Sustainable IT | Ted Samson | December 2007

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December 2007

December 27, 2007 | Comments: (0)

2007: The year in green

Green success stories From the trenches of the datacenter to the corner office, from the eco-minded citizen's living room to the Senate floor, it seemed that just about everyone had green on the brain this past year.

Much of the green wave can be attributed to concern over the hot topic of global warming, a phenomenon associated with carbon emissions. Lo, said gases are linked to traditional power production and oil consumption, which is inspiring more people to turn off lights, power down systems, and invest in hybrid vehicles.

But the impetus to be eco-friendly wasn't just tied to concern for our little blue-green planet. One of the obvious benefits for reducing energy waste is saving cash, be it in the form of lower electric bills or fewer dollars pumped into the gas tank.

In the world of business IT, however, lower power bills alone weren't the inspiration for organizations to green up their acts. From coast to coast, companies have been struggling with a power crisis: They've outgrown their datacenter facilities, yet have need for more computing power -- or the local utility can't consistently provide them the juice they need to keep their operations flowing and their business growing.

In response, companies have embraced technologies and practices in the name of sustainability to wring as much performance as possible out of their existing datacenter infrastructure. The opportunity to highlight their technologies as part of the datacenter-refurbishing process was icing on the cake.

What follows are some of the highlights that made 2007 the year of green tech.

A greener eco-system
From the chip level up to the application layer, vendors groomed and packaged their wares to be more energy efficient and eco-friendly.

AMD and Intel, for example, both rolled out quad-core chips delivering lower energy consumption, as well as superior virtualization performance.

Speaking of which, virtualization was the poster child of sustainable technology in 2007. Leveraging wares from the likes of VMware and XenSource, companies found they could reduce dramatically reduce the number of servers they needed to deliver their applications and services.

On the server hardware front, vendors including HP unfurled servers promising superior power performance. IBM, meanwhile, touted the green credentials of its System z mainframe.

Moreover, companies including Cassatt, HP, and IBM injected power-capping features in their systems management apps to ensure that servers were consuming only as much energy as needed to deliver service reliably at any given time.

Server cooling also proved a hot topic this past year with companies such as APC, Dell, and HP revealing more innovative, energy-efficient ways to keep datacenter equipment properly chilled.

Meanwhile, companies such as 1E and Verdiem shined spotlights on their PC-management software designed to power down systems when not in use, waking them up for patching or just before employees showed up for work.

It didn't end there: Storage vendors such as Copan trumpeted the green benefits of consolidation and MAID technology. Network companies such as Brocade and Cisco outlined ways that networking gear played into the sustainability game plan. From memory makers to power supply developers to motherboard companies, the consistent message was "we're delivering the green goods."

The green halo extended beyond products of the energy-efficiency persuasion, too. Companies such as GreenPrint as well as electronic document management companies pointed out that their products, among other benefits, reduce paper waste. Vendors such as Cisco, Polycom, Teliris, and Telanetix, meanwhile, praised their wares as eco-friendlier alternatives to flying hither and yon for meetings that could be conducted via telepresence.

Follow the rising star
The early half of 2007 saw PC vendors such as HP and Dell racing to crank out the first Energy Star 4.0 systems on the market. As the name and number would imply, the new EPA's Energy Star standard -- which took effect in July -- raised the energy-efficiency bar for desktop systems and notebooks.

Among other requirements, Energy Star-compliant systems must be set to power down after periods of not being used; consume a lower amount of wattage than the average system; and run at least 80 percent efficiency for the internal power supply.

The EPA also announced plans to develop an Energy Star program for servers, a task that is more difficult than establishing one for desktop systems, given the broader diversity of datacenter and server room machines.

Go, green power, go!
A number of companies poured some green into alternative energy sources this past year, and these investments ran the gamut. A new Web hosting company called Greenest Host trumpeted its plans to lease space at AISO.net, a datacenter facility that runs entirely on solar power. Rackspace announced plans to build a new datacenter in England that draws power directly from an alternative energy provider called Slough Heat and Power.

On the other end of the spectrum, Google completed an installation of 9,212 solar panels at its headquarters -- and reaped a hefty sum of incentive money from California utility PG&E in the process. Meanwhile, Fujitsu installed Silicon Valley's first hydrogen fuel cell generator.

All for green and green for all
The past year saw companies and organizations coming together in the name of sustainability. One of the most notable examples of companies uniting was the formation of The Green Grid, a self-proclaimed vendor-neutral consortium comprising IT heavyweight include Dell, Intel, AMD, Sun, Microsoft, HP, IBM, and many, many more. The group's goal: driving new user-centric metrics, technology standards, and best practices for curbing power consumption.

In a similar vein, several high-profile tech companies joined organizations including the EPA, the World Wildlife Foundation, and other companies to create the Climate Savers Computing Initiative. The group's ambition is to set new targets for energy-efficient computers and components and to promote the adoption of energy-efficient computers and power management tools worldwide.

2007 also witnessed investors and business leaders calling on the government to fund green-tech development and to address global climate change.

Reuse, refurbish, recycle
Companies stepped up their system refurbishing and recycling efforts, touting both the financial benefits as well as the eco-friendly advantages of reusing materials.

Microsoft, for example, teamed with select PC-refurbishing outfits to ease the installation of Windows on pre-owned systems, ensuring buyers don't get stuck with pirated, unsupported OSes.

Verizon, meanwhile, established a recycling and refurbishing program for phones, batteries, and accessories. Proceeds for Verizon's HopeLine, as it's called, go toward providing wireless phones and cash grants to shelters and nonprofit organizations that focus on domestic violence prevention and awareness.

Carbon emissions: Public gas enemy No. 1
The terms "carbon neutral" and "carbon footprint" garnered plenty of attention in the past year as companies took on carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases that were linked to their operations.

Approaches varied: Some companies opted to invest in controversial "carbon offsets"; that is, they poured cash into third-party projects aimed at fighting the effects of global warming.

Companies such as Dell, Xerox, IBM, and AMD also opted to tackle GHGs more directly, unveiling plans and successes in reduce their own energy consumption and associated emissions.

Moreover, organizations such as IBM, Microsoft, and Sun announced projects and tools to help companies measure their own carbon footprints.

The list of green-oriented developments goes on and on: More companies such as Wal-Mart revealed programs to make their supply chains greener, for example, while nonprofit organizations like Greenpeace scrutinized the eco-friendliness of IT vendors' products and operations.

Given what we witnessed green-wise in 2007, it's a very safe bet that the green movement is by no means a flash in the pan. Both the benefits and the need for more sustainable practices are evident: They're good for business and the environment. Thus, 2008 will undoubtedly yield more technological innovations and internal efforts to save energy, cut waste, and reduce GHG emissions.

Ted Samson is a senior analyst at InfoWorld and author of the Sustainable IT blog. Subscribe to his free weekly Green Tech newsletter.

Posted by Ted Samson on December 27, 2007 03:00 AM

December 20, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Google-backed Nanosolar rolls out first set of panels

Even without additional funding from Congress via the recently passes energy bill, the future of solar power is looking bright. As reported the other day in the New York Times, Google-backed solar-panel start-up Nanosolar has started cranking out a new breed of panels that can be manufactured "at a price at which solar energy becomes less expensive than coal."

