Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Alliance (SDIA)

Join us on October 15th at the Bushuis for an important discussion about the future of the IT cloud and infrastructure market, focusing on sustainability, transparency, and regional impact. We will present the results of our latest survey of purchasers & providers and invite a select group for a panel conversation, followed by an interactive discussion with all of you.

🌍 What does "Green IT" really mean? 🌱 You’ve probably seen the term “green” thrown around a lot lately—especially in tech. But let’s be real, “green” has become more of a marketing buzzword than anything concrete. So, what does Green IT actually stand for? At the SDIA, we take inspiration from the Radboud Centre for Green Information Technology, defining Green IT as: "Energy-efficient hardware (greening of IT) and smart software solutions that contribute to the sustainable development goals (greening by IT)." In simple terms, it’s about making both hardware and software environmentally sustainable. 💻🌱 But let’s not get lost in jargon. True Green IT isn’t just about slapping an “eco-friendly” label on tech. It’s about innovative solutions that go beyond energy efficiency—reducing carbon emissions, promoting reuse, and tackling the entire lifecycle of our digital tools. San Murugesan once said it best: sustainable software should “benefit the environment by improving energy efficiency, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, using less harmful materials, and encouraging reuse and recycling.” At the SDIA, we push this further by combining sustainable hardware with sustainable software to create a truly holistic approach. 💡 The challenge? Shifting from mere marketing to real action. We need to make sure that when we talk about "green" in tech, we’re talking about tangible, measurable change—not just feel-good slogans. Let's spark a discussion: What does Green IT mean to you? How can we push the industry beyond buzzwords? 👇 #GreenIT #SustainableTech #DigitalInfrastructure #SDGs #EcoInnovation

We've made our survey shorter and more fun—and we still need your help! 📝 ✨ We're exploring how sustainability (regionality, transparency, impact) can be better embedded in the procurement of IT & cloud infrastructure. Your insights will help us inform policymakers and the public, guiding them to take the right actions and create effective policies for a sustainable digital infrastructure in Europe. Can you spare a few minutes to make a big impact? 🌱 The results are anonymous. 👉 Take the survey! https://buff.ly/3ynLsEC

👉 Regional IT & cloud providers - this is for you! (survey link below) The digital infrastructure market is increasingly dominated by large, global companies, a trend further exaggerated by consolidation driven by investment funds. With extensive resources and reach, these companies often overshadow the unique value that regional IT and cloud infrastructure providers bring to the table. We believe that regional providers play a crucial role in offering tailored solutions, adding a human element to digitalization, promoting sustainable business practices, creating resilience, and supporting local economies. We are conducting a survey to get a better understanding of the specific challenges and opportunities regional providers face. Your insights will help us develop informed policy interventions, positions and communication activities. Here is what we are curious about: * What makes you unique as a provider? * What's in your way to succeed long-term? * How can governments and NGOs help you? Would you like to support better policies that promote the growth of your business? 👉 Take the survey now: https://buff.ly/3WJuqKt 🔍 Hungry for more on this? For more details about the topic, check out our article discussing the dominance of digital conglomerates and the importance of regional providers. It also explores the significant challenges faced by smaller providers and the crucial role of local collaboration in building a sustainable, regionally-focused infrastructure. https://buff.ly/4fpYQbX

