With data centers expected to consume as much as 20 percent of the world’s energy within only a few years, the deployment of energy efficient data centers is crucial. Swedish developer of climate-positive data centers EcoDataCenter has taken a global lead in this segment and is now launching the first carbon positive data center in the world, in Falun in central Sweden.

Increased digitalization will lead to data processing at data centers using one-fifth of the world’s total energy production as early as 2025, as calculations from several researchers and experts show. Since fossil fuel sources are responsible for two-thirds of the world’s production of electricity, data centers risk becoming one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide emissions.

Sweden’s EcoDataCenter, a provider of colocation data center solutions, is now ready to give the central Swedich city of Falun the world’s first climate-positive data center. After four years of development efforts, EcoDataCenter has managed to create a data center that is integrated with the surrounding energy ecosystem to reuse the heat generated and create the world’s first climate positive data center; Being climate positive means that not only are there no carbon emissions, but that during operation it even promotes the reduction of total carbon emissions.

Great interest from around the world 
Carbon-positive operation is achieved through green electricity and using the surplus heat from the center in Falu Energi och Vatten’s local district heating networks and a wood pellet factory. During the warmer months, the surplus energy in the district heating network is used for cooling the data center. The facility will have a total capacity of 1.9 mW and will be put into operation in the autumn of 2018.

“The technical design of the data center will be a crucial issue going forward, since it has a tremendous impact on both environment and costs, and we see a very large market for our technology,” said Lars Schedin, CEO of EcoDataCenter.

The steadily increasing need for processing data in the wake of 5G, the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence are what lie behind the expected rise in the energy consumption of data centers. According to Gartner, a leading Internet analyst, there will be more than 20 billion connected objects by 2020, a figure that in the opinion of some commentators could increase to a full 100 billion as early as 2025.

Digital habits impact the environment

Most of us, however, are likely unaware of the fact that our daily digital habits have a serious impact on the environment, according to Lars Schedin, CEO of EcoDataCenter.

“Naturally, one person watching a video on the Internet has a marginal impact, but when several million do it several times, the total energy consumption is very large — something most of us barely think about,” says Lars, citing the example of the video for the megahit “Despacito,” which has now been shown more than 5 billion times on YouTube.

“This means that viewing this video alone has consumed energy equivalent to an estimated 850 GWh. If we start from the fact that it has been viewed around the globe, it is reasonable to assume that this in turn has involved emissions of approximately 360,000 tons of carbon dioxide — as much as 220,000 taxis release in an entire year.”

Japan is strongly associated in many people’s minds with high-tech and super-innovative megapolises. But is that all about Japan? Definitely, not! The country has recently launched a new direction in tourism – eco-tourism – which enables newcomers to discover Japan from an entirely new perspective. Learn the nuts and bolts of eco-tourism in Japan here and get ready for a safe, pleasant travel with our recommendations.

Eco-Tourism in Japan – a New Land to Discover

At present, tourists who wish to stay in Japan in a sustainable and eco-friendly way may enjoy trips to hot springs, shrines and temples, involve in river rafting, mountain climbing and hiking, as well as snorkeling and scuba diving. Though eco-tourism starts gaining popularity only now, it emerged 20 years ago in Japan, as soon as the Japan Eco Tourism Society was founded to promote safe, responsible travel. The JES’s aims include:

• Promotion of eco-tourism in Japan
• Stimulation of local economy
• Social contribution to the environment and culture with the help of tourism.

JES also collaborates with the Japanese national forest office Erinsho to conserve environmentally sensitive areas and restrict tours to those places. JES employees organize regular river cleaning activities and hold volunteer events to involve both residents and tourists in sustainable, responsible environmental practices.

Minimum Language Skills for Safe Travel

For those who are concerned about their safety and fear to get lost in a distant, unknown country, it is strongly recommended to learn some Japanese before travel. The reasons for this are numerous:

• You will find it easier and more rewarding to communicate with native speakers.
• You will be able to get acquainted with the authentic culture and learn new words, which is generally impossible if you don’t know any Japanese.
• You will be able to train authentic Japanese when being immersed in the local culture and community. If you studied Japanese before, this will be an immensely useful language practice.