The NYT quotes Nansolar's founder and CEO Martin Roscheisen saying, "With a $1-per-watt panel, it is possible to build $2-per-watt systems."

That $2-per-watt figure comes from the Energy Department, the cost of building a new coal plant.

Nansolar's Roscheisen celebrated the milestone in his blog, touting the advantages of Nanosolar's panels over those of competing companies as:

"the world's first printed thin-film solar cell in a commercial panel product; the world's first thin-film solar cell with a low-cost back-contact capability; the world's lowest-cost solar panel -- which we believe will make us the first solar manufacturer capable of profitably selling solar panels at as little as $.99/watt; [and] the world's highest-current thin-film solar panel -- delivering five times the current of any other thin-film panel on the market today and thus simplifying system deployment."

Want to get your hands on one of Nansolar's first commercially available panels? The company is selling them on eBay, of course. As I write this, the highest bid is $11,000.

The one of eBay is actually the second panel Nanosolar rolled out. The first will remain at Nanosolar for exhibit, and the third was donated to the Tech Museum in San Jose.

Posted by Ted Samson on December 20, 2007 04:18 PM

December 20, 2007 | Comments: (0)

IT leaders share green-tech predictions for 2008

Green tech has flourished in the past year as vendors and customers alike have invested plenty of resources in making their products and practices more energy efficient, less wasteful, and eco-friendlier.

But is this sustainable-tech trend a mere green flash in the pan? Hardly. The flourishing world of green technology is driven by true need. Companies are running out of space and power in their datacenters, not to mention struggling with high energy costs. Business leaders, politicians, and consumers alike are becoming increasingly concerned about their impact on the environment.

Still, one wonders what crop of green-tech changes the year 2008 will yield. What follows are some abridged predictions from some IT experts out there who've been immersed in sustainable tech this past year and have a keen eye on the future. I've also added some predictions of my own. Predictions are listed in alphabetical order by last name; no favoritism here.

Bogomil Balkansky, senior director, product marketing, VMware
Website: VMware Energy Savings page
With constantly increasing computing demands and rising energy costs, energy conservation in the datacenter will continue to be a very hot topic (no pun intended) in 2008. Customers will continue to right-size and optimize their IT infrastructure driven by the economic and social responsibility imperative to save energy, but we also expect to see a new trend: datacenter energy efficiency incentives or regulations from different levels of government around the world. IT vendors will respond to this groundswell by ramping up investments in technologies that will help reduce the carbon footprint of the datacenter.

Drew Clark, co-founder and director of strategy, IBM Venture Capital Group
Website: Venture Capital Group
1. In 2008, global interest in green tech will continue to grow as competitive players emerge in unexpected geographies outside the United States. Beyond investment in alternative energy, there will be a great demand for technologies that allow energy consumers (businesses and homeowners) and producers (utilities) to monitor, manage, distribute and use energy more efficiently.

2. The greening of the datacenter will continue to be a top priority for corporations, as the cost of simply powering the center begins to exceed the cost of the servers and devices in the datacenter. Key drivers to help reduce the overall carbon footprint and run more efficient centers will include intelligent sensors and advanced analytics to monitor and improve equipment utilization, reducing downtime and providing comprehensive operational visibility.

Tom Clark, chair, SNIA (Storage Networking Industry Association) Green Storage Initiative and principal engineer, Brocade
Website: Brocade greening the datacenter
1. In 2008 there will be an increasing demand for consultants and vendors to help customers re-architect their data processing and storage operations to minimize the power footprint and maximize productivity by doing more with less. Server virtualization is an obvious candidate for achieving more productivity on less hardware, and storage virtualization will also help achieve maximum utilization of assets without constantly deploying more energy consuming platforms to accommodate storage growth.

2. Just as energy costs are becoming a major portion of datacenter operational expense, energy management will start to become an integral part of data management in 2008. As a datacenter administrator, I would want to monitor not only my processing efficiency and storage utilization but also the energy consumption and heat dissipation of all the major components of my IT infrastructure. We already have the framework for this in the SNIA Storage Management Initiative (SMI-S) for managing heterogeneous environments. Tapping into energy statistics provided by disparate hardware platforms (servers, SAN fabrics, storage, tape, etc.) could give administrators the ability to monitor the overall power efficiency of their operations. These are the specific types of metrics that feed into broader datacenter energy metrics a la The Green Grid.

3. The consciousness-raising around green datacenters has been accompanied by some cynicism in the trade press ("Vendors are just trying to sell more stuff"), but the subjective motivations of any particular vendor are really irrelevant. This is not a solution seeking a problem; this is, in fact, a very real problem that will continue to worsen in 2008 and every year beyond. I think we'll see some very dramatic and perhaps unfortunate initial case studies of large datacenters that failed to react quickly enough to what is actually a pending crisis of global proportions.

Lewis Curtis, infrastructure architect and advisor, Microsoft
Blog: Thoughts from the raised floor
Companies who only rely on performance per watt (PPW) justifications for capital expenditures will see their power consumption increase. The logic goes like this: Most vendors are still parading the PPW marketing plan as their green answer today. Why doesn't this work in the real world? Because it never factors in its impact on the velocity of demand as well as the impact of the environment which must now support it. As technology capability increases, the velocity of people's demands of that technology will increase more. Therefore the demand for more servers, storage and network capability will increase. This, in turn, will increase the demand for power. Server consolidation through virtualization and blade systems will be more pervasive in 2008. However, I predict that those who rely on the PPW model alone will see their real power bills increase in the datacenters.

Dave Douglas, VP of eco responsibility, Sun Microsystems
Blog: DD's Eco Notes
1. This year, we went from awareness to action on the environment. The term "green-washing" became more popular too, as some companies were accused of putting hype before substance. With a public and media that are far more sophisticated and discerning about all things green, the demand for authentic action will increase, and the environment will benefit. The focus in 2008 will be about what we can actually do to reduce our impact -- or better yet, what we've already done.

2. Every day we're more and more reliant on a growing web of Internet-based social and business services. Datacenters that support these services are growing at high rates, but the power grid isn't keeping up. The probability is rising that 2008 will bring a high-impact power outage that will affect consumers in new and totally unexpected ways.

Rudy Kraus CEO Photo.JPG Rudy Kraus, CEO, Validus DC Systems
Website: Validus
One answer to the growing IT energy crisis may come from an unlikely source in 2008, but one that has its roots in Thomas Edison's work from 100 years ago: direct current (DC) power. When DC is properly harnessed with today's technology, it can provide energy to data centers with 10 to 20 percent more efficiency, according to Lawrence Berkeley Lab Research. Against the snowballing IT energy crisis, those types of figures could benefit IT processes, CSR initiatives, and most importantly, the bottom line.

Paul Marcoux, vice president of engineering, Cisco development operations, and "green guru," Cisco
Website: Cisco corporate social responsibility page
1. Heading into 2008, companies will continue to emphasize their social responsibility behavior, creating an environment for industry leaders to combine the power of innovation with collaboration to create the most sustainable model for addressing global climate change. As a result, across business and IT functions, we'll begin to see industry standards and green languages emerge in 2008 to foster greater communication and collaboration.

