There are the very obvious benefits of cloud computing: increased security, decreased downtime, enabling a mobile workforce, and reducing hardware and maintenance costs to name a few. Then there are the less obvious benefits, like a decreased impact on our world and supporting a more sustainable business model. Six reasons the cloud is a greener solution are outlined in a white paper from our partner, Rapid Scale. Here are the first 3:
Virtualization
With traditional computing, businesses manage a few servers up to hundreds of servers, depending on the size of the organization. This is inefficient as it leads to wasted energy and wasted physical equipment. Energy use is not customized to the needs of the organization, and the hardware used needs to be constantly replaced or updated, which leaves behind a trail of physical excess.
The cloud is a major improvement on traditional computing because it has redesigned the way businesses operate. Rather than investing in too many resources, organizations can reduce the amount of energy used and the amount of hardware needed. With the cloud, information is virtualized, eliminating the need for wasteful, in-house equipment. Businesses can operate through this virtual location, drastically reducing energy usage and the need for excessive physical equipment. Virtual workspaces are accessed over the Internet and physically housed in data centers that are more efficient and have multi-tenant capabilities.
Pay-As-You-Go Option
Most cloud providers offer a Pay-As-You-Go option as a payment method for clients. With this method, users pay for cloud services similarly to how you pay your electricity or water bill – it’s based on usage. Your monthly prices depend on your monthly usage. It’s a simple model and allows businesses to remain in control of their spending. While this fact is often used to describe how businesses can save money, it also helps define why the cloud is a green option.
This payment model encourages more efficient business behavior, as businesses are more likely to consume only what they need and nothing more to keep costs low. Pay As You Go drives energy and resource efficiencies simultaneously because users consume the computing resources only when they need them. This keeps energy usage low, prices low, and the impact on the environment low.
Shared Resources
With virtualization as an option, cloud-based infrastructure allows a single server to run multiple networks at once. This is called multi-tenancy. This allows providers to place multiple clients on one server so resources can be shared. Again, this is similar to how you might experience your electricity or water usage at home. You don’t own and manage the equipment that gives you these essential resources. Instead, you work with an outside company to share these resources with others and use them based on your needs. That’s how the multitenant cloud infrastructure works. It’s all about sharing resources.
If you are interested in a cloud solution for any or all of the reasons you’ve learned, then call the Cloud Experts at Corporate Technologies Group today.