Study of energy efficiency in portable devices using cloud computing: case of multimedia applications

Abstract

Energy efficiency is considered an important argument when designing information and communication technology solutions. Today the use of portable devices to receive valuable services while on the move is immense. Advancements in software and hardware technology need to be assimilated, with corresponding meliorations in battery engineering. With further progress in device miniaturization, striking improvements in battery technologies cannot be foretold. Due to limited energy requirements on portable devices, changing computing power from the user end to a remote server has provided the opportunity for the evolution of cloud computing. With on-demand self-service from cloud computing, there has been substantial growth in the number of users of portable device like laptops, netbooks, smartphones, and tablet PCs, which has resulted in a significant increase in energy consumption. The main objective of this research is to study and analyze the energy patterns between client-computing and cloud-computing-based applications that provide multimedia services. This study renders potential solutions for cloud users and cloud service providers to choose applications based on their requirements. It provides an alternative to end users for optimal-use cloud services through battery-powered portable devices.