2. If you can't measure it; you can't manage it. In 2008, we'll see a slew of technologies developed to offer real-time monitoring intelligence to measure energy consumption for products. By 2009, there will be few products available that cannot be monitored for energy consumption.

Christina Page_october 2007.jpg Christina Page, director of climate and energy, Yahoo
Website: Yahoo Green
Yahoo! expects to see increased activity in the voluntary carbon credit market, especially in the United States with the launch of the Green Exchange in Q1 2008. As more and more organizations choose to offset their carbon footprints, companies will be increasingly motivated to think seriously about their energy consumption, and take strong action to become more efficient across operations.

Ted Samson, senior analyst and Sustainable IT blogger, InfoWorld
Blog: Sustainable IT
1. Expect more organizations to follow the lead of companies such as HP and Wal-Mart in scrutinizing the efficiency, wastefulness, and eco-friendly practices of vendors in their supply chain.

2. Companies will continue to push the envelope in developing greener datacenters. They won't stop at simply employing energy-efficient hardware and cooling systems and embracing general datacenter-design best practices. They'll follow in the footsteps of companies such as Digital Realty in developing buildings that adhere to LEED. Like Google and Fujitsu, they'll install alternative-energy systems including solar panels and others. They'll raise the bar in terms of datacenter design, as did Sun with its innovative modular, forward-looking approach. They'll include eco-friendly features that have little or nothing to do with energy efficiency or cutting costs, as we saw with Unisys's datacenter that includes the conversion of 19 acres adjacent to the facility to natural prairie containing wild grasses and flowers.

3. Expect more companies to locate datacenter operations in countries outside the U.S. where energy costs are lower -- and perhaps environmental standards aren't as stringent.

4. The "energy efficiency credit" or white tag exchange will gain some momentum, though likely won't really take off until 2009 when there are stricter mandates for companies to reduce the carbon emissions.

Dave Stangis, director of corporate responsibility, Intel
Blog: CSR@Intel
1. Green will move from a specific product offering to a brand offering -- and be rewarded by Wall Street.
2. Consumer electronic brands will look to their suppliers to help position their products as "more green."
3. Technology solutions will become center stage in solving the climate-change challenge.
4. Technology will be the key in driving down the costs of alternative energy.
5. Green building design will finally transition from novelty to expectation.

Pat Tiernan, VP of social and environmental responsibility, HP
Website: HP's environmental sustainability page
Green IT will have a more significant focus as we move into 2008. This includes designing products with the entire lifecycle in mind. In addition to energy use, companies will be more vigilant in implementing plans for disposal, reuse, and recycling. Green strategy will also become an argument for the optimization of IT resources, as well as for saving money, with more energy-efficient products.

Steve Vassallo, principal, Cleantech practice at Foundation Capital
Website: Cleantech site
1. Water becomes more critical than oil. Major water shortages will begin to raise awareness and investment dollars into the sector.
2. We'll see a major shift in the awareness (and communication) of companies regarding their carbon footprints and energy consumption. Fortune 100 companies will bring discussion of carbon footprints into the mainstream business conversation.

Larry Vertal, senior strategist for AMD Green, AMD
Website: AMD green
EPA research shows that with relatively minor efforts by datacenter managers, including turning on already available power management features, enabling higher rates of resource consolidation, shutting off unused servers and improving infrastructure operations, we could save 20 percent of datacenter power. That's equal to cutting down the growth of our new power resources demanded by datacenters by half by 2010, or five 1,000MW power plants. So, while performance proudly held the top spot as the chief concern of all IT managers for a long time, it now needs to make room for performance-per-watt. Look for 2008 to be the year where the rubber meets the road in green computing, and energy efficiency takes over as the No. 1 priority for the IT manager.

Hu Yoshida, CTO, Hitachi Data Systems
Blog: Hu Yoshida's blog
1. The green-tech movement will drive a growing awareness that the storage of data has become highly inefficient, with low utilization, over-allocation, stranded storage, too many redundant copies, low access speeds, inefficient search, and disruptive movement and migration. Buying faster storage processors with larger capacity disks on the same 20-year-old architectures will not solve the problem of inefficient use of storage. New storage architectures will be required to meet this demand for greater efficiency.

2. Control unit virtualization of storage with thin provisioning will be recognized as the only approach to storage virtualization that can increase utilization, eliminate allocated but unused space, recover stranded storage, reduce redundant copies, increase access speed, and provide nondisruptive movement of data for multi-tiering, migration, and replication.

3. Data more than 60 days old on production systems will be considered toxic waste. Structured data such as databases and semi-structured data such as e-mail and document management data are increasing dramatically as they are required to hold more data, longer, for compliance reasons. This will call for new types of archiving systems that can scale to petabytes and provide the ability to search for content across different modalities of data.

Final thoughts
In conclusion, 2008 is shaping up to be an eventful year for green IT, to say the least. Companies have plenty of work ahead of them to stay ahead of the looming power crisis as well as governmental mandates to reducing their carbon footprints. Further, vendors' practices and products will garner even closer scrutiny from the press and the public. The good news is, plenty of smart people out there -- technologists, analysts, business leaders, and politicians -- have the challenges in their sights and are working as hard and as quickly as they can to meet those challenges head on.

What are your predictions for green tech in 2008?

Posted by Ted Samson on December 20, 2007 03:00 AM

December 19, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Unisys pushes green envelope with datacenter expansion

unisys green datacenter infoworld I've read about various types of datacenter designs and renovations over the past year and I've found it interesting to observe the diverse approaches companies take to make their facilities greener, in the broad sense of the word.

Digital Realty, for example, recently reaped LEED Gold certification for a datacenter facility housed in printing plant in Chicago, built in 1917. Earlier this year, Sun unveiled an innovatively designed datacenter boasting a "future-proof" modular design.

Now we can add Unisys to the list of companies pushing the green envelope a bit further with its approach to upgrading an existing datacenter facility in Eagan, Minn. Not only has company found ways to cut back power usage; it's made environmental upgrades to the surrounding grounds that have little to do -- directly, anyway -- with the sustainability of the datacenter.

In the datacenter facility, Unisys employs energy-efficient servers, virtualization, and a shiny new, less power-hungry cooling system from Liebert/ Emerson Network Power. That's pretty standard technologies for an existing or upgraded datacenter. Other energy-saving equipment includes fluorescent lamps and ballasts, variable-speed fan systems, and lower-emitting emergency generators, according to the company. Add to that "a sophisticated monitoring and control system allows power usage to be continually balanced with fluctuating heating and cooling requirements."

But the part of the project that stands out to me -- again, from the perspective of someone who has seen the aforementioned technologies and practices adopted at other datacenters -- is some of the work Unisys has done outside the datacenter extension.

For example, the company removed the buckthorn, a non-native plant species that overwhelms and kills native plant life, from around the facility. The company also partnered with the city of Eagan to convert 19 acres adjacent to the facility to natural prairie containing wild grasses and flowers. There's a business benefit here, too: It "enhances security for the facility by improving views and reducing the risk of brush fire."

Moreover, Unisys will plant a dozen trees each year for the next ten years "to offset the carbon footprint of the facility."

