How Edge Computing and Edge Data Centers Can Reduce Carbon Emissions and Affect Climate Change

How Edge Computing and Edge Data Centers Can Reduce Carbon Emissions and Affect Climate Change

Blog

By: Jason Warner

It may seem like a stretch to connect Edge Computing with lowering our carbon emissions but there is good reason and science behind this thinking. Data usage and transmission are increasing exponentially and by processing and storing much of it close to the user, significant energy savings is possible. The post How Building Green IoT Solutions on the Edge Can Help Save Energy and CO2 from ObjectBox, lays out a case that shows considerable energy savings for Edge Computing vs. solely using the cloud. Per the article, “ObjectBox enables companies to cut the power consumption of their IoT applications, and thus their emissions, by 50 – 90%.”

Using local processing for applications like Microsoft Office has been the standard for years. There have been attempts to move much of this to the Cloud but in addition to more energy consumption, the need to keep working during times of no or slow connectivity is critical, especially now that we are in a remote-first environment. 5G will help in speed and latency improvements but the hybrid model of Edge and Cloud is our preferred network for the future.

Edge Computing also has other sustainability benefits. For instance, I use an Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled lawn sprinkler system. With water moisture ground sensors connected to an app that also ties in weather predictions using AI, my sprinklers can be set to deliver just the right amount of water needed for how I want my lawn to look. And I can train it to understand what is working for me and to show variations against water usage, cost and impact on the environment. When these systems are the norm, we will collectively save trillions of gallons of much needed water for other uses.

With micro-solar systems set up on light and traffic poles, buildings, and larger systems set up in the streets we drive, all the power we need for Edge Computing can be generated at point of need. The efficiency of solar also continues to improve. The Popular Mechanics article New Molecule Harnesses 50 Percent More Spectrum Than Ever Beforestates that new systems can be 25 times more efficient than today’s standard. With more Internet of Things (IoT) devices coming online at an astonishing pace, the need to drive more local energy sources to power these will be critical. Wind can also support the multi-source needs for energy. Smaller, more effective generators are creating interlinked systems that are practically always making electricity.

At Fortress Data Centers, we have embraced clean energy and sustainability practices for years. We were an early adopter of lithium ion batteries for improving the critical-function needs of our data centers. Longer life and better performance over lead-acid batteries with lower weight have many benefits including less batteries going to the recycle centers.

Edge Computing is enabling new technologies like AI, Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) Blockchain and others, but we also need an interconnected Cloud in order to optimize and maximize the use of applications and data. Through our local data centers, Fortress creates a connected ecosystem of Mission-Critical Colocation, Carrier Neutral 5G connectivity, Software Defined Networks and other services. We are committed to improving the value of our data centers for our customers, their customers and the world.

Edge Computing can lower carbon emissions and be a major driver of sustainable energy consumption. By embracing a focus on improvement, one device and network at a time, we can all “Be Here” for a great future.

Colocation: A Thing of the Past or the Future of a Sound Server Strategy?

Colocation: A Thing of the Past or the Future of a Sound Server Strategy?

Blog

by Jason Warner

Colocation. What does this mean in an age of Cloud or Distributed Computing? Does Colocation differ from Mission-Critical Colocation?  Is hosting becoming too complex for small to medium sized businesses to manage themselves? The answer to the above is Yes and No. As they say, it’s complicated.

It is accurate to say that the days of throwing a server into a rack and providing an e-commerce store that you manage are virtually over. Now the need for a scaling business to cross-connect with local partners and interconnect to distributed partners is critical. However, the very premise of colocation still exists whether customers know it or not. The name Cloud is confusing in its connotation because literally nothing lives in the cloud. Data may travel through air and clouds, but it lives and is processed in a physical server or device in a physical location. The nature of Colocation is more critical now than ever before.  Due to the movement in the direction of Distributed and Edge Computing. Getting closer to the user means more local infrastructure and less centralization.

At Fortress Data Centers, we have moved to a Mission-Critical Colocation focus.   Where everything is interconnected. We are approaching the need to provide downstream and upstream data pathways by working with carriers to enable 5G and multiple cross-connects. We have partners in hundreds of data centers across the country and world to create an extensive mesh network.  Securing software defined network (SDN) partners to provide a layer for customers above the mesh. We believe that Managed Service Providers (MSP) will continue to carry more of the capital expenditures and drive most of the scale to operational expenses in the industry. By offloading all of your networked infrastructure and internal intellectual knowledge to MSPs also comes with risk.

To illustrate, let’s look at the current Supply Channel issues that countries around the world are facing. With a small number of countries controlling the supply of much of the world’s Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), the US and other countries have faced uncertainty in supply. The reliance on a globally interconnected ecosystem has been shaken by political and logistics issues. Relying on a single MSP may also come to a day of reckoning for many companies.

If political tensions increase, expect to see more isolationism practices put in place, shutting off some Cloud providers from nationally sensitive businesses. We already see this through the current TikTok chess game happening between governments and companies. Having an IT plan that is flexible, scalable and protective against risk is the Mission-Critical Colocation plan that can ensure continuation of your business.

Mission-Critical Colocation does not mean that everything rides on your locally hosted servers. It means having a strategic plan to place a controlled and distributed set of servers that are protecting your data and that of your customers. This is like your gold at Fort Knox or your cold wallet storage for cryptocurrency. It is part of why Fortress Data Centers exists; to provide services that ensure that your business data needs are not only burstable and scalable but also protected from any risk contingency.

Because, what is here today, can be gone tomorrow. Colocation is here to stay and that is why at Fortress Data Centers, our mantra is “We are Here.”