Being “on the cloud” is the phrase used for when you are using software over the internet instead of using software that is on the computer in front of you.
You are more than likely familiar with the standard arrangement of having a server, most likely located within your companies office. You may have seen your IT team in the server room scrambling around with lots of buttons and wires. Similarly, if you have to connect to a VPN to access work documents and systems when you are not working in the office, this means your company operates from a server and not the cloud.
You may have already used cloud services without realising it. If you’ve ever used a Google doc, the software that lets you store, access, and edit that document wasn’t on your computer. It was sitting on a Google server in a big facility somewhere in the world.
Using cloud technology is more cost-effective, secure, and reliable than using the software on the computer in front of you. It also makes your business much more environmentally sustainable… but, why?
Reduces energy consumption
Server rooms contain a large amount of electronic equipment, including servers and cabinets, communication equipment, cooling equipment and power equipment. They’re in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week, they generate a lot of heat and use enormous amounts of energy in comparison to the cloud.
So, imagine every single business in the world has a server in their office and think about how many additional (unnecessary) computers are demanding energy and carbon output every hour of every day!
Powered by renewable energy
Cloud software companies do not have one big warehouse with numerous servers inside them (accounting for all the servers that are not in offices). Cloud data centres are what power cloud computing and are usually built close to a power generating facility. This is because it’s more efficient this way and the power does not have to travel as far.
Cloud data centres are powered by renewable energy; using outside air to cool them down and solar panels to operate them.
Better allocates resources
Cloud data centers more efficiently distribute and allocate resources. They support many products for numerous businesses in multiple locations at one time meaning they are doing more with less energy.
Data centres are carefully managed and continuously optimised to make sure they use energy as efficiently as possible.
Easily achieve Net zero
Google Workspace is actually a great example of how one company at least has made cloud computing greener:
- Google already hit Net Zero in 2007
- They aim to be Zero Carbon by 2030
Here is some insightful information about Google and their carbon efforts.
So essentially, if you are a Google Workspace user, you can feel good knowing that you are doing better for the environment.
Reduces costs
Not only does moving to the cloud make your business more sustainable in the environmental sense (companies can lessen their per-user carbon footprint from between 30% and 90%). The cost and efficiency savings and increased security mean it’s also good business sense. Your costs reduce and you become more operationally efficient – win – win.
To summarise, as you can probably now tell, data centres are much more economical than having poorly optimised systems in every office in the world all drawing unnecessary power over unnecessary distances.
At Encompass, we’ve supported organisations in moving to the cloud quickly. We firstly run an Innovation Lab with your team to identify how you are going to move to the cloud with minimal disruption. Reach out to us today for a no obligation chat and see if moving to the cloud is something you’d like to achieve in the near future.