IT company launches low-cost, green solution for SMEs
Greenwise Staff
18th November 2008
An Edinburgh-based IT firm has launched an on demand ‘cloud computing’ service that promises to help small and medium-sized businesses keep costs down while improving their environmental performance.
Newly-formed ThinkGrid has launched a range of services, including Hosted desktop, Exchange, VoIP, Blackberry Enterprise Server and Dynamic Server, on an on demand basis, claiming to save “thousands of pounds” for customers by doing away with expensive capital investments and maintenance costs. Also known as ‘cloud computing’ or ‘virtualisation’, the service also brings energy-saving benefits to users.
“Thanks to advances in virtualisation, automation and Internet Protocol (IP) technologies, the current model for IT infrastructure is undergoing significant transformation. Recognising this change, we set about weaving key technologies together into a unique system that gives enterprise-class IT without having to make enterprise-class investments,” said David Pratt, chairman of ThinkGrid.
ThinkGrid says through its service, users get their own personalised virtual desktop that can accessed from anywhere in the world through an internet connection. This ‘thin client’ model means users go from using typical PC machines that use 300W of energy to 10W to 30W per machine. By also cutting down on air conditioning, the company claims businesses can save up to 70 per cent on their energy bills.
The privately-owned company, which has offices in the UK and the US, operates three datacentres in Stratford in East London, Slough and Chicago, which it says are designed to be as efficient as possible – thereby saving energy – while providing the most advanced IT hosting infrastructures in the world.
By supporting a number of different companies’ IT infrastructure on one server, the company says its datacentres can deliver energy-savings by operating at a higher capacity than more traditional server solutions.
Pratt says ThinkGrid’s green IT on demand service offers advantages for all organisations, even IT departments with more “complex” requirements.
“Ultimately, ThinkGrid challenges the idea that IT value can only be measured on a quarterly, half-year or as you see in most cases, annual basis. Customers receive a monthly bill so can make decisions much more quickly,” he said.
