Can the cloud help businesses green their IT? Yes, says Microsoft. A study commissioned by the software giant, and conducted by Accenture and WSP Environment and Energy, finds that cloud computing can cut emissions and reduce power consumption by up to 30 percent. The reductions are more pronounced for small businesses, which lack the expertise […]
IT rivalries spill onto the smart grid
Silly Cisco, you didn’t expect to own smart grid networking did you? GigaOM’s Katie Fehrenbacher has a great post today on how IT rivalries, particularly the one between Cisco and Juniper, are spilling into the smart grid space. Already, Google and Microsoft are tackling the home energy management market with PowerMeter and Hohm, respectively. Now, […]
Microsoft passes on not-so-green site for massive data center in Virginia
No green energy, no dice. That’s Microsoft’s stance on siting new data centers, according to a story in the Roanoke Times. The company passed on building a nearly half-billion dollar facility in Montgomery County, Virginia. Instead, it settled on Boydton County. The reason: A dearth of renewable energy options. Oh, yeah, and sinkholes. The sinkholes […]
Stuxnet: Prelude to smart grid security threats
Have you heard of Stuxnet? Unless you run industrial or power control systems, the emergence of this nasty little piece of malware probably didn’t even cause the slightest blip on your radar. But that’s no reason to ignore it. Stuxnet targets Siemens Simatic WinCC, a Windows-based suite of software that’s used by industrial plants and […]
Attention Green Gamers, Welcome to the New Xbox 360
Besides the bad-ass Alienware escapee look of the new Xbox 360 — seriously, just look at it — Microsoft’s “slim” model of its game console has other attributes that eco-minded gamers will like. In addition to a 17 percent smaller…
Microsoft: SMBs Fuel Hyper-V Adoption
According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, Microsoft’s Bob Muglia mentions that even facing VMware’s huge headstart Hyper-V is gaining marketshare. Of course, specifics are lacking, but he did let slip that it’s making substantial gains in the…
Steve Ballmer on Healthcare IT, Green Computing
As CES unfolds this week, Steve Ballmer has some thoughts to share on, what else, but technology. Over at the Huffington Post, Ballmer discusses how IT can improve and reduce waste in healthcare and help turn the tide on climate…
Microsoft @COP15: When and where
Remember that delegation Microsoft is sending to COP15? A new post on the Software Enabled Earth blog has details on where you can meet Microsoft representatives. Naturally, you’ll need UNFCCC accreditation (basically, you’ll need official credentials) but here’s a couple…
Microsoft @COP15
In what appears to be a response to this tweet from Greenpeace, Microsoft’s Chief Environmental Strategist, Rob Bernard, posted on the Microsoft on the Issues blog about the company’s plans for the UN Climate Change Conference next week. Microsoft is…
Microsoft Welcomes Everyone Hohm
Disappointed that there was little else to greet you than a sign-up page when Microsoft announced its household power management site Hohm? You weren’t the only one. Luckily, it didn’t take them very long to open the floodgates. If you…
