Facebook is sharing the details for its server systems and designs for its computer facilities in hope that it will generate innovation and improvements much like the results from open-source software. This "Open Compute Project" hopes to lower industry-wide energy use. According to a WSJ article by Geoffrey Fowler, Facebook's Prineville operations are "38% more energy-efficient and 24% more cost-effective than the machines the social-networking giant had been using." Current collaborators in the Open Compute Project include Intel Corp., Advanced Micro Devices, Hewlett-Packard Co., and Dell Inc.
Google, Apple Inc. and Twitter Inc. are in the process of building new data centers to provide "computing resources, data-storage capacity and software services to companies and consumers over the Internet." A Google spokesperson said that they were still becoming familiar with the project but supported any initiative that enabled businesses to develop energy-efficient designs. Google Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. are two companies that are historically secretive about their computing infrastructure.
I think Facebook's new project is admirable, progressive, "green" and great for public relations. It has made me take another look at Facebook as a corporation and not just an aggravating social-networking site.
For more information go to: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704013604576248953972500040.html?mod=WSJ_Tech_LEFTTopNews
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