One additional eco-friendly aspect to the project: During the construction, which started in May, Unisys recycled more than 150,000 pounds of building materials, including carpeting, ceiling tiles, conduit, and electrical wire. That certainly beats having those materials hauled off to the landfill.

It's easy to dismiss the aforementioned eco-oriented enhancements, at least in part, to an attempt to generate positive PR and/or bargaining chips to gain governmental approval to move forward with the expansion project. But even if that were entirely the case (which I doubt), I really wouldn't care: The fact remains that companies, for any number of reasons, are increasingly incorporating green practices throughout their datacenter projects that benefit both the bottom line as well the planet as a whole. It's a heartening trend, one that will certainly carry over and grow in the year to come.

Ted Samson is a senior analyst at InfoWorld and author of the Sustainable IT blog. Subscribe to his free weekly Green Tech newsletter.

Posted by Ted Samson on December 19, 2007 02:40 PM

December 18, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Congress misses chance to seed essential green-energy growth

A few days have passed since the U.S. Senate passed a modified version of the energy bill that passed through the House of Represenatives. One of the most notable changes, as summarized by CNN: "a broad tax package that they had designed to pay for incentives aimed at spurring the development of wind, solar and alternative fuels such as cellulosic ethanol, as well as energy efficiency and conservation programs."

The changed bill that passed through the Senate hasn't sat well with representatives of the alternative-energy industry, which shouldn't come as a surprise. Brian F.Keane, president of SmartPower -- a national, non-profit marketing organization dedicated to promoting clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency -- had this to say:

"The U.S. Senate's Energy Bill does not answer the American public's demand for clean and renewable energy sources, but it does cater to the needs to the Big Oil industry. This legislation proves that there is a strong need for a voluntary marketplace for clean energy. While leadership on this issue may be lacking in Washington, the states, municipalities, corporations, and individuals have all shown strong leadership by creating a vibrant, voluntary market for clean energy."

There was no lack of effort from members of the business world to see government seed the burgeoning alternative-energy market. Earlier this year, TechNet, a political network of CEOs, called on Congress and the president to invest more seed money in sustainable-energy initiatives and offer greater tax incentives to go green.

But as observed by Keane, many organizations -- including HP, Google, and Rackspace -- have recognized the benefits of investing in cleaner energy sources, such as wind, solar, and natural gas. Notably, though, at least some of these investments have been spurred by incentive programs offered by utility companies.

From my perspective, it's certainly heartening to see consumers and companies alike continuing to recognize the economic and environmentaly benefits of alternative energy and embracing it accordingly. But it's essential for our nation's leaders to set aside their political differences and recognize those benefits -- and to invest in cleaner, more reliable fuel to power our nation.

Ted Samson is a senior analyst at InfoWorld and writer of the Sustainable IT blog. Subscribe to his free weekly Green Tech newsletter.

Posted by Ted Samson on December 18, 2007 01:57 PM

December 17, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Green ventures in Silicon Valley, Mass. reaped most VC cash in '07

Curious where venture capitalists are seeding their green- and clean-tech dollars? Martin LaMonica over at CNET posted a well-researched piece about the scene last week.

"Most of the new company creation is rooted in the traditional financial investment centers in Silicon Valley and the Northeast U.S.," he writes. "But the middle of the country is playing a very significant role in bringing more technical innovation to energy."

The companies enjoying the cash influx aren't just working on IT-oriented wares, of course. Electric-car developers and solar-cell manufacturers, for example, are getting a piece of the pie.

Silicon Valley-based entrepenuers were on the receiving end of the most VC money, LaMonica reports. "During the first nine months of 2007, California was home to 68 clean-tech investments, according to the [North American Venture Capital Association]. That's nearly half the number of all investments made during that period and more than 40 percent of the $1.7 billion total," he writes.

Massachusetts-based green/clean-tech companies received the second highest percentage of VC funding, according to LaMonica, "with 11 deals totaling $292 million."

Third on the list were organizations in Texas, reaping $149 million in VC cash, followed by Washington state.

Finally, LaMonica reports, the remainder of the VC cache spread throughout the States, from a Boise State University has "a lab devoted to technology that converts kinetic energy, or motion, into electricity."

"Two cellulosic ethanol companies -- Range Fuels and Mascoma -- have announced plans to build plants that use wood chips to make ethanol in Georgia and New York," he adds.

LaMonica's piece has a bit of advice, too, one that many an investor might have heeded prior to the dot-com bust. "As has been demonstrated in the IT and life science arenas, investing in new technologies can be wrought with pitfalls and is not for the inexperienced or the faint of heart," said Mark Heesen, president of the North American Venture Capital Association in a recent report. "Short-term 'tourists' should steer clear."

Ted Samson is a senior analyst at InfoWorld and writer of the Sustainable IT blog. Subscribe to his free weekly Green Tech newsletter.

Posted by Ted Samson on December 17, 2007 01:26 PM

December 17, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Forrester: Eco-minded activity up among IT pros

Between April and October, the percentage of companies employing environmental criteria in choosing tech gear jumped 15 percent, according to a study from research company Forrester.

"As of October, 38 percent of IT professionals said that their companies were using environmental criteria in their evaluation and selection of IT equipment, compared with 25 percent in our April survey," says the report titled "Green Progress in Enterprise IT."

Also notable: When asked what was motivating their decisions to embrace more sustainable practices, the No. 1 motivator, shared by 55 percent of all respondents, was to reduce energy-related operating expenses. No surprises there. However, the No. 2 motivator cited by 50 percent of respondent was "doing the right thing for the environment."

IT vendors' efforts to spread their green-hued messages appear to be paying off, according to the report. Twenty-nine percent of respondents said they were "highly aware" of "IT vendors' efforts to promote green IT in the design, operation, and/or disposal of their products"; another 57 percent said they had limited awareness. That 57 percent figure remained consistent, but the percentage of "highly aware" jumped from 15 percent.

The sample size of the survey is worth pointing out: There was total of just 130 responses from IT procurement and operations pros from companies around the globe.

The report, authored by Christoped Mines, can be purchased here for $279.

Ted Samson is a senior analyst at InfoWorld and writer of the Sustainable IT blog. Subscribe to his free weekly Green Tech newsletter.

Posted by Ted Samson on December 17, 2007 12:19 PM

December 13, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Climate Savers green catalog proves unripe

I've had green hardware and gadgetry on the brain these past couple of weeks, no doubt thanks to the holiday season. If you're looking to stock your home or your office with some energy-efficient computing wares -- not just PCs but also mobile devices, servers, and software -- you might consider perusing the Climate Saver's Smart Computing Product Catalog.

The catalog contains 317 product listings (at least as I write this), which you can sort by product category (Desktop, Mobile, Server, and the oh-so unhelpful Other), manufacturer, and/or region -- that is, where the product is available.

While somewhat useful, the catalog could certainly use some sprucing up. For example, it doesn't have a particularly elegant UI -- the word spartan would be far more apt. Further, when you perform a search, you're presented with a long list of product names, the product type, and the manufacturer name. You don't get any more details until you click the product name. It would make more sense to add at least one descriptive sentence below each product name in the search results page. Otherwise, a user has little incentive to randomly click uninformative product names such as "Surveyor" or "Z-One Digital IBA."

