The overlooked power of edge computing
In the global pursuit of rapid and impactful sustainability measures, organisations may be overlooking a crucial aspect.
Notoriously energy-hungry data centres are an issue that every enterprise can tackle. Using edge computing to move the processing of data closer to where it¡¯s created can reduce the amount of data centre capacity you need. Edge computing can support Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered algorithms that optimise data centre energy use.
Data centres are a sustainability concern
Organisations who are making sustainability progress are considering all the options. From longer-term plans only possible when infrastructure is replaced, to short-term wins they can achieve with their current operating environment.
Data centres have huge potential for improved sustainability in the short term. This is welcome news because, right now, the picture is fairly bleak.
Today, it¡¯s estimated that data centres emit roughly as much CO2 as the airline industry, and the energy consumption of data centres is set to account for 3.2% of the total worldwide , consuming no less than a fifth of global electricity.
Edge computing: the catalyst for data centre reduction
The first shift you can make towards reducing data centre energy use is to shrink your data centre estate, and edge computing has a fundamental role to play in this.
By keeping processing at the edge, you significantly reduce the volume of data that¡¯s sent to the data centre for processing and storage. Potentially, this can open the way for data centre consolidation, reducing energy consumption and accelerating decarbonisation.