Can cloud computing lead to increased sustainability of mobile devices?

Abstract

When it comes to looking at energy efficiency and the concept of sustainability in computing, the focus has invariably been on data centers and mobile infrastructures like cell towers, as these have been considered the power intensive within the computing sector. However, some recent studies show that energy consumed globally by mobile devices is increasingly a large fraction that must be improved. With increased emphasis on utilizing cloud computing through mobile devices, the study and analysis of the complete end-to-end scenario from mobile devices to end-servers is needed that includes a life cycle assessment of networked data centers that provide cloud services. This paper conducts a preliminary investigation into the energy benefits of offloading tasks from mobile end devices to powerful remote servers.