Novelty In The Age Of Velocity - VMware

VMware is a software company that provides cloud computing, virtualization software and services around the globe. During its three-day annual conference (RADIO), VMware introduced a service called the Carbon Avoidance Meter (CAM). It was developed by VMware's R&D organization through its internal product incubator, xLabs. It will be available to VMware Skyline customers later this year via the VMware Skyline Advisor, an innovative, proactive support service, developed in-house at VMware.

CAM provides data centre operators with near-real-time "carbon scores" – determined from the level of one's carbon footprint and energy usage – and recommendations for reducing this footprint. These carbon scores are based on telemetry data sent to VMware through VMware Skyline. Additional capabilities and features of CAM include near-real-time dynamic computation of load based on CPU types, calculating the load of monitored systems and also carbon footprint based on consumption for certain geographies of the Data Centers.

CAM would help a company evaluate its carbon footprint accurately. The company could use the valuable suggestions provided by CAM to reduce its footprint. CAM will also quantify the level of VM density and, recommend higher levels of virtualization density to reduce energy use and carbon emissions. The meter will also enable customers to analyze their power consumption in near-real time and to understand what amount of carbon offset credits should be purchased, or what times of day workloads can be shifted to utilize more sustainable energy sources. With this information, customers can elect to consume power from a more sustainable source or shift workloads to more sustainable power sources during off-hours.

CAM not only helps companies to better understand energy consumption patterns but also to get a better grip on what sort of energy is running the servers i.e. whether the energy is generated by coal, nuclear or wind power plants. It could also be used as a comparative tool to measure the difference in carbon footprints among various departments in an organization or even among different organizations. To sum up, this product aims to help customers create best practices and set standards for Data Centre energy reduction and green computing.

This product represents another key step towards VMware's ambitious 2020 sustainability goals and commitment to creating transformative technology to power a better future for the planet. In 2015, the company launched the VMware 2020 goals to reduce carbon emissions through energy efficiency efforts, procurement of renewable energy and carbon offsets and to bridge the digital divide for businesses and nonprofits. Beyond these ambitious goals for its business practices, VMware also aims to incorporate sustainability features into future product releases, including CAM, to offer solutions that help customers positively impact the environment and society, as well as provide customers and partners with data that enable informed choices around cleaner technology. Decreasing the energy emissions, investing in a culture of inclusion and diversity, and partnering with Restore the Earth (REF) that pledges to take sustainability-related actions at home or work is also another big effort by the company.