Clicking on a product name takes you to a page where you'll find a product description, a link to the vendor site, and sometimes and image. Said description might be a basic list of specs -- or a wordy description of the product, clearly written by the vendor's marketing team as opposed to a neutral third party. Pricing information is notably absent.

OK, so I'm clearly not enamored by the catalog as a whole. It's certainly a good idea to provide a single place for would-be buyers to browse for energy-efficient hardware and software from various vendors. However, the catalog's usefulness is stymied by its sparse UI, the fact that it's difficult for a user to drill down and find useful product information, and the absence of a tool to compare similar products by their specs and prices.

Ted Samson is a senior analyst at InfoWorld and writer of the Sustainable IT blog. Subscribe to his free weekly Green Tech newsletter.

Posted by Ted Samson on December 13, 2007 10:18 AM

December 13, 2007 | Comments: (0)

SPEC seeds future green-server benchmarks

SPEC seeds future green-server benchmarks Backed by industry heavyweights, SPECpower_ssj2008 will be a building block for future power-performance standards

Over the past year or so, there's been plenty of head-scratching as to how to meaningfully measure a server's power performance: that is, how efficiently it uses energy to do its work. This kind of metric is important as datacenter operators struggle to keep energy costs down and free up floor space -- without sacrificing service quality.

Plenty of folks have invested resources and brainpower in the task, from independent analysts such as Neal Nelson and Associates and InfoWorld's chief technologist Tom Yager to large-scale organizations such as The Green Grid and even the EPA.

Thus, I was rather intrigued to learn this week that SPEC (Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation) has announced what it deems "the first industry-standard benchmark that measures power consumption in relation to performance for server-class computers." It's called SPECpower_ssj2008, a name that doesn't so much roll off the tongue as ooze -- but what's in a name, anyway?

Driving toward meaningful metrics
Before digging into the nitty-gritty of SPECpower_ssj2008, I want to provide some context as to why a server power-performance benchmark has proven elusive. As I said, plenty of smart people have been trying to devise one, and at first blush, it may seem like a deceptively simple task.

I like to compare it to the MPG measurement used to assess vehicles' fuel efficiency. You simply divide the number of miles you've traveled by the number of gallons used, and voilá, you have a meaningful measurement with which you can easily compare vehicular fuel efficiency. A high MPG, such as that you might get from a hybrid sedan, is deemed good. The low MPG you might get from an SUV is bad. Easy.

But wait: Perhaps it's not quite so cut and dry. Is it really meaningful to compare the gas mileage of a hybrid to that of an SUV if you don't factor in how the respective vehicles are being used? If you're comparing the two when the application is carrying three passengers and light baggage down Highway 5 from San Francisco to Los Angeles, the hybrid wins, hands down.

But what if the task at hand is schlepping five passengers and their camping gear along some rough terrain toward an off-the-beaten-path destination? There, the hybrid sedan can't really compete; it's not built to. What the SUV lacks in fuel efficiency, it compensates for with superior muscle and all-terrain features. Score one for the big machine.

Thus, it really makes the most sense to aim for more apples-to-apples comparisons, matching up like vehicles based on their form factor and the tasks for which they're being used.

In the world of servers, comparing power-performance is even more complicated. Servers vary in terms of the types of applications they run, their form factors, the number of processors they have, the speed of the processors, the amount and type of memory, and storage -- as well as how much heat they produce. Cooling, after all, ain't free. In fact, cooling a server can cost as much as running one.

Meet the benchmark
All of that brings us back to SPEC's benchmark, which was developed with assistance from big-name tech companies such as AMD, Dell, Fujitsu Siemens, HP, Intel, IBM, and Sun. The fact that so many companies -- all of which have a clear interest in seeing a benchmark that puts their respective wares in the best light -- are behind SPECpower_ssj2008 gives it all the more weight.

So let's get to the meat of the benchmark. SPECpower_ssj2008 measures server power consumption at different performance levels -- from 100 percent to idle -- in 10 percent segments over a set period of time. This graduated workload is important: It recognizes the fact that processing loads and power consumption on servers vary substantially over the course of days or weeks. Tests by Neal Nelson certainly bore that out. For example, he found that in idle mode, a server running an AMD chip used far less energy than did the machine running an Intel chip.

In order to calculate the power-performance metric, the benchmark measures and adds together the transaction throughputs at the various performance-level segments, then divides the resulting figure by the sum of the average power -- that is, the wattage -- consumed at each segment. The more work a system does at a given CPU utilization, and the less power it uses, the higher it scores on the benchmark. Thus, in essence, an SUV can be compared to a hybrid.

For the benchmark workload, SPEC selected server-side Java, representing Java business apps. According to the organization, "the workload is scalable, multi-threaded, portable across a wide range of operating environments, and economical to run."

Moreover, SPEC says the Java-based benchmark "exercises CPUs, caches, memory hierarchy, and the scalability of shared memory processors, as well as implementations of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), JIT (just in time) compiler, garbage collection, threads, and some aspects of the operating system."

A spec in the right direction
The benchmark is certainly a good start as datacenter operators struggle to make sense of their machines' energy efficiency, as well the power-performance claims that hardware vendors boast.

In fact, SPEC is reviewing SPECpower_ssj2008 benchmark results submitted by vendors,then posting them for public consumption on the SPEC site. Thus far, HP's Proliant DL160 G5 tops the heap with a score of 698, followed by Dell's PowerEdge 2950 III, which scored a 682.

Although a good start, SPECpower_ssj2008 is just a first step toward measuring servers' energy efficiency. "SPECpower will work with other SPEC benchmarking groups to help them adopt the methodology used in this first benchmark. The intention is that there will be a wide range of SPEC benchmarks that incorporate power measurement in a consistent, repeatable way," writes Greg Darnell, vice chair of the SPECpower committee.

"The methodology can also be used by other benchmark developers interested in measuring power, in the hope that there will be a common set of practices in this new area of benchmarking," Darnell adds.

Additionally, SPEC will be looking at workloads and applications other than server-side Java, though "no definitive decisions have yet been made, however, on those workloads or applications," according to Darnell.

Indeed, running other types of workloads will certainly yield different results -- the way a hybrid's MPG on the highway will differ from its MPG on city streets.

IBM's Elisabeth Stahl, manager of performance marketing for the IBM Systems and Technology Group, expressed similar sentiments about the SPECpower_ssj2008 benchmark. (Big Blue was one of the companies that participated in its development.) "We believe this benchmark is a good first step in helping people to understand the relationship between systems performance and energy use," says Stahl. "We look forward to continued work to create benchmarks that broaden the spectrum of environments represented by the benchmark and to ensure that the data shown is representative of the many computing environments that exist."

The minimum equipment for SPEC-compliant testing is two networked computers, plus a power analyzer and a temperature sensor. One computer is the system under test; the other is the controller system where power, performance, and temperature are captured for reporting. A typical test run for SPECpower_ssj2008 takes about 70 minutes using default settings.

SPECpower_ssj2008 is available immediately from SPEC for $1,600. For more information, go to SPEC's Web site.

