ABSTRACT:
Cloud computing is one of new buzzwords in the business world. This article galore on everything from what it is to how secure it is, from what to ask a potential cloud vendor to the risk and benefits of cloud storage. But, a new question that's arising about this new technology is how green it is. Can it help a library reduce its energy consumption? Does it really reduce the need for hardware, thus reducing the need for additional consumption and the creation of waste? The cloud computing market, initially structured to cater to the information technology sector, is now finding optimum use in other industries (retail, healthcare, supply chain, etc.) as well. A report published by Pike Research in 2011 predicts the cloud computing market to reach $210 billion by 2015. The advantages of business agility, scalability, and reduced costs have prompted businesses to vie for a spot in the clouds. It is evident that cloud computing offers some serious benefits for libraries all over the world but not many people know the role cloud computing plays in controlling greenhouse gas emission and sustainability. Cloud computing enjoys the tag of being one technology that is not only beneficial for businesses but also for the environment. According to a study by Gartner, the information technology industry consumes 2% of the global energy. With technology spearheading every business domain, it's tough to predict how much energy IT systems actually consume and what impact it has on the environment. According to research by Pike Research in 2011, the use of cloud computing technology could reduce worldwide data center usage by 38% by 2020. Because cloud computing technology enables organizations to operate without installing a host of hardware systems, it allows the organizations to reduce their carbon footprint considerably. The fact is that cloud computing technology not only reduces carbon emission levels, it saves organizations considerable amounts of money in energy savings. A report published by Verdantix in 2011 highlights how the use of cloud computing technology could result in carbon emission savings of 85.7 million metric tons/year by 2020. As for the organizations, it could enable companies to save $12.3 billion in energy bills. Cloud computing technology is not only much more efficient than traditional data centers but also much more beneficial when it comes to energy savings. This paper defines the importance of cloud computing in reducing the paper and energy consumption of an organization and how cloud computing can be used to achieve our goal towards building cleaner and greener Libraries.