No matter how you study Japanese – alone via the Internet channels or with skilled tutors of some online platform, such as Preply, your efforts will definitely be rewarded when in Japan. Locals are always friendlier to those knowing their language, and you won’t ever get lost or misunderstood in a strange setting.

So, which words should you know at minimum to feel comfortable in Japan? Here is a list to cover first of all:

1. Learning numbers. This will make it easier for you to find out the date and time, the number of your hotel room, the number of the platform from which your train/bus departs, etc. In other words, numbers will give you the basic opportunity to navigate in an unknown place by knowing the date, time, and other essential numbers.
2. Learning directions. Even if you can ask where to go in English, and the person understands you, there is no guarantee that he/she can respond in English as well. So, knowing such words as “right,” “left,” “upwards,” “downwards,” “forward,” “backward,” etc. can save you from much trouble if you are occasionally lost.
3. Mastering questions. In terms of basic interactions with the Japanese locals, you might need such words as “where,” “when,” “how much,” and “who.” It’s crucial to learn these fundamentals to get what you need in Japan.

Additional things to know include colors, praise (for instance, you can praise the food you have been served in a café or when being in someone’s house as a guest), polite words like “thank you” and “please.” Knowing these few simple words in Japanese will definitely contribute to your having a much better travel experience.

Is It OK to Travel without Knowledge of Japanese?

Yes, totally. You can never bother to learn even a couple of Japanese words and still find it great to travel across Japan, especially if you visit only large, developed cities. In such locations, many people know English and will be friendly to you. However, traveling to rural areas is impossible without English, and you should stay away from such locations without basic understanding of the local language. Moreover, we recommend to master some Japanese etiquette basics; it will be a good sign of respect and effort of a positive cultural interaction that locals will appreciate.

People love shopping online. It’s convenient, reliable, and often, cost-effective. As such, it’s imperative that all companies, from eco-friendly conglomerates all the way down to humble small businesses, allow shoppers to find their products online. Unfortunately, setting up an online store is more difficult than it might appear at first blush. Still, if you want your business to experience sustainable growth, you need a competent online platform to support it. The good news is, we’re here to help. Take a look at these four ecommerce faux pas –– so that your business can avoid making any huge mistakes online:

Confusing Layout

 If you can’t see the “BUY NOW” call-to-action button on your ecommerce site from across the room, then it’s too small. Don’t make your leads hunt to find the product they want to purchase. Many transactions carry a level of impulsiveness, and if your company’s site creates “friction” and forces a visitor to pause, you risk losing potential customers at the most critical moment.

Broken Pages

As alluded to above, ecommerce transactions need to go smoothly. The main advantage an online store presents over a retail location is that of convenience. Remove that convenience and many visitors will eschew your site. With that in mind, make it a priority to perform regular testing and maintenance on your ecommerce pages. Broken pages, unintuitive redirects, and even slow loading times can confuse and irritate digital visitors. Like anything else, the more TLC you give your online store, the better results you can expect to see from it.

Failing to Market

Believe it or not, all businesses can find innovative ways to market products featured on their ecommerce store. Blogging, social-media posts, and well-constructed email threads will all help you get the word out on new or intricate products within your inventory. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter if you’re trying to promote a vanishpoint blood collection set or an anti-pollution air filter –– solid marketing can make a difference for your company regardless of your industry.

Internal Failure

Perhaps there’s nothing wrong with your online store. Maybe all aspects are working correctly and your customers have no problem completing their orders. But what about order fulfillment? Indeed, messing up someone’s order with an incorrect or massively delayed delivery can wreck all of your good work up to this point. Don’t take a risk when it comes to shipping your goods and instead consider reaching out to a third-party logistics company if the problem persists.

