Green cloud providers may not appear to align with environmental sustainability, but they’ve been evaluated by Sustainablebrands.com and found to offer benefits for businesses aiming to reduce their environmental footprint.
Embracing Environmental Sustainability
Cloud computing can bring about numerous environmental benefits, such as reduced machine usage, efficient climate control, the reuse of generated heat, and more. Here are ten cloud providers actively embracing eco-friendly practices:
EVRY CLOUD SERVICES
This cloud hosting company, based in Scandinavia, operates green data centers powered by hydropower. It adheres to the ISO 14001 Environmental Standard Guidelines, making it one of the world’s greenest data centers.
NETAPP
Headquartered in California, NetApp is a cloud data services and data management company that recently acquired GreenQloud, an Icelandic cloud data company known for its environmental practices. NetApp also complies with ISO 14001:2015, is Energy Star-recognized, and holds LEED Certifications for three of its buildings.
Google boasts a carbon-neutral infrastructure, despite the colossal size and computing power of its data centers. Approximately 35% of Google’s data center energy comes from renewable sources, and the company is committed to increasing this figure in the future.
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure’s data centers and cloud platform services are carbon-neutral, with renewable energy sources meeting their power requirements. Microsoft ranks among the largest green power purchasers in the U.S.
CLOUDSIGMA
Swiss cloud service provider CloudSigma is not only committed to high security standards but is also carbon-neutral across its data centers. It was among the first to achieve carbon-neutral status and is one of Europe’s most power-efficient providers.
APPLE iCLOUD
Apple’s iCloud service, catering to both home and business users, relies on renewable energy for its data centers. Additionally, the company employs eco-friendly materials in manufacturing and building processes. In 2015, 93% of Apple’s energy use was from renewable sources, and its data centers are powered entirely by clean energy.
Dediserve
Dediserve, a major global cloud service provider, manages fifteen data centers worldwide. This Irish company has significantly reduced its environmental impact, ensuring that its power consumption is much lower than traditional in-house server setups.
IBM SMARTCLOUD
IBM’s SmartCloud data centers are exceptionally environmentally friendly and have been recognized by the European Commission for data center efficiency. The company, in addition to offering enterprise-level cloud services, actively works to reduce its carbon footprint.
RACKSPACE
Rackspace, known for its top-tier cloud services, powers its data centers entirely with renewable sources. The company is committed to further reducing its environmental impact through the use of greener materials.
Akamai
Akamai is working on reducing its environmental impact through renewable fuel usage in its thousands of delivery servers spread across 126 countries. The company has ambitious plans to significantly reduce energy consumption and lower carbon emissions by 2020.
These green cloud providers demonstrate a commitment to sustainability in a rapidly evolving digital age. By harnessing the power of renewable energy, efficient data center management, and environmentally conscious practices, they exemplify how technology and environmental responsibility can coexist harmoniously. As businesses increasingly focus on reducing their environmental footprint, these cloud providers offer a compelling solution to the ever-growing demand for eco-friendly IT infrastructure. Whether through renewable energy sourcing, carbon-neutral operations, or reducing energy consumption, these providers are making significant strides toward a greener, more sustainable cloud computing future.
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