Ted Samson is a senior analyst at InfoWorld and writer of the Sustainable IT blog. Subscribe to his free weekly Green Tech newsletter.

Posted by Ted Samson on December 13, 2007 03:00 AM

December 11, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Green Grid announces tech forum in February

Datacenter energy-effiency enthusiasts, mark your calendars: The Green Grid consortium will hold its first annual general members' meeting and technical forum come Feb. 5 and 6 in San Francisco.

The Green Grid, of course, is a consortium of companies -- such as HP, IBM, Cisco, and Microsoft -- as well as individuals seeking to lower overall power consumption in datacenters.

The technical forum will give attendees an opportunity to learn about "The Green Grid's Datacenter Metrics, current and emerging techniques for managing datacenters for efficiency and future technical deliverables from the organization," according to the group's announcement. The group says it will also host discussions with leading industry policy-makers from around the world.

This will be the group's first technical forum. The Green Grid held a technical summit last April, though, which proved helpful for developing its roadmap and other deliverables.

Green Grid members have first priority to attend the forum. Membership starts at $5,000. For more information or to register, go to www.thegreengrid.org/events/technical_forum.

Ted Samson is a senior analyst at InfoWorld and author of the Sustainable IT blog. Subscribe to his free weekly Green Tech newsletter.

Posted by Ted Samson on December 11, 2007 10:41 AM

December 10, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Via packs power into teeny green Artigo PC kit

IDG's Sumner Lemon reported today on Via's minute do-it-yourself computer kit, called Artigo. It's indeed a wee package, measuring 5.9 inches by 4.3 inches by 1.8 inches and weighing in at under 1.2 pounds. Via says Artigo PC enthusiasts could use the kit to build a fully functional x86 system that fits in the palm of your hand.

Beyond the sheer "wow" factor of such a powerful system in a diminutive body, the Artigo is a fine example of how PCs can become greener. For one thing, it's got a remarkably lower power draw: According to Via, a complete system would consume around 15 watts in idle, while the mainboard itself consumes a maximum of only 20 watts under full load.

Moreover, a tiny system like this requires fewer materials, which means less waste. That's a double green whammy.

In terms of specs, the system is powered by the 1GHz Via C7 processor, according to Via, and supports up to 1GB of DDR2 533 SO-DIMM system memory. The Via EPIA PX mainboard is based on the single-chip Via VX700 system media processor, and packs a Via UniChrome Pro II IGP 3D/2D graphics core, MPEG-2/-4, and WMV9 hardware decoding acceleration and display flexibility. There's also onboard Via VT1708A HD audio codec.

Moreover, the machine delivers broadband networking through its 10/100 Fast Ethernet port. The VGA port in the rear of the system supports all regular monitors.

The Via Artigo Builder Kit will be available starting Dec. 14 -- just in time to get one last green-hued stocking-stuffer. Recommended retail price is $300.

Ted Samson is a senior analyst at InfoWorld and writer of the Sustainable IT blog. Subscribe to his free weekly Green Tech newsletter.

Posted by Ted Samson on December 10, 2007 12:48 PM

December 10, 2007 | Comments: (0)

A view to Google's solar power

Google's headquarters, the Googleplex, has long been an architecturally pretty impressive building, but with the addition of 9,000-plus solar panels, it looks all the cooler. The search behemoth has posted pics of the installation on its Solar Panel Project Web site , brought to my attention by the folks over at TreeHugger.

Google solar infoworld

"This installation is projected to produce enough electricity for approximately 1,000 California homes or 30-percent of Google's peak electricity demand in our solar powered buildings at our Mountain View, Calif. headquarters," Google reports.

Google also received a tidy sum in incentives from PG&E for its installation: $4.5 million.

As an interesting, though perhaps gimmicky, addition: Google reports how many kilowatt-hours of energy the panels supply over a 24-hour period, a seven-day period, and since the installation in June of this year.

For example, as I write this, for example, Google reports that it's generate 675 kilowatt-hours in the past 24 hours -- enough to power 5,625 hours of flat screen TV watching or 2,812 alarm clocks for 24 hours. Those numbers may be off, though, as the site reports the monitoring system seems to be having some problems right now.

Ted Samson is a senior analyst at InfoWorld and writer of the Sustainable IT blog. Subscribe to his free weekly Green Tech newsletter.

Posted by Ted Samson on December 10, 2007 12:20 PM

December 07, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Akeena Solar CEO weighs in on energy bill

Following is an e-mail I just received penned by Barry Cinnamon, the
CEO of Akeena Solar. In it, he voices his support for the energy bill that Congress is in the process of weighing. The bill, as approved by the House of Representatives, included the extension of two solar tax credits and increased the annual credit cap from $2,000 to $4,000.

Although Cinnamon, of course, has a clear bias here, I thought his letter was worth sharing. Moreover, the progress of the energy bill should of interest to both citizens and organizations that are contemplating investing in solar energy.

What a difference 24 hours make!
The strongest solar bill ever introduced in Congress is hanging in the balance. This week the House passed an energy bill that included the extension of two necessary solar tax credits and increased the annual credit cap from $2,000 to $4,000. 24 hours later, the Senate concluded an administrative cloture vote and the bill failed to move forward 53 to 42. The Senate now will review, rewrite and present their version of the energy bill back to the House in hopes of moving it into law. This is Congress' chance to get the energy bill right and finally move forward with strong support of clean renewable energy sources.

It's astonishing that solar energy—America's most abundant renewable resource—has to compete with oil for government support. It's also clear that with oil hovering around $90, and recently breaking $100 a barrel, oil companies are not having a problem competing (especially with the big three oil companies reported profits of $72 billion in the fourth quarter of 2006 alone).

With about two-thirds of $21 billion tax package in the bill on the major oil companies, the Energy Bill provides the opportunity for Congress to put its money where its mouth is and turn towards renewable energy sources such as solar power. Keeping the solar investment tax credits in the bill allows the outdated oil and gas subsidies to now be invested in what is right and necessary --supporting clean renewable energy and advancement in technology and initiatives.

The extension of solar tax credits -- eight-year extension of the 30 percent investment tax credit for businesses and six-year extension of the 30 percent investment tax credit for residential solar systems -- are essential in the development and progress of both business and residential solar investments.

Additionally, with the proposed increase in the residential cap from $2,000 to $4,000, the payback for a typical California home will be reduced by two years. And if the residential cap were fully removed, paybacks for solar customers could be reduced to as low as five years.

With the right kinds of programs in place, an estimated 50 percent of all new electricity in the U.S. could be generated by solar power within eight years. The Senate has the opportunity -- and quite frankly, an obligation to their constituents throughout the country -- to bring solar to its rightful place as a viable alternative energy source for every American.

Best Regards,
Barry Cinnamon
CEO, Akeena Solar

Ted Samson is a senior analyst at InfoWorld and writer of the Sustainable IT blog. Subscribe to his free weekly Green Tech newsletter.

Posted by Ted Samson on December 7, 2007 01:07 PM

December 07, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Chinavision pen camera has green-spy appeal

If you have an aspiring spy with green leanings on your holiday-gift list, take note: A company called Chinavision is offering a solar-powered wireless spy camera pen.

