Analysts at the Gartner Group place “Green IT” at the top of the list of 10 trends they feel will be key in 2008 and into the future. The potential for regulation pressures on the IT sector could fuel major gains in power efficiency, cooling with less energy consumption and responsible disposal of used equipment.
Garnter has previously placed the IT industry as contributor of 2% of global carbon emissions, equivalent to the aviation industry. The earliest green gains are likely to take place in the government sector, where initiatives are underway for greener governments.
An intriguing new technology that could lead to more efficient computers is called a hybrid drive, because it combines both flash memory and traditional spinning disks for a computer’s hard drive. I found a story today on CNet about a drive from Insyde Software called the FlashMate. There are some intriguing features and benefits from this new technology that illustrate the kind of thinking needed to make needed gains.
