Strategic sustainability and operational efficiency dilemma of data centres

Alan D. Smith

International Journal of Business Information Systems, 2011, vol. 8, issue 2, 107-130

Abstract: The core discussion is based on three large service companies that were analysed from a case study-perspective in terms of green energy options for its data centres, especially maintenance efforts to increase efficiency of their data centres while maintaining required levels of reliability and cooling. The components of operational effectiveness and strategy broke down into many parts. Following strategic initiatives and balancing the operational effectiveness of the firms studied, it was suggested that these trends should generate vastly different sources of competitive advantage like networking economies of scale, new opportunities for the purely physical business to a more green-based IT to eliminate distribution channels that only provide information, changes in brand identity, and reduced operating costs.

Keywords: business strategies; wastes; green ICT; information technology; communications technology; operational effectiveness; operational efficiency; corporate social responsibility; CSR; sustainable development; strategic sustainability; data centres; service companies; green energy; reliability; cooling levels; strategic initiatives; competitive advantage; networking; economies of scale; networks; new opportunities; distribution channels; brand identity; operating costs; cost reduction; brands; branding; Bayer Corporation; Hewlett Packard; Sun Microsystems; pharmaceutical industry; computers; USA; United States; business information systems. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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