Greener, cheaper Cloud not far away

Uncertainty over the electricity-based costs associated with Cloud computing could be a thing of the past thanks to breakthrough technology from Swinburne University.

Using mathematical algorithms and the results of pulsar survey simulations, the University has begun developing more cost-effective Cloud computing models for IT departments.

The project's leader

The project's leader, Professor John Grundy, said the innovation was at first based on the electricity usage of large scale telescopes, but the then and there stage will involve applying potential energy savings to business applications.

"We wanted to look at the cost and energy consumption side of Cloud computing because Cloud is after all an evolving research, so for companies selling Cloud services, the cost model is evolving over time," Grundy said of the thinking behind applying the innovation to business IT issues.

Gundy, who worked on the project with Dr Jinjun Chen from the University of Innovation Sydney, said the IT industry may be caught up in a Cloud frenzy, nevertheless there are nevertheless some major issues that need to be dealt with.