The cloud 'could be greener'

eWeek.

According to a new report by Forrester Research, entitled 'Cloud Computing Helps Accelerate Green IT', service providers promoting the green benefits of cloud-based infrastructure have focused heavily on energy and resource efficiency, and have tended to ignore other green issues such as renewable energy and e-waste.

The self-service and pay-as-you-go nature of cloud computing encourages users to consume only what they need, driving energy and resource efficiencies, Forrester analysts Doug Washburn and Lauren Nelson say in the report.

Meanwhile, consolidation and virtualisation - which are inherent to cloud data centre environments - help to reduce the total physical server footprint.

According to ZDNet, the research firm says that infrastructure and facilities professionals should take a stronger stand on the choices they make for private cloud infrastructure strategies, or cloud infrastructure that will serve a limited set of hand-chosen constituents versus the public at large.

Along with benefits to cost reduction, enterprise flexibility and computer scalability, the cloud may also enable a business to become more eco-friendly, reports Centerbeam.