Giving cloud computing the green light

Tim Dacombe-Bird, VMware New Zealand manager, explores the journey to green IT, via virtualisation and cloud.

Once a driving force for change, green IT has recently been put on the back burner by many NZ businesses. Now viewed as an expensive luxury, rather than a necessity, cost and business efficiencies are currently the primary driver for new initiatives.

However as we see more companies embracing virtualisation and cloud computing, the benefits of green IT are becoming increasingly apparent and more widely adopted. Being able to leverage the side benefits of the cloud as a more efficient and green IT infrastructure presents a significant opportunity for the New Zealand reseller channel with their customers.

When it comes to green IT New Zealand is in a unique position, being primarily powered by renewable energies as opposed to other markets which are more fossil fuel reliant. Resellers can leverage this alongside more commonly-cited benefits of cloud computing including direct cost savings, improved efficiency, agility and scalability to increase customer uptake of cloud and green IT initiatives.

It is important for resellers to be aware of their customers’ needs and key drivers for investing in IT infrastructure.

Cloud computing is a journey which begins at the most basic level with virtualisation. Server virtualisation can reduce energy costs by up to 80%, which not only significantly reduces environmental impact but also can assist with bottom-line cost effectiveness. Resellers must first determine the customer’s current progress on this journey in order to tailor solutions which best meet their needs.

Modelling business needsAs part of the journey, resellers need to be conscious of which cloud model best meets the desired business needs. Implementing and maintaining in-house IT infrastructure is becoming increasingly expensive; cloud computing allows you to access software and information from your computer and other devices on demand, while also delivering considerable environmental benefits.

A public cloud model suits low governance requirements while other requirements almost always stay in a private cloud setting. A hybrid cloud model allows businesses to seamlessly bridge private and public clouds in a secure and highly automated fashion. By finding the right combination between the two, resellers will ensure the solution is secure today and in the future.

Resellers need to ensure that they are equipped with the right information to deliver green IT initiatives, including cloud computing, to their customers.

It is important to remember that while implementing a green initiative may not be the sole outcome of a project, it can often be incorporated through cloud computing and virtualisation, delivering increased benefits to the customer.