Green computing is a rising trend that looks to establish itselfas the preferred IT philosophy -- not because techies are tree-huggers, butbecause green solutions are affecting their bottom lines. Many businesses todayare asking the questions: "What is it?" and "Why is it soimportant to society?''
What is Green Computing?
Today, the term embodies the entire life cycle of technologies,including research, manufacturing, use, and disposal. Green IT takes a muchmore holistic approach than it once did, especially as companies arebrainstorming solutions to cut costs and increase revenue.
Why is Green Computing Important?
Green computing benefits the environment. Reduced energy usagefrom green techniques translates into lower carbon dioxide emissions, stemmingfrom a reduction in the fossil fuel used in power plants and transportation.Conserving resources means less energy is required to produce, use, and disposeof products. Put simply, saving energy and resources saves money.
The advantages of green technology are realized on both large andsmall scales. Green technologies are available for an entire organization orfor a single employee's workstation. Unfortunately, many companies and businessowners are stalled by the initially larger investment in green technology, andfail to realize the long-term benefits and cost savings. As such, let's examineadjustments that can be made regarding green computing and IT support, big orsmall.
System-Wide Green Computing
When investigating green alternatives for your entireorganization, consider technologies like cloud computing. Basically, cloudcomputing eliminates the need for hardware like servers. Also known asvirtualization, cloud computing replaces hardware with "virtual"servers or servers in "the cloud." Essentially, cloud computingallows companies to reduce their need for big, bulky, energy-consuming serversby relocating them on the Internet. Cloud computing may also be used in areaslike networking, data storage, software applications, and operating systems,again, potentially reducing the need for hardware. As a result, businessesstand to save a lot of time, money, and resources on maintenance and support byswitching to cloud computing set-ups.
Individual Green Computing
There are many other techniques at the personal computer level.For instance, power management can be an easy and effective means of savinggreen while conserving energy. While many operating systems come withpower-saving settings, there are also a variety of products that monitor andadjust energy levels to increase performance and reduce wasted energy. Forinstance, some surge protectors can sense when a master component (like acomputer) is turned off, and respond by cutting off power to any peripheralmachines, such as like printers and scanners.
System-Wide and Individual Green Computing
Finally, green computing initiatives can reap savings in both bigand small ways. Technologies that save paper, like email, can have a hugeimpact on costs as well as the environment. As companies and employees developmethods and habits of conservation, simple practices like emailing memos orprinting in smaller fonts can bring instant results. Additionally, policieslike telecommuting or teleconferences pose additional benefits by reducing the amountof carbon dioxide produced by travel.
Green IT is quickly emerging as the most effective means ofutilizing technology. No matter whether your organization's needs are big orsmall, green IT can reduce costs, increase productivity, and even do somethinggood for the environment.
Source: www.ezinearticles.com