The Bottom Line

Online stores are eco-friendly, cost-effective, and user-friendly. However, that doesn’t mean you can take for granted that your digital shopping center will be a smash hit immediately. Always remember to test your site vigorously before launching. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry!

Let’s start with this: traveling to the Middle East is a profound and life-altering experience that everyone should do at least once — but ideally many times. Forget what you think you know about the Middle East based on awful movie stereotypes and extreme media bias. The Middle East is not just another region: it is like another world.

And you don’t have to take my word for it. Each year hundreds of millions of people a year visit the Middle East, and their only regret is that they didn’t make the journey sooner. Like I said, there is nothing and nowhere like it, and I could write a book and fail to capture all that the Middle East is about. You simply have to immerse yourself to truly understand it (and trust me, you will!).

However, just like heading to any other part of the world, there are some basic — and important — dos and don’ts when it comes to visiting to the Middle East. Here are some key things to keep in mind to ensure that your trek is rewarding instead of regrettable:

1. Dress modestly and conservatively.

No, this doesn’t mean that you need to be covered from head to toe, or wear formal attire. After all, you’re on vacation — not back at the car wrap shop, insurance company, or wherever you happen to work. However, generally speaking, it’s important to dress modestly and conservatively. Exceptions to this might be if you’re staying in certain private resorts.

2. Men: physical contact with women is frowned upon.

In many parts of Europe and North America, it is common for men to have appropriate physical contact with women, such as helping them get on a bus, handshakes, and so on. However, in the Middle East, physical contact between men (especially strangers) and women is frowned upon.

And while we’re on the subject: in places like New York, Los Angeles, London and of course Paris, public displays of affection — PDA — are very common (maybe even too common sometimes!). However, this is not something that you’ll see in the Middle East. As such, if you’re traveling with your significant other, then save your PDAs for the hotel or other private places.

3. Be respectful of all holy and sacred spaces.

This is a no-brainer, but worth mentioning because some tourists can get carried away — especially if they’re in a group and having fun (which is what vacations are about, right?). Behaving respectfully in and around holy and sacred spaces is a must. Voices should be lowered (or better yet, silenced), shoes should be removed, and the camera should be nowhere in sight.

4. Be careful with praise.

This is an eye opener for many tourists: it’s not a good idea to praise something that is owned by a local — like a beautiful rug or elegant table — because they may feel obligated to give it to you!

5. Use common sense!

Because of endlessly negative news coverage, many people are surprised to discover that life in the Middle East is very peaceful. However, it’s also true to acknowledge that there are some trouble areas where protests, demonstrations and violence or the threat of violence can erupt (which of course is not unique to the Middle East — even suburban America with its white-picket fences, lawn trolls, and minivans as far as the eye can see isn’t immune to problems).

The advice here is simple: don’t leave your common sense back at home when you’re on vacation in the Middle East. If you find yourself in a troubling situation, then obey the authorities. Better yet, avoid certain areas if you know that trouble could arise. Remember: you’re a tourist looking to enrich your life and have fun. Not a journalist looking for a scoop. Don’t get carried away!

The Bottom Line

What — you’re still reading? Stop wasting time, contact your travel agent (or head to your favorite travel website), and start planning your magnificent journey to the Middle East. Just make sure that you keep the above in mind. Happy travels!

Two very different management concepts that are inextricably linked within the same network of information technology, IT Asset Management (ITAM) and IT Service Management (ITSM) govern a very broad aspect of the IT environment. Despite the similar acronyms, ITAM and ITSM don’t so much occupy different pages in the same book as they do different books on the same shelf. The success of any ITSM implementation can be judged on the asset management foundation it’s built upon, which will in turn be improved by good service management.

Combining these two concepts isn’t always an easy process, but it is beneficial to long term cost effectiveness and IT strategy. Understanding how the service desk is impacting individual assets, and receiving relational information on how these assets are impacting service desk time is a critical step in improving the RoI on IT spending.

