Software Enabled Earth

Making Windows 8 Fast, Fluid and Efficient

Josh Henretig — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:23:07 GMT

In June 2011, we released a whitepaper called “ The IT Energy Efficiency Imperative ” that explores the critical importance and substantial benefits of embracing IT energy efficiency in a world where almost every facet of business and society is dependent...(read more)

Q2 Environmental Sustainability Action Award Winner

Josh Henretig — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:26:57 GMT

Each quarter, Microsoft gives out an Environmental Sustainability Action Award , along with a donation to an environmental charity of the winner’s choice, in recognition of an employee or team who has shown leadership and provides an inspiring example...(read more)

Transforming the World with ICT

Josh Henretig — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:50:01 GMT

In June the United Nations will convene the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development , also known as Rio 2012 or Rio+20 , hosted by Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, as a 20-year follow-up to the historic 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment...(read more)

7 of the Best Windows Phone Apps for Staying Green

Josh Henretig — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:10:36 GMT

Windows Phone Marketplace now boasts 60,000+ apps, and with new phones from Nokia and HTC there are plenty of reasons to get on board with Windows Phone. But the Windows Phone can also help you live more sustainability. I’ve scoured Windows Marketplace...(read more)

PC Makers Going Greener

Josh Henretig — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:19:30 GMT

PC manufacturers today are looking at a range of ways to reduce the impact and lighten the load technology places on the environment. From the software to the circuitry, all the way through how the PC is handled and shipped, the tech industry today is...(read more)

Reducing carbon emissions through Microsoft Store Online and the cloud

Josh Henretig — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:47:05 GMT

Using the download only service from MS Store could save a user up to 83% in terms of carbon emissions when compared to the more traditional fully packaged product distribution, shows a new research article from leading journal, ‘ Environmental Science...(read more)

How Scientists are Using Kinect

Josh Henretig — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:34:31 GMT

Since its release in November 2010, the Kinect for Xbox 360 -- now the fastest-selling consumer electronics device of all time -- has captured the imagination of hundreds of thousands of videogame enthusiasts as well as many university researchers, who...(read more)

Sharing is Everything! Making Environmental Data Easier to Collect, Access and Use

Josh Henretig — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 07:22:00 GMT

As noted in yesterday’s post , Microsoft is at the Eye on Earth Summit in Abu Dhabi this week with our partners Esri and the European Environment Agency to continue exploring how data visualization tools like the Eye on Earth Network can help transform...(read more)

Microsoft Researchers’ Focus: Eye on Earth

Josh Henretig — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:04:05 GMT

Microsoft’s Stephen Emmott and Lucas Joppa of the Computational Science group at Microsoft Research Cambridge are in Abu Dhabi this week to participate in the Eye on Earth Summit, an event organized to ensure effective global access to environmental data...(read more)

Climate Change Policy

Robert Bernard — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:49:47 GMT

As I recently blogged , Microsoft has a delegation participating in the 17 th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, otherwise known as COP17 . With those negotiations ongoing, we thought it was a good time to pull together the perspectives...(read more)

Microsoft at COP17: Working together to organize environmental data

Robert Bernard — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:59:58 GMT

Microsoft is in Durban, South Africa, this week for the 17 th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, otherwise known as COP17. This year, Microsoft is teaming up with a number of organizations to demonstrate how data visualization tools...(read more)

Windows 8 and the Quest for Energy Efficiency

Josh Henretig — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 05:53:41 GMT

In many markets around the world, increasing electricity consumption is putting more demand on every aspect of the workplace to reduce power consumption and lower carbon emissions. PCs are a significant source of potential savings. Our colleagues over...(read more)

Q1 Environmental Sustainability Action Award

Josh Henretig — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:44:27 GMT

Intelligently Managing the Earth's Ecosystem

shoshe — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:43:15 GMT

Many of you who follow me on Twitter may have figured out that I, and my product team in Microsoft, have been investing in environmental sustainability solutions. One specific custom solution, called Eye on Earth, was developed by Microsoft and the European...(read more)

New from Microsoft Research: Controlling Home Heating Using Occupancy Prediction

Josh Henretig — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:28:29 GMT

Our friends over in Microsoft Research recently showcased a project, called PreHeat , which is designed to save energy by automatically controlling a home’s thermostat based on predictions of when the occupants will be home. In the U.S. and U.K., home...(read more)

Computerworld names Microsoft one of top green IT organizations

Josh Henretig — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:07:08 GMT

Today IDG’s Computerworld named Microsoft as one of the top green IT organization as part of its annual Top Green-IT Organizations feature. Of the seventy organizations that participated in the ranking, Microsoft was ranked fourth. We’re very pleased...(read more)

Thoughts on This Year’s Greenbuild

Kat Willson — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:08:36 GMT

Last week, Microsoft attended the Greenbuild NEXT conference in Toronto. Hosted by the U.S. Green Building Council, the conference brought 23,000 people together - a diverse array of leaders from across the building industry, including Architecture, Engineering...(read more)

Microsoft’s Data Center Takes Fresh Approach On Water Reuse

Josh Henretig — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:30:48 GMT

Today, Microsoft is announcing the transfer of our $ multi-million water treatment plant located on our data center site in Quincy, WA, to the City of Quincy. This project involves innovative agreements for promoting a long term sustainable use of a limited...(read more)

Environmental Sustainability@Microsoft: A Progress Update

Robert Bernard — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 17:29:14 GMT

Environmental Sustainability @ Microsoft: A Progress Report Over the past few weeks we’ve posted several important public reports on our progress advancing environmental sustainability at Microsoft, including the Environmental Sustainability...(read more)

Environmental Sustainability@Microsoft: A Progress Update

Robert Bernard — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 17:29:07 GMT

Johnson Controls Launches New Building Efficiency Solution

Kat Willson — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:03:29 GMT

If you haven’t heard, we are very happy to share the news that our partner, Johnson Controls Inc., announced the launch of its new building efficiency product this week at GreenBuild in Toronto, Canada! Panoptix is the newest member of a long standing...(read more)

Making Buildings Energy-Smart at Microsoft

Josh Henretig — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:49:08 GMT

Today Microsoft is publishing a white paper detailing the results from a pilot program on our corporate campus in Redmond, Wash., aimed at using technology to improve the energy efficiency of the buildings on our campus. The paper was authored in collaboration...(read more)

Using Real-Time Data to Achieve Sustainability Excellence

Josh Henretig — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 20:53:14 GMT

Our friends over at OSIsoft are hosting a webinar on October 13 th focused on how organizations big and small can make better use of real-time data to achieve sustainability excellence. Businesses are recognizing the growing importance of sustainability...(read more)

Microsoft Hong Kong Wins Environmental Award

Josh Henretig — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 17:53:26 GMT

Last year, Microsoft Hong Kong received the Platinum Award for Green Office Management in the 2010 Hong Kong Green Awards competition and the Carbon “Less” certificate for successfully reducing its carbon footprint by 14%. This year, with continuous efforts...(read more)

Two New Videos from the Environmental Sustainability Team

Josh Henretig — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:28:50 GMT

Several months ago, we released a new whitepaper, The IT Energy Efficiency Imperative , which explores the critical importance and substantial benefits of embracing IT energy efficiency in a world where almost every facet of business and society is dependent...(read more)