is to study how Business strategy, Green computing, Ecommerce and Web 2.0 helps organization to sustain in competitive advantage. First part of this paper consists of how differentiation strategy assists company to stand uniquely in the market. The business strategy of Lego Company has been studied to understand Focused differentiation and Broad Differentiation strategies. Green Computing stands as the second part of this paper which contains the ‘Go Green’ activities of Cognizant technology Solutions, how Cognizant successfully saved tremendous amount of energy by implementing these activities. Later, Ecommerce has been discussed. Ecommerce involves commercial transactions through internet without any obstacle of place and time. The online website of delicious Papa John’s Pizza represents a good example for B2C type of ecommerce. Last part of paper contains the advent of web 2.0. Zara is one of the leading fashion companies which gained a remarkable amount of profit by implementing web 2.0. In this way Green computing and Information system plays an important role in the competitive world. Organizational strategy: To maintain the market position in the competitive world, company has to choose and enable the organizational strategy with the help of information technology. One of the ways to compete successfully is to make the unique...

Words: 2115 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Green Computing

...Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied. scanned. or duplicated. in whole or in pan. C.2 Appendix C Natalie. overseeillg {he program. There arc several projects undcTIlcmh {his program, olle being the Greell Computing Hcscarch Project , The CIO and projcC! sponsor. Be ll, has givell this project high priority and plans {() hold special imcr"icws to hand -pick (he project manager and team. Bell is aL~o a memher of {he program sleeTing commincc. Be fore coming to We Are mg, Inc., Be ll sponsored a project at a large eom pmcr firm to imprOl'c d ata cemcr efficiency. This projcct , however, is much broader thall tim! one was. The main purpose o f the GrL'e1l COmputing Hcscarch Project is ({) research possible applicatiolls o f green L'()lllptHing including: Data cen ter and {wcrall e nergy dficicllcy The d isposal o f clcc!Ton ic WlISIe and recycling Telecommuting Virtua!iz;1tioll of server resourccs Thill dicm solmiolls u,," of 01"''' "oun.,,, ""flw"r", "",.1 Dcvelopmcm o f IlCW software 10 addrcss green computing for imcrnal use alld pOlelltial sale 10 mher orgall izatiolls Thc budgel for [he projcct was S500, 000, ami thc blo::ll \\1IS 10 provide all cxtensll'e report, illcludillg detailctl financial analysis alld recommelldations 0 11 what green compming lechnologies [0 implemem . OffiCial project re(luest forms for thc rccommcllded solutions would also he crcaled a ~...

Words: 521 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Green It

...Contents Page 1. Introduction 2. Conclusion 3. Appendices 4. Reference Green Information Technology (Green IT) refers to environmentally sustainable computing that addresses both IT and related sustainability problems. Over recent years, Green IT has become one of the world`s top important issues as both organizations and governments came under pressure to address the environmental sustainability concerns about Green IT. According to Elliot et.al, 2008, despite the increasing concerns from governments, businesses and organizations to Green their IT, their capability towards Green It still remains questionable as there is not much literature that has modelled a Green It capability construct and developed a valid and reliable instrument to measure this construct. The main purpose of this paper is to highlight the key impacts of Green Information Technology and to identify the intuitiveness and key dimensions of organizations to develop a reliable and valid operation toward Green IT. This study can be considered as a preliminary attempt to construct an understanding towards the impact and the progressive reliable instrument that organizations used building towards the “Green It” concept. This paper is structured as follows: First; the understanding of Green It which includes the impact and the advantages of Green It .Second; the implementation and the development of the Green It concept by the organization and the society....

