New data centre ecosystems are coming. It’s not a question of if, but when and how. There are many factors that make the adoption of new data centre ecosystems challenging, particularly how to manage carbon emissions that they produce. The world is facing significant challenges from climate change and rising carbon emissions from human activities.
In February 2021, IBM established its third-generation renewable electricity procurement goal: to procure 75% of the electricity IBM consumes globally from renewable sources by 2025, and 90% by 2030.
Data centres are viewed as one of the fastest growing energy users in most developed countries, with estimates suggesting that data centre energy usage could grow exponentially over the next five years. There are several factors like changing market dynamics, security threats, technological innovations, and people’s digital transformation habits that force organisations to rethink their business models for a successful future with reduced risks and higher returns on investment.
Introduction to Data Centre Ecosystems
Data centres are where the majority of an organization’s IT infrastructure resides. They are critical to business operations, as they provide organizations with computing, storage, and networking capabilities to store, process, and analyze data. They are necessary to the proper functioning of society, as they enable the organizations that drive our economies to function more efficiently.
Why Organizations are Adopting New Data Centre Ecosystems?
There are several factors that are forcing organizations to adopt new data centre ecosystems:
1. The emergence of a new generation of Internet-of-Things (IoT) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications that require more computing power
2. Traditional data centres cannot handle the increased demand for computing capacity, putting organizations at risk.
3. The demand for lower costs, higher flexibility, and quicker implementation
4. The traditional data centre model is expensive and time consuming.
5. The increasing demand for real-time data
6. The need to reduce carbon emissions
Traditional data centres require significant energy to run, and this will be a challenge for many organizations in the future.
Managing Carbon Emissions in New Data Centre Ecosystem
When companies decide to adopt a new data centre ecosystem, they must also consider its potential impact on carbon emissions. It’s important for organizations to ensure that their new ecosystems are sustainable as companies can be held accountable for their carbon footprints. There are several ways to manage carbon emissions, including:
1. Using renewable energy sources
2. Organisations should look into using renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, to power their new data centres.
3. Minimizing the number of data transfers - This could reduce the number of intercontinental data transfers that are responsible for higher carbon emissions.
4. Limiting energy usage - To avoid wasting energy, organisations should consider investing in energy-efficient infrastructure and upgrading their data centre equipment every two to three years.
Data Centre Ecosystem Summary
New data centre ecosystems are challenging to manage, particularly how to manage carbon emissions. The world is facing significant challenges from climate change, and rising carbon emissions from human activities. Organizations should consider adopting new data centre ecosystems to address these challenges.
Recently Nicholas Flood, VP of IBM technology and managing director of IBM Australia was delighted to have welcomed Elisa Kelsallto to IBM Technology’s leadership team in Australia, where she will lead the local IBM Ecosystem.
The adoption of new data centre ecosystems requires organizations to consider their potential impact on carbon emissions. To manage carbon emissions, organizations should use renewable energy sources, minimize data transfers, and minimize energy usage.
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