As described by the company, the device is a fully functioning pen -- except it has an inconspicuous built-in wireless mini spy camera. "Just whip out the pen, twist the cap to start the wireless transmission, have the included MP4/wireless receiver within 20 meters, and you can view and record everything that your spy camera pen sees," the company says.

The camera is powered by a Li-ion battery, which in turn is charged by solar energy. Pricing starts at $328.76.

If this psuedo-green gadget doesn't appeal to you, consider some of these other eco-friendly gifts for geeks.

(Thanks, by the way, to Ubergizmo (and various other green blogs) for pointing out the Chinavision camera pen.)

Ted Samson is a senior analyst at InfoWorld and writer of the Sustainable IT blog. Subscribe to his free weekly Green Tech newsletter.

Posted by Ted Samson on December 7, 2007 12:45 PM

December 06, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Xerox, AMD garner recognition for reducing GHGs

Xerox and AMD garnered special recognition from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) this week for recently achieving their long-term greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals and for extending their commitment to climate-change management. Xerox and AMD are both participants in the EPA's Climate Leaders initiative, the largest corporate GHG goal-setting program in the United States.

Xerox managed to reduce its emissions by 18 percent from 2002 to 2006. The company is now aiming to lower its total global GHG emissions by 25 percent from 2002 to 2012.

Xerox reports that is managed to shrink its GHG production by reducing fuel usage of cars and trucks driven by sales and service employees. The company also curbed its natural gas consumption and electricity usage. Through its efforts, Xerox says it prevented the emissions of 87,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide last year and saved $18 million in energy expenses.

Looking ahead to its 2012 goal, Xerox plans to design more products that use its EA toner, which the company says is grown by a chemical process and uses 25 percent less energy to produce than does traditional toner made by the grinding method. Moreover, the company says it's adjusting climate control equipment to reap higher energy savings.

Meanwhile, AMD achieved its initial goal by reducing emissions by 53 percent per manufacturing index (unit of production) from 2002 to 2006. The chipmaker is now pledging to reduce its global GHG emissions by 33 percent per manufacturing index from 2006 to 2010.

Ted Samson is a senior analyst at InfoWorld and writer of the Sustainable IT blog. Subscribe to his free weekly Green Tech newsletter.

Posted by Ted Samson on December 6, 2007 01:34 PM

December 06, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Eco group brings climate-change conference to Second Life

A group of environmentalists want to hold a series of talks on global warming, open to people around the world. Yet air travel is a huge contributor to climate change. What's to be done? Enter Second Life, of course.

The Nature Publishing Group (NPG) will be hosting a series of talks on the hot topic of global warming on Second Nature, its archipelago in the virtual world of Second Life. The conference will coincide with the United Nations conference on the subject underway in Bali, according to reports.

The talks, free to all comers, will feature speakers such as Simon Buckle, director of climate change policy at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change, on Dec. 11 and George Monbiot, author of "Heat: How to Stop the Planet From Burning," on Dec. 13. Second Life users can join the conference via slurl.com/secondlife/SecondNature/218/213/28.

The NPG certainly isn't the first organization to have a go at hosting a gathering in the world of Second Life. In October 2006, for example, Sun and IBM held separate meetings in Second Life, both of which were attended by former InfoWorld technology evangelist Jon Udell. He wasn't particularly impressed with the medium, though. "In the IBM event, I found myself in a breakout session chatting with strangers about a topic whose premise I disagreed with. That would be unproductive enough in the real world. Because we lacked a synchronous voice channel, real identities, and sufficient emotional bandwidth, it felt even less productive here," he wrote.

I've only dabbled in Second Life, but I'm the same page here as Jon was: It doesn't strike me as an ideal medium for conferences or talks. For a talk, where only one or a couple of presenters are speaking at any time to an audience, one would think a Webcast would suffice. Attendees could ask questions in real time via a messaging function.

As for an interactive conference, well, it becomes trickier. Telepresence remains a promising means of engaging with other human beings remotely, though for the time being, they're impractical for the average home user (know anyone with a telepresence system in his or her basement?). The systems are evolving, however, to the point that a small system could be set up in a CXO's corner office.

From my perspective, NPG is to be commended for pushing the envelop here. Even if the conference doesn't prove overly successful because of the Second Life medium, I appreciate the fact that the group is using Second Life to make a point about air travel's impact on the environment, as well as a point about technology's potential to combat the phenomenon.

Ted Samson is a senior analyst at InfoWorld and author of the Sustainable IT blog. Subscribe to his free weekly Green Tech newsletter.

Posted by Ted Samson on December 6, 2007 11:52 AM

December 06, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Cisco seeds green innovations aimed at climate change

Cisco seeds green innovations The term "green" (or "sustainable") technology tends to conjure images of energy-efficient machines and applications: virtualization, which can reduce the number of servers running in your datacenter; quad-core chips, which are more power-efficient than their predecessors; and smart cooling systems that take a more precise approach to chilling datacenters.

But we're seeing more companies lining up to deliver green-oriented technologies -- at times in the name of charity -- that don't directly result in lowering customers' electric bills. Rather, they're aimed at helping cities, organizations, and end-users work more efficiently and be better environmental stewards.

Some of the more interesting projects I've seen emerging in this space are through the William J. Clinton Foundation. (Apologies to anyone offended by my invoking the Clinton name with the presidential race going on. This isn't a partisan ploy, I promise.)

Just as a little background, the foundation recruits organizations and individuals to donate toward a breadth of projects geared at, among other things, fostering economic empowerment and leadership development and addressing climate change. Microsoft, for example, is working to provide free Web-based software for cities to monitor their carbon emissions and share ideas.

I recently had a chat with Noni Allwood, senior director of human resources at Cisco. She outlined the company's CUD (Connected Urban Development) effort, a part of the Clinton Global Initiative. The idea behind CUD is to "apply technology to address the challenges that cities face in regard to global climate change," she says. Cisco is clearly serious about the projects, because it's committed $15 million to CUD and enlisted the brainpower of engineers from MIT.

The company is developing three different pilot projects tailored to meet the needs of three different cities: Seoul, South Korea; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; and San Francisco, Calif. Cisco chose those three cities because they were already engaged "in area of climate change so that we didn't have to persuade anyone that it was necessary."

The projects are specifically geared toward reducing traffic congestion by making public transportation more appealing and remote access more readily available. If these projects prove successful, Cisco envisions other cities adopting them as applicable to their respective needs.

My travel buddy and me
For Seoul the problem is severe traffic congestion. "It takes three hours to get into downtown Seoul in the morning," says Allwood. "We're trying to manage traffic congestion and get people out of cars and into buses."

To solve that problem, Cisco is working on a mobile device that acts as a travel companion, aimed at "personalizing the travel experience of citizens when they have to combine walking, taking buses, and parking."

The device would be able to plot the most expedient route between destinations, drawing on up-to-date bus and train information. It would also be able to alert users of traffic accidents and delays so that they could change their course. Moreover, the device could be used to pay for train tickets, bus fares, and tolls -- as well as reserve cars through car-sharing programs.