Words: 2206 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Public Service and Green It

...Information Systems and Green IT Strategies 2010 Submitted: 18/10/2010 Prepared by: Varun Kewal (Student No: W0103335) varun_kewal@hotmail.com Word Count: 2,847 words Letter of Transmittal Green Tech Pty Ltd 23 Virtual Drive Technology Park, QLD 4125 18 October 2010 The Director Smart Service Queensland 37 Creek Street Brisbane QLD 4000 Dear Ms Jeans, Please find attached our report analysing the IT infrastructure for SSQ and value that can be added with the implementation Green IT strategies. As discussed with you in our meeting on 2 August, we have focused on the issues and challenges being faced by the current IT infrastructure and possible solutions. We have paid particular attention to the IT Infrastructure Ecosystem in place and have provided a breakdown of the different hardware and software in place currently and what opportunities exist to make improvements to improve processing power as well as realise savings in the long run. Our analysis highlighted that there are issues and challenges currently being faced due to the current IT Infrastructure in place. We recommend that you proceed with the replacement of current IT hardware that is nearly at the end of it’s 5 year cycle as already identified by the ICT Manager Steve Young. I wish to take this opportunity to thank Mr Young for making himself available to provide invaluable data to assist with this report. We have also identified a number of ways where Green IT can help extend...

Words: 4468 - Pages: 18

Free Essay

Green Computing Project

...Green Computing Research Project By James C. Frazier Part1 The purpose of this Green Computing Research Project is to research possible applications of green computing for We Are Big Incorporated. First, I want to define what is Green Computing: Environmental responsibility and sustainability in computing and/or IT systems, including overall energy efficiencies, responsible disposal of electronic waste and recycling programs, telecommuting, virtualization of server resources, thin client solutions, using open source software, and the development of new software to address green computing. In an article Harnessing Green IT: Principles and Practices, by San Murugesan defines the field of green computing as "the study and practice of designing, manufacturing, using, and disposing of computers, servers, and associated subsystems such as monitors, printers, storage devices, and networking and communications systems efficiently and effectively with minimal or no impact on the environment.” The applications being closely researched are as follows: * Data center and overall energy efficiency: Is a basic Energy Star program for organizations and using technology or data centers for multi-user/departmental uses. Cities teaming up with businesses to use tools like smart meters, data visualizations and even mobile technology to promote energy efficiency and urban sustainability. Quoting a report State of the World Report, by Diana Lind...

Words: 3528 - Pages: 15

Free Essay

Greening the Supply Chain at Danaher

...globe are seeking energy-efficiency, new environmental programs, and related methods to protect the fragile business environment. Danaher is among one of the companies leading environmental initiatives and identifying opportunities to “Green” their supply chain. Greening a supply chain can be achieved by implementing a process of using environmentally friendly agents and transforming them into byproducts that can be improved or recycled within the existing environment. This process develops outputs that can be reclaimed and re-used at the end of their life-cycle thus, creating a sustainable supply chain where companies can reduce costs while helping the environment. At Danaher, many times these initiatives are the result of federal regulatory initiatives or are customer driven. In an interview with John Dion, Vice President of Global Services for Danaher, he gave an example of the latest request from some of their top customers relating to consumable waste streams. One area that the company is exploring is expanding their use of water based solvents and reducing the amount of solvent based chemicals in their supply chain. He stated that customers are seeking medical devices containing green alternative components as part of their own “green” strategy. Since Danaher is highly focused on meeting the needs of its customer, it has taken the steps needed to use the “environmentally friendly” solvent as much as possible in its components. Not only is this is an example of a best...

Words: 900 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Nor Gate Datasheet

...ACTIVE ACTIVE ACTIVE ACTIVE ACTIVE ACTIVE ACTIVE ACTIVE ACTIVE ACTIVE ACTIVE ACTIVE ACTIVE ACTIVE Package Type PDIP PDIP CDIP CDIP SOIC SOIC SOIC SOIC SOIC SOIC SOIC SOIC SOIC TSSOP TSSOP TSSOP TSSOP TSSOP Package Drawing N N J J D D D D D D D D D PW PW PW PW PW Pins Package Eco Plan (2) Qty 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 25 25 1 1 50 Pb-Free (RoHS) Pb-Free (RoHS) TBD TBD Green (RoHS & no Sb/Br) Lead/Ball Finish CU NIPDAU CU NIPDAU A42 A42 CU NIPDAU CU NIPDAU CU NIPDAU CU NIPDAU CU NIPDAU CU NIPDAU CU NIPDAU CU NIPDAU CU NIPDAU CU NIPDAU CU NIPDAU CU NIPDAU CU NIPDAU CU NIPDAU MSL Peak Temp (3) N / A for Pkg Type N / A for Pkg Type N / A for Pkg Type N / A for Pkg Type Level-1-260C-UNLIM Level-1-260C-UNLIM Level-1-260C-UNLIM Level-1-260C-UNLIM Level-1-260C-UNLIM Level-1-260C-UNLIM Level-1-260C-UNLIM Level-1-260C-UNLIM Level-1-260C-UNLIM Level-1-260C-UNLIM Level-1-260C-UNLIM Level-1-260C-UNLIM Level-1-260C-UNLIM Level-1-260C-UNLIM 2500 Green (RoHS & no Sb/Br) 2500 Green (RoHS & no Sb/Br) 2500 Green (RoHS & no Sb/Br) 50 50 250 250 250 90 90 Green (RoHS & no Sb/Br)...

