Is the Cloud Green? Want the job to prove it?

There's been lots of discussion and arguments published on the relationship of cloud IT to efficient and green or sustainable IT.  The fundamental question asked - Is the cloud green?

I have no conclusive proof but all indications point in that direction.  The most compelling is what our own EMC IT has experienced over several years of building toward our implementation of cloud.  Even though at the outset that isn't what we called it.  

On the journey, between 2004 and 2009, EMC had an estimated savings in excess of $100M.  About $16M of that was energy savings and that also meant a reduction of more than 60M pounds of CO2.  

But more work needs to be done here and to see that we put more emphasis on the proof points and bringing them to light, I'm hiring an efficient IT/ green marketing consultant.  

The efficient IT strategy and message that we have advanced for several years naturally extends to the cloud.  And we want to be certain that our customers realize how EMC can help them on their private cloud journey while adding to their sustainability and reducing their carbon footprint.

So, this person will have responsibility to lead development and implementation of a comprehensive strategy for energy efficient IT and IT driven environmental performance across EMC product lines.  They will shape communications, with an emphasis on how all of this relates to cloud and how we can definitively illustrate that connection.  

The title of the position  doesn't do justice to the intent but you can find a description on EMC's job site called "brassring" by searching for the job number 54278.  

Have a look if you are interested.

Offer your own perspective on the greeness of the cloud.

Thanks.

Comments

[james governor]

fantastic. its a critical question... and at the moment we're just going on "gut" not facts.

i tweeted this job to 8k followers here:
http://twitter.com/monkchips/status/16297228955

i am an industry analyst. we have a sustainability practice called greenmonk. we'd love to talk to you about this, maybe help with the strategy going forward.