Green Cloud Computing
As the cloud proliferates to accommodate increasing amounts of data, energy requirements are also rising. How important is the energy efficiency of cloud providers? Will green cloud computing help organizations meet their sustainability goals?
One minute insights:
Leaders whose organizations have deployed green cloud computing are satisfied with it
Most who have not yet deployed this technology plan to, most often in order to meet Paris Agreement requirements
Legacy technology and lack of sustainable cloud options are barriers to adoption
Leaders expect green cloud computing to play a role in the future of business
Leaders have a good understanding of green cloud computing and are mostly satisfied with their deployment of it
Most leaders (63%) who are aware of green cloud computing also understand how it works. 12% consider themselves experts on the topic.
How informed are you about green cloud computing (an approach to cloud migration and computing that aims to increase efficiency and limit environmental impacts)?
Is your organization currently deploying green cloud computing?
62% of respondents say their organization is currently deploying green cloud computing.
n = 200
While 41% of those currently deploying green cloud computing are only moderately satisfied with it, 42% are very satisfied. 12% are still too early in their deployment to say.
Are you satisfied with your organization’s deployment of green cloud computing?
n = 124
Moderately dissatisfied 0%, Very dissatisfied 0%
This is another hype in the industry. But it’s a necessity for companies to be ethical and sustainable.
Moving to the public cloud effectively gets you a fairly carbon-free computing environment. So the challenge is: what more should you do that will have a material impact? What should we focus on beyond just carbon? Is being a frugal programmer useful, even if the real impact is limited in terms of carbon?
Paris Agreement requirements and efficiency are driving adoption but legacy technology and cloud challenges act as barriers
Of those who are not currently deploying green cloud computing, 40% are planning to or are in the development stage. 43% are not planning to, but believe that they should.
Is your organization planning to adopt green cloud computing?
n = 58
The Paris Agreement requirement for the information and communication technology industry is the main driver for green cloud computing adoption, cited by 50% of respondents. Many are also driven to adopt this technology to improve end-user experience (39%) and reduce costs (39%).
Why does your organization use or plan to adopt green cloud computing?
Meet environmental, social and governance (ESG) regulatory and compliance obligations 26%, Executive pressure 8%, None of these 0%, Other 0%
n = 147
Leaders point to lack of sustainable replacement for legacy technology (50%), impracti- cality of cloud migration for business operations (47%) and difficulty finding sustainable cloud options (47%) as barriers to green cloud computing adoption.
What are the main barriers to green cloud computing adoption?
n = 200
Unforeseen security threats 29%, Costs 27%, Unforeseen regulatory/governance challenges 13%, Lack of executive interest 12%, None of these 1%, Other 1%
It is [an] extremely important initiative as part of our ESG goals and will soon become board priority.
[Green cloud computing is] a nice thought but not realistic for some companies to entertain.
Leaders see a future with green cloud computing impacting business and society, without making fundamental changes to either
72% of respondents believe that green cloud computing will have a role to play in the future of business, but only 16% believe it will become a fundamental aspect of business.
What level of impact do you think green cloud computing will have on business in the future?
n = 200
Similarly, most leaders (54%) believe that green cloud computing will impact our lives without fundamentally changing society.
What level of impact do you think green cloud computing will have on society?
n = 200
I think publicly traded organizations and organizations that have to uphold a social responsibility status will adopt and drive green cloud computing, with increased cost and no tangible financial or IT benefit.
Green computing is an awesome concept in principle. But with more interest in the bottom line it has a long way to go to be a topic in the boardroom.
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Respondent Breakdown