Words: 1878 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Green Computing

...Chapter 11: Green Computing Prof. Yuh-Shyan Chen Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering National Taipei University Prof. Chih-Shun Hsu Department of Information Management Shih Hsin University Outline 1.  2.  3.  4.  5.  6.  Abstract Green computing architecture Regulations and industry initiatives Approaches to green computing Conclusion Reference 2 1. Abstract 1. Abstract •  In 1992, the US Environmental Protection Agency launched Energy Star, a voluntary labeling program which is designed to promote and recognize energy efficiency in monitors, climate control equipment, and other technologies. •  “Green computing" was probably coined shortly after the Energy Star program began. •  Energy management has always been an important topic for laptop manufacturers, who have been working on this for years as they struggled to manage weight versus battery life issues. 3 1. Abstract Definition of Green Computing •  Green computing is the study and practice of using computing resources efficiently. •  The primary objective of such a program is to account for the triple bottom line (or "People, Planet, Profit"). •  Modern IT systems rely upon a complicated mix of people, networks and hardware; as such, a green computing initiative must be systemic in nature, and address increasingly sophisticated problems. 4 1. Abstract Green Computing Regula-ons  and  industry  ini-a-ves     Government   Industry Green  Compu-ng   Approaches ...

Words: 4836 - Pages: 20

Free Essay

Green Computer Research

...IS550 – Assignment Schwalbe, Kathy (2013-01-01). Information Technology Project Management (Page A.4). Cengage Textbook. Kindle Edition. Task 1 Green computing is the environmentally responsible use of computers and related resources and covers many potential areas of use. This research project was conducted by We Are Big Pharma, Inc. to learn more about green computing technologies and large corporate initiatives. Several green computing areas were researched and our findings are described below: Data center and overall energy efficiency Data centers are huge consumers of energy due to the electrical demands of the hardware components and the cooling systems that are required to maintain the optimal environment for the hardware. Largely because of the high cost of the energy required (estimated at $0.71 per hardware dollar by 2011), many companies are looking for ways to be more energy efficient. IBM expanded a data center in Boulder, Colorado and made the facility 45% more energy efficient than their typical data center. They used their own high-density computing systems with server and storage virtualization in conjunction with energy-efficient power and cooling systems (Brodkin, 2007). Disposal of electronic waste and recycling Electronic waste is a major concern to communities and countries around the world due to the volume of generated waste and the toxic components that may contaminate the ground, water, and impact workers in the waste facilities. Dell is a leader...

Words: 1367 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Going Green in Information Technology Industry

...review process. Along with this are 10 state of the art video conference rooms with sound sensitive microphones and tweeters draping down from the ceiling. These technological resources make business and client service more efficient in getting work done. The tax information is stored on the share rooms which let junior and senior level employees make changes and save hard drive space with a web based interface. The only issue is that transition to completely eliminate the paper trail as tax returns and workpapers are always around the office. At the bare minimum the goal is electronically convert all returns to PDF files within the share rooms for all historical data. Current Green Focus: Currently, Accountants LLP is a bit scarce in launching green initiatives within the firm. More specifically green initiatives...

Words: 872 - Pages: 4