Project management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Project management - Research Paper Example Other aspects of green computing include telecommuting – a flexible work arrangement which involves working from home and other locations away from a central or main office; thin client solutions; use of open source software; and the development of software to ensure sustainability in IT for use internally and for third parties. IBM is one of several companies engaged in the practice and promotion of green computing. The company is engaged in many areas of green computing as outlined below. Data center and overall energy efficiency – In this area IBM has received a number of awards. In fact, on June 2012 the company received the 2012 European Union Code of Conduct for Data Centers award (IBM 2012). This award was given for innovations in technology which seeks to facilitate improvements in data center energy efficiency (IBM 2012). IBM was the only company awarded in the corporate level category and this is significant. The company remains active in this area providing d ata to both the EC Directorate General Joint Research Centre-Institute for Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency (IBM 2012). Disposal of electronic waste and recycling – This is a very important area at IBM. In a statement entitled ‘IBM Product Take Back for Recycling,’ IBM indicates that the company participates in recycling programs. However, it indicates that certain damaged items such as monitors that have cracks, leakages that are visible such as leaking batteries cannot be shipped. Guidelines are also provided for proper handing and disposal for items that are not allowed in the recycling program. Telecommuting - Nilles 1998 (Cited in Kossek et al (348) indicates that telecommuting is work done at hope with the support of telecommunications technology. People are able to work from anywhere and so the need for large office spaces requiring lighting and other forms of energy is not necessary. Telecommuting was adopted at IBM in Indiana as a way of re ducing real estate costs. Therefore, instead of further reducing the number of people employed as was earlier practiced the CEO at the time recommended a reduction in real estate. People were able to work from almost anywhere and so the need for large office spaces was not necessary. Virtualization of server resources – Virtualization facilitates improvements in the use of IT resources (IBM 2005; 1). IBM not only practices this as a way of reducing hardware costs but provide a means of doing so for customers. In addition to reducing hardware costs virtualization provides additional benefits including the and also facilitating flexibility and responsiveness in the use of IT resources (IBM 2005; 2). Examples of BM virtualization resources include Xen and VMware. This process facilitates greener computing by reducing the resources required for IT infrastructure as well as a reduction in energy use. Thin client solutions – Promises computing services that are easier to mai ntain and a reduction in the cost of IT infrastructure. It represents a return to a somewhat centralized and more manageable IT infrastructure which is embodied in the thin client model. IBM is just one of the companies providing this solution. In a news release entitled ‘IBM Announces Comprehensive New Thin Client Solutions’ IBM indicates that its new thin client solutions allow organizations to shift various tasks away form desktop to servers on the internet or internally and