CIO OPINION
We can ’ t escape data growth , but businesses can make more environmentally sound storage , management and access choices .
awareness about how companies could better manage their data ’ s carbon footprint as their data landscape increases and their cloud consumption expands .
ROT data isn ’ t easy to tackle . You can ’ t just go and run a ‘ clean disk ’ tool and wipe the redundant information . It needs a cross-company approach – ideally championed at board-level but bringing in records management , legal , compliance , HR , and of course , IT teams .
Most importantly , it can be achieved with effective , intelligent data management solutions that help IT departments focus on the life cycle of their data from the very edge of the corporate network all the way to the data centre – and remove ROT data more efficiently with fully integrated data management processes .
One way is to reduce the enormous volume of data that companies produce . Data centres currently account for around 1 % of the world ’ s total energy consumption . That might not sound a lot , but that translates to 205 TWh of global electricity use . More concerning is that analysts suggest that we might experience anything between a five-fold and 40-fold increase by 2030 if things continue to go unchecked . In this context , you can see why many people compare data to oil , given its potential to cause environmental harm if we consume it in excess and without being conscious of its impact .
Tackling ROT data is one way to cut down on data consumption . ROT data is Redundant , Obsolete or Trivial data . It ’ s data that doesn ’ t contribute anything to normal business operations . It ’ s often backup copies of what is often relatively unnecessary , or users ’ nonwork data like personal photos / emails . Given that it ’ s not regularly accessed , ROT data is likely to be stored in a secondary physical data centre and builds up round-the-clock energy consumption . Bad news if you ’ re trying to get a leaner , greener carbon footprint .
To do this , businesses need to understand the value of their data : does it , for instance , actually need to be retained ? And if so , for how long ? Where should it be stored for easy use and access ? If businesses don ’ t need to keep it , what should happen to it ? Companies that identify the answers to these questions can reduce the data they produce and store – and create a sustainable , environmentally sound cloud infrastructure .
Build back greener
Working to develop more sustainable business practices has never been more important . Earth is our home and as a global society , we cooperate and unite so that we take better care of it . A lot of companies are only just beginning their sustainability journeys and though it will take time to see the changes , every step in the right direction is a valuable one . Of course , we can ’ t escape data growth , but businesses can make more environmentally sound storage , management and access choices that can have a hugely positive impact on our planet ’ s future . p
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