🌩️ The Illusion of Public Clouds: Private Ownership and the Misconception of Public Utility Cloud computing, despite being labeled as "public," is really a club for a few big players like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. These tech giants run the show, and when they stumble, the world feels it. The recent outage involving Microsoft and CrowdStrike, which sent millions of devices into chaos, grounding flights and disrupting services around the globe just proves the point. It was like a digital domino effect, highlighting the dangers of "putting all our eggs in one basket". In today's digital landscape, cloud infrastructure is as vital as traditional utilities. Our dependence on digital services emphasizes the importance of managing these resources with the same level of public accountability. A well-regulated marketplace could ensure fair competition, transparency, and equitable access, transforming the current private market model into one that is truly transparent and based on regional values. To explore this further, we're conducting two surveys to better understand the dynamics in the IT infrastructure sector. Help us by filling in these shorts surveys: The results are anonymous! For IT & Cloud Infrastructure Providers:  We want to hear how you integrate sustainability, regionality, and transparency into your services. Your insights will help us advocate for a more balanced and fair market. Take the Survey Here:👉 https://buff.ly/3WJuqKt For IT Purchasers:  We're curious about your purchasing preferences and sustainability criteria. Your feedback will inform our efforts to promote a fairer and more sustainable market. Take the Survey Here:👉 https://buff.ly/3ynLsEC By participating, you will contribute to a more informed and balanced discussion and help pave the way for a more sustainable and competitive digital landscape. For a deeper dive into this topic, check out our article: https://buff.ly/3LR98Ey

🏛️ Governments are Crucial in Supporting Regional IT Infrastructure Competitiveness and Resilience Cloud computing giants like AWS, Google, and Microsoft dominate the market, leaving regional providers struggling to compete. But here's a thought: what if the government stepped in to level the playing field? 🤔 In our article on the role of government in supporting regional cloud providers we discuss how supportive policies could boost regional IT infrastructure, create jobs, and promote sustainability. 🌱 Governments can help by offering grants for startups to buy local cloud services, building shared infrastructure, and setting fair competition rules for a public cloud market. Check out the full article: https://buff.ly/3SxVutC ❗️ By the way - Have you filled in our surveys already? 📝 We want to know how IT Infrastructure Providers and IT Purchasers view sustainability and competition. Your insights are vital for shaping a fair and balanced market! IT Infrastructure Providers: 👉 https://buff.ly/3WJuqKt IT Purchasers: 👉 https://buff.ly/3ynLsEC

Embedding sustainability and transparency in IT & cloud procurement is crucial but currently lacking. We need your expertise! ✨ Help us shape the future of sustainable IT infrastructure by filling out our quick, anonymous survey. Your insights will guide effective policies to foster a sustainable digital infrastructure. Can you help us? #sustainability #transparency #digitalinfrastructure

IT infrastructure & service providers: Why are you making it so hard to figure out what you do? Navigating the landscape of IT infrastructure providers and the vast services they offer is often similar to wandering through a maze - you can easily end up confused by the misleading and inconsistent terminology. At SDIA (soon Leitmotiv), we have started categorizing and mapping these providers, and the complexity is huge. With so many vendors offering overlapping services, it’s no wonder businesses struggle to find the right fit. Mislabeling and overlapping services: Many companies use broad and popular terms like “cloud service provider” to describe their services, even if they only provide a subset of those offerings, such as basic hosting. This can mislead the customers and make it difficult for them to find providers that truly match their needs. Lack of standardization: There is no universally accepted standard for categorizing and defining IT services. Different providers may use the same terms to describe different services, or different terms to describe the same services, leading to more confusion. Without a unified language or standard definitions, customers struggle to compare services and providers effectively. We believe standardization is key to resolving these issues. Let’s create a market where businesses can make informed decisions and find the right partners without getting lost in the jargon.

IT Purchasers & Procurement: Now is your time to shine! ✨ We need your help with our survey (the results are anonymized!). We need to understand the current state and what is missing for embedding sustainability (regionality, transparency, impact) in the procurement of IT & cloud infrastructure. We want to inform policymakers & public to take the right actions and create effective policy to foster sustainable digital infrastructure in Europe. Can you help us? Link to the survey: https://buff.ly/45Ymhon For more information: https://buff.ly/3S0PeKF

Just one week left until GreenTech Forum Brussels 2024, the new Tech & Sustainability event, taking place on June 18 & 19, 2024 at the Maison de la Poste in Brussels, Belgium. 🗓 See you on June 18 & 19, 2024 at the Maison de la Poste in Brussels, Belgium. 👉 Link to register: https://lnkd.in/dQdhYd69 👉 Link to the program: https://lnkd.in/ewY9n6U9 #GTFBrussels #SustainableIT #GreenIT #ITforGreen