There is already software available that can help marry these two platforms together, like IT asset management software by Sysaid. Having the right tools is a useful first step, but combining the two takes more than just a software upgrade; it requires a rework of the way these two, often separate, departments work together.

What Asset Management Isn’t 

Asset management is not intended to be a service department. It can’t be used to fix an aging router, or run a software update on an old desktop. It has no set of instructions to handle directly servicing a broken printer. It’s not a financially focused service desk.

What it does do (or should, if properly implemented) is provide a repository for determining contracts and service agreements related to the aging router, the old software running on a desktop, or the busted printer that’s now coughing up ink all over the boss’ pie charts. It has the relevant information needed for an attached service desk to quickly resolve issues related to these assets.

Strictly speaking, asset management is far more involved with the financial impact of technology assets than the continued operation of them. This means that individuals involved with ITAM are going to lean towards the finance side of business. The procurement, finance, and contractual obligations of technology assets currently in use are the asset management wheelhouse, and that’s generally going to be largely segregated from direct service management.

What Service Management Isn’t

 IT service management does not look at asset costs. It generally doesn’t have procedures to track the life cycle of a device, the RoI on individual assets, or the impact a given outage has on a company’s bottom line. It doesn’t track assets or populate an asset list.

Service management does, however, relate to all of these things in a financial sense in that it keeps assets working and functioning. When a new asset is brought in, the service desk is often called in to perform setup, and when an asset breaks service management will outline the procedures used to fix it. It’s a set of processes laid out to govern the handling of incidents and ensure that assets continue to operate smoothly throughout their life cycle.

Service management deals with the front-lines of technology on a day to day basis within a company. It’s responsible for maintaining a consistent, efficient, and effective approach to the assets in use by a business or organization. More specifically, ITSM itself is a set of guidelines to address the complications that IT will inevitably introduce into the infrastructure and tools used by an organization.

The Shelf

Returning to the earlier used shelf analogy, the shelf, that both of these books sit on is the assets themselves. The most common way this is used is through a Configuration Management Data Base (CMDB), a service focused version of an asset registry. The CMDB can be used to take assets, labeled as Configuration Items (CIs), and keep a set of relational information that can be modified to keep asset status up-to-date and readily available to service personnel.

The CMDB is useful for service desk personnel as it can be used to track the current status of a malfunctioning asset and make calls based on that information. It’s also invaluable thanks to its use as a relational database, giving personnel the ability to quickly understand how one asset being modified will affect another. In this way, the CMDB can be used like a set of architectural plans for the service desk to base their work on.

Configuration databases are just the most practical example of the link between ITAM and ITSM. It’s the easiest thing to point to and say “Look at how useful this is!” but it’s far from the only shared aspect these two concepts can benefit from. Asset and service management working together is integral to the continued efficiency of technology in an organization.

Let’s Get Together

Making ITAM and ITSM work effectively together requires more than simply throwing a CMDB towards the service desk and proclaiming a job well done. In order to get the most out of these two systems coordinating with each other, businesses must look at designing their ITSM strategy in tandem with the way they approach asset management. This integration can’t be a secondary consideration; it requires a fundamental understanding of how they can benefit each other. When service management is given the tools to succeed from an asset standpoint, those assets are able to be used to their fullest.

Establishing these concepts together will save time in the end. Being able to generate an asset registry with the foreknowledge that it will eventually be populating a service-oriented CMDB will lead to a better end solution for the service desk to make use of. Likewise, a service desk that’s aware of its role in asset tracking will be able to better provide key information on asset performance and give a more clear picture on how individual assets are effecting the bottom line. This will inevitably lead to better RoI on investments into technology and enable a more cohesive service for the business.

More and more businesses are beginning to see the value in bringing these two concepts together, starting from the ground up, in order to get more out of their technology assets. It will be exciting to see how new and emerging concepts can further integrate asset tracking and service management together to create a seamlessly blended IT picture.