The concept here appears far from far-fetched; it draws on many of the existing technologies we see today. Were it a Bay Area-based device, it would be a fusion of wireless technology, FasTrak (for automatic toll payment) and similar quick-payment technology for buses and trains, along with mobile-friendly versions of Google Maps (for general maps), 511.org (for plotting public transportation routes), a car-sharing reservation system from City CarShare or Zipcar; and one of the various traffic-update sites. The real trick is likely mashing up all these services into one friendly UI on a user-friendly portable device.

Get on the bus, Gus
The pilot project that Cisco's addressing isn't quite as sexy from a geeky-gadget perspective, but as a former San Francisco resident, it certainly hits close to home. The company is working with Muni, San Francisco's bus system, to improve service and the rider experience.

"One of the biggest problem with Muni is, each bus is equipped with 10 wireless antennas, and the systems are all isolated. They work in silos. They don't talk to one another. …There's no ability to leverage the information from one application to another," says Allwood.

Those applications include the GPS system that tracks bus location and security systems, along with fare systems and maintenance.

Cisco's goal here is to consolidate those 10 separate wireless antennas into one, thus making Muni's underlying technology more robust. "There could be screens announcing the next top as well as alternative routes," says Allwood.

The added benefit: reduced maintenance, as Muni wouldn't have to deal with 10 separate antennas. Allwood predicts that the bus system could enjoy sufficient savings to invest in improving the rider experience.

This, too, is a project I could get behind. If you're relying on the bus to get somewhere on time, knowing when it's going to show up -- or if it's been delayed -- is downright essential. Being presented with alternative routes is a nice addition. I'd like to see it taken one step further: Have the Muni systems interact with other Bay Area public transportation systems, include BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit), Caltrain, and SamTrans so that users could better plot their course. Or else we'd just need to get our hands on some of those travel-buddy devices from Seoul.

Work outside the box
Finally, there are Cisco's efforts in Amsterdam to develop remote work centers outside of the city. Employers could lease space from which their employees could telecommute one or more days per week, thus saving them from having to brave the traffic congestion of going into the city center. According to Allwood, such work centers could also offer telepresence facilities, with which users could, for example, conduct near face-to-face meetings with colleagues, or the loan officer at a downtown bank, or a government employee to arrange for a marriage license. Cisco, of course, sells a telepresence solution of its own.

As an advocate of telecommuting (and one who takes advantage of it just about every day), I can appreciate Cisco's efforts here, too. Not everyone has the space or facilities to work from home, so this is a good alternative to reduce the frustration of a long commute. Moreover, this kind of work center could offer a user access to tools such as MFPs, meeting rooms, and, again, telepresence that they couldn't use if they worked at home. There are, of course, potential security concerns in sharing a workspace with random employees from other companies, plus instituting a telecommuting program requires some internal planning and a shift in corporate cultural mindset.

Cisco isn't investing in CUD entirely for altruistic reasons. These projects give the company an opportunity to showcase its technology and "build a much better relationship with cities and local government, and to open new markets for ourselves," says Allwood.

I certainly don't begrudge Cisco for this, though. The company is putting $15 million toward projects that can meaningfully improve the lives of the average citizen while reducing carbon emissions in the process. That's good for business, and it's good for the environment. What's not to like?

Lastly, Cisco will be holding CUD Global Conference 2008 next month, on Feb. 20 and 21, in San Francisco. There, urban, business, research, and civic leaders will discuss solutions that address challenges in urban sustainability. The deadline for registration is Dec. 14.

Ted Samson is a senior analyst at InfoWorld and author of the free weekly Green Tech newsletter.

Posted by Ted Samson on December 6, 2007 03:00 AM

December 04, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Nokia builds a greener phone in Evolve 3110

nokia evolve 3110 Just days after being slammed by Greenpeace for slacking in its environmental practices, Nokia today took the wraps off a new phone that's primed for green.

Unveiled at Nokia World 2007, the 3110 Evolve -- an upgrade to the Nokia 3110 Classic -- boasts bio-covers made from more than 50 percent renewable material, according to Nokia. Morever, the phone comes in a small package made from 60 percent recycled content.

Finally, the phone includes Nokia's most energy-efficient charger to date, using 94 percent less energy than the Energy Star requirements, Nokia says.

As noted by Unwired View, the Evolve's specs aren't all too impressive. They include:
* Tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900 connectivity, GPRS/EGPRS
* 1.3 mpx camera with 8x digital zoom
* 128×160, 262K color display
* FM stereo radio
* MP3 Player
* MicroSD memory card slot
* USB, Bluetooth stereo and EDR
* Up to 16 days stand-by and 3.5 hrs talk time
* Dimensions: 108.5×45.715/6 mm
* Weight: 87 g

Posted by Ted Samson on December 4, 2007 10:46 AM

December 04, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Survey: Apple users more likely to be green-minded

Apple users are proportionally more eco-friendly than users of other vendors' PCs. Moreover, they're more willing to plunk down extra cash for "green" products.

That nugget of information is one of many findings in a report just released by Forrester Research titled "In Search Of Green Technology Consumers: Why Tech Marketers Should Target This Emerging Segment." Forrester surveyed computer users to determine the extent of their green leanings and what drove their environmentally conscientious practices (or lack thereof).

The report finds that, all told, 12 percent of U.S. adults are "bright green," which Forrester defines as those who are "concerned about the environment and global warming, and strongly agree that they would pay extra for consumer electronics that used less energy or came from a company that was environmentally friendly."

Moreover, another 41 percent of U.S. adults are "green consumers": those who "share concerns about environmental issues and global warming, but do not strongly agree that they would pay more for environmentally-friendly electronics."

The remaining 47 percent of the population "do not (yet) share the greens' concerns about the environment or global warming."

Forrester found that 14 percent of Apple users are bright green. From there, the list breaks down like this: 13 percent of Compaq consumers are bright green; then 12 percent of Gateway users; 11 percent of eMachines buyers; 10 percent of Dell fans; 9 percent of Toshiba users; 9 percent of IBM/Lenovo consumers; and 9 percent of consumers who buy their PCs from "Other" vendors. Below the "Other" category are HP users, 7 percent of whom are bright green. (The report notes that these numbers don't reflect the green practices of the companies themselves.)

Forrester notes that PC vendors are already making efforts to embrace more environmentally friendly practices and deliver greener products for several reasons: to appeal to consumers' ever-evolving eco-leanings; to deflect criticism from watchdog groups such as Greenpeace; and to adhere to regulations such as Europe's ROHS directive.

Those greener practices are taking several forms: designing products in a more conscientious manner; boosting system energy efficiency; cleaning up their manufacturing processes; using less wasteful packaging and transport methods; and making it easier for users to recycle their PCs.

Looking forward, Forrester predicts "that green-targeted PCs and other electronics will evolve as part of the consumer electronics industry's move to go beyond "beige box" design and styling and instead incorporate consumer style into its products."

Indeed, we've already starting seeing some of this since Forrester conducted its survey in Q2 of this year. Dell, for example, recently released a greened-up version of its Inspiron desktop. Everex is also focusing on the greenness of its recently unveiled TC2502 Green gPC, which runs on Linux.

The Forrester report "In Search Of Green Technology Consumers: Why Tech Marketers Should Target This Emerging Segment" can be purchased here for $279.

Posted by Ted Samson on December 4, 2007 08:59 AM