'Microsoft Cloud more nature-friendly than traditional datacentres'

Microsoft Cloud services are up to 93 per cent more energy efficient and up to 98 per cent more carbon efficient than traditional enterprise datacentres, a new study released on Monday said.

The study claimed that if just 20 per cent of the on-premises customers in the US shifted to the Microsoft Cloud, it would be equivalent to avoiding the citywide emissions of a city like Seattle or Torino in Italy.

To gain as full and accurate a picture as possible, the study considered the full life cycle for the computing scenarios (from manufacturing to end-of-life).

The results show that the Microsoft Cloud is between 22 and 93 per cent more energy efficient than traditional enterprise datacenters, depending on the specific comparison being made.

When taking into account our renewable energy purchases, the Microsoft Cloud is between 72 and 98 per cent more carbon efficient.

"The world is producing more data than ever, making our infrastructure decisions about how to power this digital transformation incredibly important," Brad Smith, President and Chief Legal Officer at Microsoft, said in a statement.

"Today's report confirms what we have long believed -- that investing in sustainability is good for business, good for customers and good for the planet," he added.

These savings are attributed to four key features of the Microsoft Cloud: IT operational efficiency, IT equipment efficiency, datacentre infrastructure efficiency and renewable electricity.

Through its internal sustainability fee, Microsoft funds its commitments to carbon neutrality and renewable electricity, using the scale of the Cloud datacentres to bring more green power onto the grid.

"We are harnessing the power of the Cloud within our own business to address our environmental impact: our Cloud-based programmes to reduce resource consumption have already contributed to our 20 per cent global energy reduction at our facilities," the company said.

Overall, Microsoft is on path to a 75 per cent reduction in its carbon emissions by 2030 relative to a 2013 base year.

--IANS

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